Great content is one of the most important aspects of your marketing to reach your target audience and keep them engaged. Many brands struggle with the type of content they should create, so I’ve put together a list of content ideas that outdoor brands can push out across their social media platforms.
Sneak Peaks
If you have a new product you're launching or new outdoor activity for customers to try, start by giving your followers a sneak peek of what they can expect.
Teaser campaigns are a great way to peak audience interest, create anticipation and get them invested in your brand.
If your target audience is already invested in the big announcement, they are much more to buy from you when the time comes to reveal all.
Lifestyle Content
When creating content, the temptation is to try and sell, whether that's trying to sell specific services your outdoor brand provides or going into detail about product specifications.
People don't want to be sold to.
Some of the best types of content is lifestyle content, such as vlogs or photography of people using specific products in real situations.
Think about brands like Redbull. They create content around extreme sports and athletes who take on insane challenges. This type of content is highly engaging and piques the interest of their audiences. It sells its brand without having to 'directly sell'.
Although not an outdoor brand, another example of a business that does lifestyle content well is Apple. They don't have to sell their products; they create content that shows people a lifestyle they aspire to.
Case Studies
Case study films are a creative alternative to traditional corporate testimonial videos. They bring life to your work, showcase your brand ethos, and add that human element to your business.
It's a great way to showcase your outdoor brand by telling the story of real people you've worked with.
When creating case study films, make sure to include what your customer's pain point was, how you helped solve that problem and the results they have seen after buying your product or working with you.
Behind the Scenes
From my experience, some of the most engaging types of content you can create is content that takes your audience behind the scenes of the brands they love.
More and more people want a chance to connect with businesses and be part of their community personally.
Behind the scenes videos or photography are some of the best ways to showcase your brands' culture, employees, values, and everyday workings of the business.
Take viewers on a tour around your premises, show them how products are made or take them through a typical working day.
Content like this makes your company more relatable, approachable, authentic, and more human.
How-To Videos
The majority of customers, when looking at specific products, will do their research first. This might be looking at things like reviews, but also, a common resource they turn to is how-to videos.
How to videos allow your outdoor brand to showcase your knowledge. This could be, for example, how to set up one of your tents or how best to use a product when out hiking.
These don't just have to be about your products or services, and the best strategy would include a mix. Be genuine in wanting to help your customers.
Infographics
Infographics are another brilliant type of social content that can be shared across all platforms.
Infographics are visual representations of information and data. By combining elements of text image, chart, diagram and, more recently, video, an infographic is an effective tool to present data and explain complex issues that can quickly lead to insight and better understanding.
It's essential when creating infographics that they are on brand, so ensure you include your brand colours, fonts, imagery and logo.
There are several benefits of including infographics within your content strategy, including:
- Visually attractive - Infographics are more eye-catching than just text posts since they usually combine pictures, colours, and content that naturally draws the eye.
- Easy to digest - Since most people have increasingly shorter attention spans, people tend to "scan" material instead of reading text. Infographics help us pay attention to content for a longer time and digest that content much more easily.
- Extremely shareable - Infographics are very shareable, increasing your chance of raising brand awareness and reach.
- Straight to the point – They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so by using infographics, you can get your message across much quicker than you would in a text format.
- Fun and engaging - Infographics are a fun and engaging type of content that will help to keep your audience engaged and coming back for more.
Educational Content
Some brands are sceptical when giving away free advice, but they shouldn't be. Sharing educational social content is a great way to showcase your knowledge and add value to your audience.
Educational content you could create might include the best hiking spots in your area, how to improve your technique for rock climbing or even gear recommendations.
Educational content will help your target audience view you as an industry expert, increasing your chances of them buying from you.
Q&A's
Everyone has questions when deciding whether to work with a new company or buy from a brand, and it's your job to make sure those questions are answered.
Q&As are a great way for potential and existing customers to ask you specific questions about the brand.
Not only will customers have all the information they need, but it's also another opportunity for you to connect with your audience, building that trust and credibility.
Try doing a Q&A session on Facebook, YouTube or Instagram Live or do a 'Ask me anything' campaign on your social media stories.
Showcase User-Generated Content
Creating high-quality content takes time, not to mention the difficulties of thinking of ideas.
Take away some of the stress of creating your content and showcase user-generated content instead.
Sharing your customer's content helps build trust amongst your audience as they see real people using your products or services.
It also shows you're interested in your audience, which will help build a more robust online community and get your audience more invested in your brand.
