Hard truth: There’s basically no chance that the content you create in 2018 is going to be one of the top social posts of the year.

But that def doesn’t mean that you should just give up. There’s still a heck of a lot you can learn from the top social media posts from 2017.

Take these lessons from Science of Social media and use on your own campaigns for 2018.

• (1:50) Red Bull has 48-million followers on Facebook (just a few more than us) they posted a video that got 750,000 likes and 85 million views. The caption for the video? “This is what you do when you miss your flight.” Makes you wanna watch that video, right?
• (2:55) Believe it or not, Mr. Bean had a top performing video of 2017. He mixed nostalgia with comedy to make this video work. Mr. Bean’s team also did a killer job of creating anticipation throughout the video.
• (4:10) National Geographic’s most popular post from 2017 was a dinosaur fossil discovery video with 272,000 likes. The takeaway from this is that breaking news and discoveries can be great ways to generate brand awareness.
• (5:34) Buzzfeed’s Tasty has 90-million followers and their top post was also a video called “Steak Dinner for Two.” They took time on the thumbnail of the video, which shows the finished product. They also made is super sharable by calling it “Steak Dinner for Two.” People were likely to tag their friends, family, and significant others in it.
• (8:14) A bit more relatable, Buffer also includes their top 5 social media posts from 2017.
• (11:05) Re-sharing content is super important. Some of Buffer’s top posts were things they re-shared. Sometimes the right person doesn’t see it the first time around.
• (12:23) Make your posts unique. Posting the same types of content your competitors are posting will just make you blend in.
• (13:41) Curated content, not video content, was the biggest game-changer for Buffer in 2017.

There’s still plenty we couldn’t squeeze into this summary…

Who run the (marketing) world? Content! Hm… doesn’t really have the same ring to it as Bey’s Run the World jam.

But, alas, content creation is so prevalent in the lives of marketers that it feels like it’s running the show most of the time. So, when marketers are tasked with “creating content” for their business, it can be overwhelming instead of, “Oh, this is an easy strategy.”

Today’s Read makes it much less daunting, stripping down this “all-encompassing” marketing term to detail 6 different marketing goals alongside the type of content you need to achieve them.

Here are a few to kick things off:

• Goal: “We need more sales qualified leads.”
  The Solution: Educational contentMost notably, businesses have seen a lot of success creating informational blog posts and eBooks as a way to address and alleviate consumer pain points. Moz does a killer job at selling SEO products while also offering a variety of resources to teach potential customers why search ranking are so valuable.

• Goal: “We need to keep visitors on the site longer.”
  The Solution: Free tools & interactive contentBy serving up content that encourages exploration and engagement, it becomes easier to move visitors closer to a conversion. Pair that participatory element with a piece of content that provides a solution to a pain point and you have an opportunity to create a super memorable experience.
• Goal: “We need to prove our capabilities.”
  The Solution: Case Studies
  
  Case studies provide researching prospects with the evidence they need to pin your business as a credible one; one worth doing business with. Be specific with them, shine a light on them, and explore different formats like Podcasts, infographics, and SlideShares.

Still more ways to achieve your goals ahead!  

Toys R Us, after filing for bankruptcy protection and being plagued by store closings this year, is back with a new ad…? Yeah, we’re as surprised as you are.

In a Hail Mary attempt to save itself this holiday season, Toys R Us is going back in time… to a happier and more profitable era. How? By using vintage Toys R Us footage from 1978 and onwards. Not only is this a clever way to produce a spot on a budget, but it also does well to target parents’ nostalgia, recalling their own childhood expeditions in toy stores. Toys R Us wants to bring consumers back to this idea of an “experience,” instead of merely online shopping. 

The song featured is also a nod to the famous “I Don’t Want to Grow Up” jingle, which is performed by Jenny Lewis. Did you know she used to act in early Toys R Us commercials?? Now ya do. (We love you, Jenny!)