There are so many aspects to learning about and “doing” social media. Understanding the Ins and Outs of each platform, learning the “best practices” for maximizing your engagement levels on each platform, and developing a social media plan and social media posting schedule, takes a good deal of time and practice. But then once you have all of those things down pat, you might find yourself wondering, “But what do I TALK about on social?”

Here’s a list of 6 ideas for finding content to share via your social media channels:

• Photos of your products or business services Photos are the “Favorite Child” in social media. Any type of photos or images that relate to your business can and should be incorporated into the content coming out of your social media accounts.
• Your business blog If you post to your company blog on a weekly (or more frequent) basis, figure in the promotion of your new blog posts as Facebook, LinkedIn and Google Plus updates, and Twitter tweets.
• Shares from other accounts Cross-promotion is a win-win for any business, and the accounts whose content you are sharing will easily be able to tell that your business is the one spreading their news. Plus, sharing updates from other accounts helps you by cutting down the amount of original content you need to create for your business’ social accounts.
• Industry news & articles What are your daily “must reads” to keep abreast of your business and industry? Chances are that your trusted resources are also going to be relevant, informative articles for those in your social community, too. If you’re worried you might miss some good reads, be sure to subscribe to their blog feed via email or RSS. If you use a reader, organize all your subscriptions into a folder called “Social Media Updates”, for example, so you can easily access those articles when needed.
• Your local area Even if your business is online, you are still somewhere. Anchoring your business in your local community has its benefits, and sharing news and events taking place in your area is a great way to build community through your social media efforts.
• Company announcements It could be as formal as a press release or a news article written about your company, or something more along the lines of a new product or service announcement, sale or other promotion. While it’s important to limit the amount of social media self-promotion you do, you still can and should utilize your social accounts to boost your business.

Often, once you find a handful of good sources for relevant content to share, you pretty easily fall into a social media posting groove. Then your challenge becomes “Which of these great pieces of content should I post first?” as opposed to “I have these social media accounts but have nothing to say!”

How do you approach seeking out content to share on social media?