Remember when stories were just for Snap?

5 ways to keep up with social media’s constant content demands— from brands who do it best

Stories here, stories there, stories everywhere. Between Instagram, Facebook, Snap, Twitter, etc. — the demands on brands to create more and more content are getting bigger and broader by the minute.

I call it “The Constant Content Problem,” and it can be crazy difficult for both big and small businesses to not only keep up — but to keep up in a way that feels authentic and genuine to your brand.

Last week on social channels, I highlighted one brand a day that’s doing a super+duper job of solving the Constant Content Problem — and how they’re making it work for them. Here are all of my bite-sized insights.

Way 1: Always Be Filming

One of the best and simplest ways to create your Constant Content is to give people behind-the-scenes looks at what you’re doing on the daily. You can film fun stuff, like this awesomely over-the-top photoshoot my team at Bartlett Brands did for ipsy last year. Or regular stuff, like what’s going on at your workspace(office dogs, anyone?) or even at company offsite.

⚡️Bite-Sized Insight⚡Every time you’re creating content, there’s an opportunity to make more content. Customers love seeing the inner workings of things like photoshoots that they don’t get typically get to experience. And people love seeing real faces and hearing real voices — it helps them connect better with your brand.

Way 2: Use Q&A in a Clever Way

Everlane was first out of the gate on the ethical fashion movement with their focus on “radical transparency” — meaning they’re as honest as possible about everything from the price of products to the conditions in their factories. And when it comes to serving up Constant Content, they’re a leading presence on social.

One of the many things they do in a smart way is engage their audience in the content they’re creating. Every Tuesday, Everlane adds to a series called “Transparency Tuesday.” They share a post on Instagram asking people to submit their questions. Questions can be about anything, from product development to job openings at the company.

Then their social team takes to the camera, answering the questions in quick and interesting snippets of content. It’s a simple win-win for everyone: Everlane gets plenty of Constant Content. Their fans get answers about what matters to them in the moment.

⚡️Bite-Sized Insight⚡To create Constant Content that’s both timely and relevant, use your audience as an asset. It’s a super positive + super symbiotic relationship that keeps the convo and the content super fresh.

Way 3: Get Genuine About Lifestyle

Whether you have a baby or not, you’ve likely heard of The Honest Company. Driven by a mission to build a non-toxic world for the next generation, they make safe+effective essentials for families.

Beyond good-for-you products, they’ve mastered the art of creating good-for-everyone Constant Content by focusing in on the life stages of millennial mothers and the authentic moments they encounter.

From showing real customers (not just influencers) to giving fitness tips for new moms to highlighting “honest moments” around childbirth to posting a photo like this one — and following it up with an Instagram story showcasing babies playing in their boxes, they both get personal AND get inspired by their audience. And whether it’s a story, a video or a photo, they’re educating, empathizing and laughing along with parents.

⚡️Bite-Sized Insight⚡Think about all the things that go into the lives of people purchasing your products. How are they using your product? When are they using it? Where are they using it? Any single moment, place or feeling could provide an inspiration for your content — and another chance to connect with a story.

Way 4: Use UGC as the Building Blocks of Great Stories

Everyone can agree that Airbnb kills it when it comes to inspiring content. And being in the travel space, it’s true that they have a LOT to work with. Who doesn’t love gorgeous photos of the world’s most unique destinations (like this house built of Legos, what!?!) streaming through their feeds? But it’s what they do with their stories that makes them so engaging.

Airbnb doesn’t simply repost the photos of their users. They create different types of themes — like business trips or mini vacays or locations. Then they string the photos together to express something unique.

Each piece is structured like a true quickie narrative, with a beginning-middle-end. And when they put this content into Stories, they engage users even more — having them guess the destination, give answers in simple polls and participate in contests.

⚡️Bite-Sized Insight⚡Simply reposting UGC isn’t enough to create engaging Constant Content. Step back and look at the things your audience is sharing with a wide view — then look for themes that emerge. How can you use this to structure your stories? See what clicks into place.

Way 5: Take Behind-the-Scenes to the Next Level

Alice+Olivia founder Stacey Bendet, a self described “designer, mommy, wife, occasional haiku-ist and lover of all things colorful,” injects her mega-bold personality into every facet of her brand. She acts as a true founder face — featured in photos and illustrations sporting her signature round sunglasses.

But Stacy goes beyond being the classic idea of the face of a brand to truly invite customers into her over-the-top life. Alice+Olivia’s stories and photos go much farther than “behind the scenes” at photoshoots: you see Stacey going to events, Stacey on vacation in Miami, Stacey’s children (who she calls her influencers) posing in clothes, even Stacey doing yoga at home while her little influencers run around in the background.

⚡️Bite-Sized Insight⚡Whether your brand has a founder face or not, think about all the ways you can invite your audience into your brand to create Constant Content that connects. Events you attend, unboxing and testing of new products — anything and everything that’s aligned with the values of your brand could bloom into fresh content.

Want extra tips on how to create Constant Content? Say “More please!” in the comments.

Liked this article? Hit that clap button 👏 to help others find it.

Follow me to get Bite-Sized Branding Insights for Startups, served up daily: LinkedIn || Instagram || Facebook || Twitter

You can also sign up for my emails and keep following me here on Medium.

This story is published in The Startup, Medium’s largest entrepreneurship publication followed by 339,876+ people.

Subscribe to receive our top stories here.