As more and more companies join social media platforms it becomes increasingly difficult to stand out. Couple that with the fact that Google is putting more emphasis on user satisfaction each month and the need to create highly sharable content to post on your site – and on other platforms that link to your website – has never been more important. While traditional blogs are great for providing information for your customers, unconventional formats have the added benefits of being eye-catching and engaging. Here are a few of our favorite ideas:

	Recipes: You don’t have to own a restaurant to share a recipe with your audience – though restaurants certainly can use this strategy. Companies that sell children’s toys might share their favorite cookies to leave out for Santa while a jeweler could post romantic recipes that will wow her before you pop the question. Post these recipes on your website then share via social media, especially Pinterest which now supports recipe pins. Also submit them to a platform such as My Recipes or Crave Local to increase your reach and gain credible links back to your site.
	Playlists: YouTube and Spotify make music more accessible than ever. Take advantage of this by creating playlists to share with your customers. Alternative medicine providers may put together relaxing, nature-like songs, whereas a bar could build the perfect playlist to listen to as you get ready to go out. There is a song for every mood, meaning the possibilities are endless.
	Infographics and Memes: We’ve been championing these visual marketing pieces for some time. Visuals not only make your content more striking while users scroll through their social feeds or land on your website, but they also allow them to absorb and retain your information more easily. The best part about these pieces is that they can be applied to virtually any business. Florists may create an infographic titled, “What Her Favorite Flowers Say About Her,” while an insurance company could apply the Bad Luck Brian meme to the unfortunate incident of a tree falling on your brand new car.
	Lists: I cannot scroll through my News Feed for two minutes without seeing at least one list from Buzzfeed. People love lists; it breaks information down into easy to process pieces, making your content more accessible. Your lists could be straightforward, such as packing lists for travel agencies or tourist destinations might post, or they could be more playful, such as a Tax accountant creating a list of the top 10 excuses people give for procrastinating on filing their taxes.

Creating just one of these pieces can help you grab attention and make the most of your digital marketing presence. Often companies resist these tools either because they have hit a creative block or they don’t have the technical skills to create these pieces, but that’s no reason to shy away from these powerful platforms. Our digital marketing team is here to support you with creative ideas, the technical aspects for creating these pieces, or both! Reach out, we’d love to help you get started with these exciting tools.