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All successful Social Media posts include excellent visuals (images and videos), clear call-to-action, and engaging content. They also build strong relationships with followers. 

In this blog post, you will learn: 

  • How to create compelling posts that will boost your engagement,
  • When and what to post on different Social Media platforms, 
  • what to include in your content to make it enjoyable, 
  • the dos & don’ts of Social Media posts,
  • the length of your content and more
What Makes a Social Media Post Successful (Learn More Here)

This post includes affiliate links to products I love and recommend, meaning I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

What makes a Social Media post successful?

As I said before, it’s crucial to include great visuals and exciting content with a clear CTA (call-to-action). Most humans are visual learners. That means we process information based on what we see (images and videos).

When you get your followers’ attention with images or videos, you need to make sure that your content is relatable and valuable. It has to talk about topics your audience is interested in.

At the end of each post (or video), you should include a precise call to action. Tell your followers what step to take next. Here are some examples of good CTA:

  • Head over to [link]
  • Share your thoughts below
  • Please spread the word with your friends
  • Want to learn more? Reach out to me
  • Learn more here

1.) What makes a Facebook post successful?

A successful Facebook post includes good visuals that attract people to read or watch a video. It’s also essential to create a hooking title with emojis (red, green, and orange work best.) 

At the end of your post, there should be a great call to action. Give your followers clear instructions on which step to take next (like, comment, share, etc.)

Here are some Facebook post ideas you can try out:

2.) What makes an Instagram post successful?

Instagram is very focused on visuals. To make your post successful, you must put more effort and thought into your images or videos.

Test out different colors, graphics, and videos. You will see what type of content your audience reacts to best. Then you will also have to create an engaging caption with a clear CTA (call-to-action.)

Here are some Instagram caption ideas you can use:

What to post and what not to post on Social Media?

Be careful what you post on Social Media. What you find funny, your followers might not. So be sensible and always think about them first. 

1.) What should I post on Instagram & Facebook?

There are many different types of posts that you can share on Instagram and Facebook. Below are some great examples that will boost your engagement, followers, and sales.

What to post on Instagram and Facebook

2.) What should you not post on Instagram & Facebook?

There are many different posts that you should never share on Social Media. Let’s look at what not to post on Instagram and Facebook.

Instagram:

  • Images with no text 
  • Don’t overuse hashtags
  • Don’t use the wrong hashtags
  • Hurtful posts 
  • Negativity
  • Racist posts
  • Don’t copy and paste posts 
  • Too many selfies 
  • Too many quotes 
  • Too many business posts 
  • Posts with wrong information 
  • Don’t spread jealousy 
  • Never talk down on people or businesses 
  • Bragging post
  • TMI (too much information) posts 
  • Boring posts
  • Very long captions
What should you not post on Instagram & Facebook

Facebook:

  • Hate and negativity posts 
  • Racist posts 
  • Strong political opinions 
  • Religious opinions 
  • Don’t copy and paste other people’s posts 
  • Too much information (TMI posts)
  • Bragging posts 
  • Long text 
  • Embarrassing photos of you or others 
  • Only business posts 
  • Bragging posts
  • Offensive posts 
  • False information posts 
  • Gossip posts 

What is the best time to post on Social Media for businesses?

This usually varies, but in most cases, the best time to post on Social Media is somewhere between 9 PM – 12 AM (EST). I also experienced great results between 4 PM – 5 PM (EST). 

The best time to post will depend on multiple factors:

  • Where are most of your audience from
  • Your niche/industry
  • When is your audience online?

1.) What’s the best time of day to post on Facebook?

Overall the best time of day to post on Facebook is between 1 PM – 3 PM (EST) – during the week. As I said before, it will depend on which industry you are in, and when most of your audience is only. That’s why you should always check your analytics.

But let’s look at each individual day (know this may vary):

  • Monday: 9 AM – 10 AM & 1 PM (EST)
  • Tuesday: 10 AM & 1 PM – 2 PM (EST)
  • Wednesday: 12 PM – 2 PM (EST)
  • Thursday: 1 PM & 8 PM (EST)
  • Friday: 1 PM – 3 PM (EST)
  • Saturday: 1 PM – 4 PM (EST)
  • Sunday: 1 PM – 4 PM (EST)

2.) What is the best day to post on Facebook?

The best day to post on Facebook is Wednesday. And from my own experience, I would also include Monday. But that doesn’t mean you should only post once or twice per week. 

Consistency is key to success in your business, so commit to posting once per day. Also, check your analytics to see the best days and times to publish your content.

3.) What’s the best time of day to post on Instagram?

The best time of day to post on Instagram is around 11 AM – 1 PM and 7 PM – 9 PM. Test out these times and see if your audience is online then.

If you have an older Instagram business account, check out your analytics, and test those times.

Here are the statistics from Later:

  • Monday: 6 AM – 10 AM & 10 PM (EST)
  • Tuesday: 2 AM & 4 AM & 9 AM (EST)
  • Wednesday: 7 AM – 8 AM & 11 PM (EST)
  • Thursday: 9 AM & 12 PM & 7 PM (EST)
  • Friday: 5 AM & 1 PM & 3 PM (EST)
  • Saturday: 11 AM & 7 PM & 8 PM (EST)
  • Sunday: 7 AM – 8 AM & 4 PM (EST)

4.) What is the best day to post on Instagram?

The best day to post on Instagram is Wednesday. Some also say Monday, but by now, you already know this can be different for you. Try to experiment and analyze your statistics.

What should a Social Media post include?

