Creating Social Content That Breaks Through
Social media evolves fast. People want content that feels human, authentic, and easy to consume—and platforms are built to reward it. Algorithms boost what users engage with, so catering to those preferences is essential to earning reach and attention. The same rule applies to paid campaigns, where creative drives 49% of ad effectiveness—more than channel or targeting. For public affairs teams, that means creating content people will interact with, not just messages you want them to hear. The rise of creators and “newsfluencers” is driving an important shift: users expect bite-sized, visually engaging information from real voices they trust.
To earn reach, build credibility, and move audiences to act, your content must feel native to each platform, capture attention quickly, and deliver your message in the formats users already prefer.
So, what does this look like in action?
1. Put People at the Center
Audiences trust people more than brands. With the rise of creators and thought leaders, users now expect to hear from real people. On LinkedIn, content shared by employees earns 2× the click-through rate as the same content posted from a company page.
It’s more important than ever to activate executives, experts, and employees to serve as credible messengers, rather than relying solely on the organizational voice and channels. Try sharing a short video of one of your in-house experts summarizing the key takeaways from a recent blog or article and see if that boosts organic reach. For paid efforts, promote thought-leader posts on LinkedIn and X to expand the reach of high-value messages through executive profiles, not just brand handles.
2. Lead With Video
Every major social platform is reorganizing around video. LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok are all optimizing for vertical, full-screen mobile viewing. Even X, a text-based platform, now has a dedicated vertical video feed.
Static graphics and text still have a place for quick updates and data visuals, but without mobile-optimized video, you’re missing out on reach and engagement. Not every video needs to be high production. In fact, low-lift, authentic clips featuring real people often outperform high-production assets and allow rapid response in a fast-changing policy environment.
3. Keep It Concise
Even when users stop scrolling, attention is fleeting. The average watch time for videos under one minute is about 16 seconds.
It’s essential to lead with your strongest message. The point you want remembered should appear in the first few seconds of a video or first sentence of a static or text-based post. In paid campaigns, test multiple hooks and openings; minor creative tweaks can significantly boost completion and click-through rates. Break longer, more complex messages into shorter clips or multiple posts for easier consumption. You can link to a blog or article for those who want to dive deeper once you’ve earned their attention.
The Adfero POV
The hard sell of traditional advertising can feel out of sync with social platforms and how audiences want to be spoken to and engaged with. Public affairs content that wins in 2025 looks and behaves like creator content—human, native, concise, and built to hold attention where algorithms already point your audience.
