There are lots of different types of content out there, and they all have their own pros and cons.
Most employees will have a type of content they prefer to create, too. If you can find that, they’re going to be much more likely to keep generating content.
Any content, new or old, is also perfect for repurposing. Repurposing saves time generating ideas and can breathe new life into old ideas.
And not everyone in your audience will engage with something the first time it’s posted. Not repurposing ideas means your great message will reach fewer people.
A couple of common ways to repurpose content include turning a video or podcast episode into a blog post or updating an old blog post as a live stream.
As social media platforms continue to come up with more and more ways to differentiate themselves, that means there are even more types of content for employees to experiment with to build their brand.
So, let’s take a look at some of the types of employee-generated content you could use in 2022.
Expert Videos
Employees are often at the frontline of a company, dealing with customers on a daily basis and getting insights into the top problems the company’s target audience faces. So why not use videos to showcase that knowledge?
People trust company experts more than anyone else, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer. Which means the more you lean into your company experts, the more it will benefit them and the business.
Videos could be in the form of a pre-recorded video, or a live stream.
Pre-recorded videos allow for more errors because they can be edited after, but because of this, they can be time-consuming to put together, especially if they’re longer.
Live videos can be a trial by fire for those who are less confident on camera. They can, however, be a good way to learn public speaking skills as the streamer has to keep talking to keep their audience engaged.
Live videos also add an additional human element to the video, as they happen in real time.
It’s worth finding the type of video your experts are the most comfortable with, as they’ll be more enthusiastic about creating it and want to do more.
You can then repurpose live videos or even pre-recorded videos into a podcast for your audience to listen to on the go, and transcribe it into a blog post for those who prefer to read information.
And don’t forget to embed the video/podcast into that blog post! This can help with time on page for your SEO rankings.
Edutainment Videos
Edutainment videos are a fun way to show someone’s knowledge. They balance someone’s personality with information that’s useful for their target audience.
Balancing education and entertainment can be challenging at first, but the more someone does it, the easier it gets! There will probably be at least one person within a company that this comes naturally to.
When creating this kind of content, it’s important that creators don’t overthink it. Otherwise, jokes can fall flat and the content can be less engaging. A brief plan, then hitting record, can sometimes be all you need.
TikTok Videos
TikTok videos have to be under 3 minutes, which means they can be quick to put together.
This short time frame also makes them perfect for anyone looking to build their video marketing skills, as they can put more videos together in a short space of time.
And the more videos they put together, the better and more confident they’ll get at doing it.
TikTok allows users to record and edit from inside of the platform, meaning that it couldn’t be quicker to create a video.
TikTok videos are also great for repurposing. You can post them on Instagram, use them as a story on Facebook or Instagram, or post them as a short clip on LinkedIn.
Blog Posts
B2B companies that blog generate 67% more leads than those who don’t. When those blog posts are created by employees or scientists, they’re viewed as more trustworthy.
Edelman’s latest Trust Barometer found that fewer than half of people trust CEOs and journalists, which means employees are a far better source for your content.
Getting your in-house experts to generate content shows your audience how much you really understand their struggles and the ways that you can solve them.
To get started, identify the key areas of expertise within the company.
Then, look at your FAQs – what questions are you constantly being asked about that you could cover in a piece of content?
Align these with your ideal customer and content pillar, then find the employee best suited to answering these questions.
Screenshotted Tweets
This is a technique that’s becoming more and more common. A person posts a tweet, then screenshots it and crossposts it on other platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn.
This style of post stands out, as it’s a short piece of text embedded in an image. The tweet uses a different format, font, and size to the rest of the text on the platform, which means it instantly stands out.
It’s also a quick and easy way to create an image.
You don’t even have to screenshot a tweet to do this – you can create a tweet screenshot using TweetGen.
Or, if you want to get fancy with your formatting, you can create an on-brand quote template in Canva, or get your designer to come up with one. Then post it on as many platforms as you like!
LinkedIn Carousels
These are one of LinkedIn’s lesser-known – and therefore lesser-used – features.
Carousels are a series of images that your audience can scroll through. It’s a more visual way to share information or quick tips. Think of it like a slideshow.
You can create them for free using a tool like Canva or Microsoft PowerPoint, or ask your designer to put something together for you.
Showcase company culture, people, and values
According to Wunderman, 89% of people are loyal to brands who share information about their values. It can be a way for companies to stand out among the noise and carve their space in the market.
Employee-generated content is a great way to do this, as just the act of allowing employees to create content shows a culture of trust and openness.
The content they create can further demonstrate this, with things like a day in the life, their favourite thing about their role, and even the types of information that they share in their content.
Hubspot does this really well – they have a dedicated blog, Facebook page, and Instagram account dedicated to Hubspot life.
A simple way to do this is for employees to do a write-up (or a video) after attending an in-person or virtual event. These types of posts always perform well, and are often shared by the event hosts, further increasing their reach and engagement.
You could also share information on charities the business supports, team socials, or company retreats.
Conclusion
There are lots of types of content employees can create that will benefit their brand and the business. Regardless of an employee’s comfort zone, there will be a type of content that fits their style and current skill set. Leaning into that will make them more comfortable creating content and mean it’s likely to convert better.
And, like with all skills, they’ll get better at content creation over time, further building their brand and the businesses.
Editor's Note: This post was originally published in 2018 and has been completely revamped and updated to make this blog current for 2022.