Why Every Brand Needs a Data-​Driven Social Media Content Strategy

Have your accounts set their social media content strategy for the year? The Sprout Social 2026 Social Media Content Strategy Report compares what consumers expect from social media versus what content marketers plan to post. And AudienceSCAN research shows that social sites increasingly appeal to targeted audiences. For example, Instagram is highly favored by millennials.

Which social sites do consumers favor?

More than ever, specific age groups spend most of their social time on a favorite site. Older consumers tend to use Facebook while Gen Zers are big fans of TikTok. And millennials say Instagram is their go-​to site. Overall, Facebook maintains its first-​to-​market advantage and attracts the largest user base.

Here’s where U.S. users will be spending more time this year:

• Facebook  46%
• YouTube 37%
• Instagram 31%

Which sites will marketers focus on this year?

Marketers have other plans. Researchers report marketers plan to invest more resources on Instagram (72%), TikTok (69%) and FB (59%).

What do consumers think about social sites and current trends?

As part of their social media content strategy, brands try to stay current with trends. For example, they may cheer on the U.S. Olympics team. Overall, around 70% of consumers say brands are doing a good job of keeping their social posts current with trends and cultural moments. But only 51% agree that that they are doing a great job with responses to crises.

Should brands speak out on political topics?

The Sprout Social report considers the aspect of marketers speaking out about political topics or causes. As they do, they should know that Gen Zers (63%) and millennials (57%) are more likely to buy from them when they do. Gen Xers (42%) and baby boomers (30%) are less interested in seeing brands take a political stance.

AudienceSCAN research shows that 10% of U.S. adults consider themselves to be politically conscious shoppers. They consider a brand’s political affiliations and statement before they make a purchase.

How are brands monitoring what gets posted?

Marketers can engage with consumers during turbulent times by taking the right approach in their posts. Around 36% of U.S. marketers report have more restrictions when it comes to what they publish and who they use as influencers. And 47% have autonomy, but they must go through more internal approvals first.

Brands want to remain relevant in the era where news is always breaking. Even with required approvals and restrictions, about 74% have content ready to post within five hours.

They also leave a specific amount of their content-​posting resources available for the times when they want to respond quickly. Around 37% of U.S. marketers allocate 37% of their social media content strategy to “emerging trends or cultural moments.” About 26% of surveyed marketers say they leave 50% to 75% of their content budget to these moments.

What do brands plan to post on social media this year?

Most surveyed marketers agree they need to have a bigger presence on “social media networks to reach [their] target audience.”

In general, marketers’ social media content strategy includes setting a plan to produce “episodic series.” These series use the same characters and a continuing story line to add to the entertainment value. In this way, they can reinforce brand messaging.

For many brands, AI-​generated content for use on social media will be a way to save money. Users, on the other hand, want human-​generated content and personalized customer service from social media.

Brands are also developing strategies for each social site.

Facebook

Around 62% of marketers plan to spend more on Facebook activity this year. That trend is especially true when they have at least 650,000 followers. 73% of those brands will invest more.

However, only 39% of Facebook users plan to increase their time spent on the site. Brands can optimize their connections with fans by highlighting products. Facebook is tops for product discovery. And around 48% of users especially like to engage with short-​form video on the site.

Instagram

Instagram’s role has shifted. Instead of trending as a community-​building site, more users are turning to Instagram for entertainment. The data shows that short-​form video posted between Tuesdays and Thursdays will grab attention.

Marketers should keep this in mind as they try to increase visibility on Instagram with their core millennial audience. And 10% of these consumers enjoy posting their own videos to social media, according to AudienceSCAN.

In the coming year, over 40% of millennials expect to exercise more, get better sleep and eat healthier. These aspirations make them a great target audience for marketers that will post episodic series.

YouTube

This social channel rules as one that offers education about products, in addition to entertainment. Brands should post on Tuesday and Wednesdays to increase engagement.

TikTok

Around 44% of Gen Zers who use TikTok engage with the platform more than once a day. The young users go to the site for entertainment, but they also get their news and product information there.

The latest findings from Harris Poll show that 60% of Gen Zers do not trust the platform as much as they did in the past. Analysts point out that young consumers are jaded and want to decrease screen time. This attitude means that brand videos posted to TikTok must be super engaging to win favor.

Consumers will continue to use social media this year, though maybe not as much as before. If your clients want to stand out from the crowd, they must post videos that make up part of a solid planned social media content strategy.

Image by Photo by Magnus Mueller on Pexels.