How to Create Social Media Content That Actually Performs

Today’s social media platforms are crowded and competitive spaces, especially for marketing professionals who want their work to stand out. Algorithms shift, audience expectations evolve and engagement benchmarks keep rising. If you’re like many marketers today, you’ve probably felt the frustration of putting time into a post that earns nothing more than a handful of likes and a few seconds of visibility.

For professionals navigating these spaces, performance matters. Strong content skills aren’t just helpful; they’re essential. They influence hiring decisions, shape credibility and determine whether your work supports real business goals.

The good news: creating content that performs is not about guessing, luck or chasing trends. It’s understanding what audiences pay attention to and learning how platform behaviors influence what succeeds. Whether you’re building skills to stay competitive in your career or trying to improve results in your current role, the right approach can dramatically lift the impact of your content.

Why Some Content Performs — and Some Doesn’t

Most underperforming content has nothing to do with talent or effort. It usually breaks down for one of three reasons: unclear messaging, mismatched platform behavior or a missed emotional connection.

Clarity drives comprehension, and comprehension drives engagement.

Creating clear content removes friction so your audience can understand your message at a glance.

Audiences don’t engage with what they don’t understand. Content that performs well tends to convey a single idea clearly and quickly. Scrolling is fast, and attention spans are short, so users make engagement decisions in fractions of a second. If your content is visually cluttered, overly complex or doesn’t communicate the point immediately, you’re going to lose your audience.

Platform behavior shapes what works.

Each social platform has its own visual rhythms and user habits. What performs well on Instagram might fall flat on LinkedIn. What succeeds on TikTok may need a completely different approach on Facebook.

When content struggles, it’s often because the message and the platform aren’t working together. Great content blends story, structure and platform behavior into a cohesive experience.

Emotion and relevance determine whether someone cares.

When your content reflects what your audience values, needs or experiences, it performs better because people see themselves in it. But emotional connection doesn’t always mean sentimentality. Relevance, usefulness and resonance count as emotional triggers too:

• “This solves a problem I have.”
• “This is exactly how I feel.”
• “This makes sense to me.”

A Simple Framework for Creating High-Performing Content

You don’t need years of experience or advanced tools to create content that performs. What you need is a repeatable process to build consistency. 

Step 1: Start With One Clear Audience Insight

High-performing content always begins with an understanding of what your audience needs right now. Before writing, ask:

• What problem are they trying to solve?
• What emotion or frustration are they carrying?
• What decision are they trying to make?
• What’s happening in their world that influences how they’ll see this message?

Step 2: Match Your Message to the Platform

Each platform has its own “native language.” Adapting your approach doesn't mean reinventing your message. It simply means shaping it to fit the platform’s experience.

Instagram: visual clarity and immediate emotional connection

Instagram favors bold visuals, minimal text and captions that deepen the message. Your first three seconds matter most.

LinkedIn: expertise, clarity and value

LinkedIn rewards content that informs, teaches or provides perspective. Audiences look for insight, not entertainment.

TikTok: storytelling, pacing and authenticity

TikTok performance is driven by watch time and relatability. You don’t need perfection, but you do need purpose and momentum.

Facebook: community, conversation and practical utility

Facebook users engage with content that informs, helps or sparks discussion among networks and groups.

Step 3: Use Storytelling and Visual Structure to Grab Attention

People don’t engage with content because it exists. They engage because it caught their attention. Storytelling, even in small formats, strengthens your ability to connect.

Start with a clear hook

Hooks don’t have to be dramatic, but they do need to be clear. A good hook answers the question: Why should I give this my time? Example:

• “Three things your audience won’t tell you — but you need to hear.”
• “Stop posting content that confuses people — start doing this instead.”
• “Most marketers don’t realize they’re making this simple mistake.”

Structure your content for quick comprehension
Use formatting, pacing and visual hierarchy to guide the viewer’s eye.

For visual content:

• Use contrast
• Keep spacing clean
• Limit the message to one idea

For written content:

• Break ideas into short lines
• Use scannable formatting
• Choose strong verbs and avoid unnecessary filler

End with a meaningful takeaway

Every piece of content needs a purpose. Is your message trying to: inspire – teach – clarify – motivate – challenge?

If the audience leaves knowing something they didn’t know before, your content will perform better.

How to Start Building Content Creation Skills Today

You don’t need a full content team or hours of free time to build good content that performs well. You need small, repeatable habits that strengthen your intuition and confidence.

Practice noticing what works

Start paying closer attention to the content you engage with. Ask:

• Why did this catch my attention?
• What emotion did it tap into?
• What structure made it easy to understand?

Repurpose instead of reinventing

Take one idea and adapt it into multiple formats. This builds confidence and reduces the pressure to generate new ideas constantly.

Experiment in low-stakes environments

Try posting on platforms where your audience feels smaller or friendlier. Testing helps you build courage and refine your voice.

Use tools that simplify your workflow

Templates, schedulers, caption generators and analytics dashboards can streamline your process. Take a look at tools and resources like: Canva, CapCut, Audacity, and Trello. The goal is to create more space for creativity, not complexity.

Build Confidence and Digital Content Skills With Hands-On Learning at Villanova

If you want to create content that performs — and feel confident doing it — the right foundation matters. Villanova’s Digital Content Creation for Social Media course is designed for professionals seeking practical, applicable skills they can put to immediate use. You’ll learn how to design audience-centered content, understand platform behavior, use metrics to strengthen your strategy and build workflows that save time without sacrificing quality. This course is an elective in Villanova's Digital Marketing Certificate.

It’s a supportive, accessible way to sharpen your skills and elevate your work. And because it's 6 weeks and 100% online, you can build real capability without disrupting your life or your career.

Explore our program or connect with a member of the enrollment team.