The most important things a Social media post has to include are; a hooking titlepersuasive wordsemojisline breaks, and visuals. We will look at these individually.

1.) Hooking title

This means that a title has to grab your audience’s attention. You have only 3 seconds to do that; that’s why creating a fantastic headline is essential.

One way is by including redorange, and green emojis. Those colors will stop your audience while they scroll. If you can include numbers (odd numbers work best; example: 7). Also, you need to promise a specific benefit to your audience and then deliver it!

Now let’s look at some titles you can experiment with:

  • Check out these ___ secrets to improve your ______.
  • Here are TOP ___ ways to ______.
  • ___ easy ways to ______.
  • Do you have what it to do ______ like a PRO?
  • Little-known ways to ______.
  • How not to do ______.
  • ___ days to a better ______.
  • How to create ______ without ______.
  • Get rid of ______ problems once and for all.

2.) Persuasive words

Before we talk more about this topic, I would like to explain that being persuasive is not the same as being manipulative. Use persuasive words for good intentions, and you will see excellent results. 

These words will help you show your audience why they need to read your posts, watch your videos, or buy from you. So let’s look at some of the top persuasive words you should start using now:

  • YOU (it’s the #1 persuasive word) – the audience will feel like you’re talking with them.
  • Use their NAME if you can (everyone loves to hear their name).
  • FREE (everybody loves free stuff).
  • BECAUSE (read the book Influence by Robert Cialdini – he shows an excellent example with this word, and it works every time!).
  • SUCCESS (who doesn’t want to succeed, right?).
  • WIN (it’s similar to success).
  • INSTANTLY (we all want to have things or success immediately, so this word can be very persuasive).

3.) Emojis

Emojis will help your content to stand out and not look boring. It’s going to be easy and fun to read. As I said before, you should be using red, orange, or green emojis at the beginning of every post. These colors will attract more people to read/watch your content.

Try to include them throughout the whole post. Just make sure you don’t overwhelm your audience with too many emojis. Find the right balance.

4.) Line breaks

Line breaks are essential for every post you create. It’s going to be more comfortable for your audience to read. It’s also going to stand out because a lot of people don’t do this. 

Just think about the last time you saw a huge chunk of text with no line breaks. Did you read it? Probably not. That’s why you should test this out, and I’m sure you will see great results.

Here’s an example of my post with line breaks:

line breaks on social media posts

5.) Visuals

Visuals (images, videos) are a crucial part of your content. An exciting image will definitely attract more people to engage in your post. It has to spike their curiosity. 

Think about different colors that would pop out on the newsfeed. You can also include a great title, infographics, or even funny GIFs. Think outside the box and test out different styles.

Why we should think before we post?

You have to think about your audience and their feelings. Sometimes you might believe you are posting funny content, but it might actually be very hurtful for some of your followers. That can damage your brand and business.

Interacting online is different than interacting in person. Always think about that before you publish a post. There can be severe consequences, which can be very dangerous. 

What to consider before posting on Social Media?

Before posting on Social Media, you need to consider your audience (their feelings), the purpose of your content (do you want to help or just make money no matter what), and whether it is going to help you reach your goals or not. 

What to consider before posting on Social Media

1.) Consider your audience and their feelings

Think about your audience’s emotions. Is your post going to spread negativity, or is it going to help motivate people? What kind of impact will it have on your followers? If it’s going to make them angry, then don’t post it.

2.) The purpose of your content

If your content’s goal is to sell a bad product just to make money, then don’t publish it. This strategy might increase your revenue a little bit, but it can destroy your brand and business in the long run. A bad reputation will spread way faster than a good one.

3.) Will your content help you reach your goals

Think about your content goals first. What do you want to achieve with each specific post? Do you want more engagement, and followers, boost your revenue, or anything else?

When you know what your goals are, you will be able to create the best content that will help you reach them. It will make this process easier for you.

How do I make Social Media posts interesting?

To make your Social Media posts interesting, you should show your unique personality. Don’t try to fit in; try to stand out.

Also, create different Social Media types and formats. This will make it interesting for your audience. The reason is some of your followers like watching videos while others love to read. 

Ask interesting questions that will urge your audience to respond. You can incorporate your character to make it more personal.

How long should Social Media posts be?

Your Social Media posts should be short and to the point because your audience usually doesn’t have a lot of time to read. You also need to consider each Social Media platform’s character limits. So let’s look into that.

How long should Social Media posts be

1.) Facebook character limit

On Facebook, there is a 63,206-character limit. You definitely shouldn’t come close to that. Try to keep it between 40 to 80 characters.

2.) Instagram character limit 

On Instagram, it’s a 2,200 character limit. Create captions that are around 140 to 150 characters.

Should I post the same content on Facebook and Instagram?

The short answer is yes and no. There are a couple of factors you need to consider. For example, character limit, do you want to attract a new audience, and the Social Media platforms themselves.

  • You saw that each platform has its own character limit. So if you create an Instagram caption with 150 characters, and then you share it on Facebook, you might not get a lot of engagement.
  • If you create a text post on Facebook and want to share it on Instagram, you will have to create an image. As you know, you can’t post on Instagram without a picture (or video).
  • On the other hand, it’s hard to come up with so many different content ideas. So sometimes, it’s easier to just copy and paste.

What is engaging content for Social Media?

Engaging content for Social Media intrigues your audience. It has to grab their attention. That kind of content will always have more engagement

Usually, poll questions do their magic. You can learn more about what is the best content for Social Media here.


Grab these 7+ Years of Social Media Content Ideas to help you get organized and create engaging content fast.

7+ years of social media content ideas

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