By format and by purpose
The main types of social media content and how to mix them
The types of social media content, from posts and carousels to stories, videos and ads, do different jobs. Learn which type fits which goal, how to build a mix of content pillars, and how to create each from one brand kit.
- Format and purpose explained
- A plan you can reuse
- 7-day free trial
What are the types of social media content?
The main types of social media content are image posts, carousels, short videos, stories and ads, and each can serve a purpose: educate, promote, show behind the scenes, build community or prove results. A content plan mixes a few of these purposes, called pillars, across the calendar. Socials Creator creates each format from your brand kit and plans them.
- By format
- Image posts, carousels, stories, short videos and ads
- By purpose
- Educate, promote, behind the scenes, community, proof
- A content plan
- Three to five pillars repeated across the month
- Credits
- 1 per image, 30 to 180 per video
By format
Six content types and what each one is for
Each type can carry any of the purposes in the table below. These are the formats Socials Creator creates.
Image posts
One image with one message. Best for an announcement, an offer or a quote, and the easiest format to produce regularly. Created in 4:5, 1:1 or the format of the network you choose.
Carousels
A sequence of 3 to 10 slides that tells a story or explains steps. Carousels suit teaching, comparisons and lists, because people can swipe at their own pace and save the post for later.
Stories
Full-screen vertical posts for things that expire: today's offer, a poll, a countdown. Stories can be published to Instagram from the app.
Short videos
Process, transformations and quick tips shown in motion. They are built scene by scene with models such as Seedance and Grok Imagine and downloaded to upload as Reels or on TikTok.
Ads
Image and video creatives made to be paid for rather than posted organically, with a headline and copy written for one action. They are downloaded to your ad platform.
Recurring characters
An AI avatar, a character made for your brand or from a photo, can appear across posts so the feed has a recognizable face. Avatars do not speak, they appear in images and videos.
How it works
How to build a social media content plan in 3 steps
1. Choose three to five content pillars
Pick the purposes that match your business: for example teach, show the work, announce offers and introduce people. Fewer than three gets repetitive; more than five is hard to keep going.
2. Match each pillar to a format
Teaching suits carousels, showing work suits photos and short videos, offers suit single images and stories, and people suit a portrait post or a video. The format follows the purpose, not the other way round.
3. Fill the calendar and repeat
Give each pillar a regular slot in the calendar, for example a carousel on Tuesdays and an offer on Fridays. Create the month in one session so the style stays consistent, then adjust after a month of results.
When to use it
Content plans for three situations
A new account with nothing posted yet
Start with two pillars, show the work and introduce the team, and fill the first three weeks before you add a third. A small plan you complete beats a large one you abandon.
A busy small business
Batch a month in one sitting: four carousels, four offer posts, eight stories and a couple of videos. The calendar then holds the plan, so you are not deciding what to post every morning.
An agency with several clients
Give each client the same pillar framework with a different brand kit. The structure is repeatable, and the colors, fonts and tone stay client-specific. Plans cover 3, 10 or 30 brands.
Content pillars at a glance
Types of content by purpose
Pick the purposes that fit your business, then choose a format for each.
| Purpose | What it is for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Educate | Earn saves and trust by teaching something useful | A five-slide carousel: three mistakes to avoid |
| Promote | Sell an offer, a product or a service | A story with a deadline for a weekend offer |
| Behind the scenes | Show people and process | A short video of how an order is packed |
| Community | Invite replies and shares | A story asking followers to pick the next flavor |
| Proof | Show results, with permission | A before and after of a finished job |
| News | Share updates | A post announcing new opening hours |
Pricing
Simple pricing, with a 7-day free trial
Every plan includes all features. Choose by how many brands you manage and how much you create.
Pro
Freelancers and solo brands
$69/month
Start free trial$690/year
≈ $57.50/month
- 800 AI credits per month
- Up to 3 brands
- Posts, carousels, stories and ads
- Captions, hashtags and ideas
- Calendar and Instagram publishing
- Most popular
Agency
Small agencies
$179/month
Start free trial$1,790/year
≈ $149.17/month
- 2,500 AI credits per month
- Up to 10 brands
- Posts, carousels, stories and ads
- Captions, hashtags and ideas
- Calendar and Instagram publishing
Agency Plus
Lots of client accounts
$399/month
Start free trial$3,990/year
≈ $332.50/month
- 6,000 AI credits per month
- Up to 30 brands
- Posts, carousels, stories and ads
- Captions, hashtags and ideas
- Calendar and Instagram publishing
- The 7-day trial includes 100 credits and requires a card. You won’t be charged until it ends, and you can cancel before then.
- An image costs 1 credit; a video costs 30 to 180 credits depending on model, quality and length. Failed generations are refunded.
- Extra credit packs from $29. They never expire. Prices exclude tax.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What are the types of social media content?
By format they are image posts, carousels, stories, short videos and ads. By purpose they are educational, promotional, behind the scenes, community, proof and news. A good plan combines a few purposes and chooses the format that fits each.
What are content pillars for social media?
Content pillars are the three to five recurring themes your posts come back to, such as teaching, showing the work and announcing offers. They make planning faster because every idea has a home, and followers learn what to expect from you.
How many types of content should I post?
Start with two or three and add more once you can keep the rhythm. Variety matters less than consistency, so choose the types you can create every week without it becoming a chore.
Which type of social media content gets the most engagement?
It depends on the account and the network, and no type wins everywhere. Check your own statistics: on Instagram, Insights shows how each post performs, so you can see whether your followers save carousels more than they react to photos.
Can Socials Creator make live streams or text-only posts?
No. It creates images, carousels, stories, ads and short videos, each with a caption and hashtags. It does not run live streams, record podcasts or write long articles or text-only threads.
How much does each type of content cost in credits?
An image costs 1 credit and a video between 30 and 180, depending on model, quality and length. A month with 30 image posts therefore uses about 30 credits, while a few videos use more. Failed generations are refunded.
Can I plan content for several networks together?
Yes. The calendar holds content for any network, and you create each piece in the format of that network. Only Instagram images, carousels and stories are published directly from the app; the rest you download.
Keep exploring
More ways to create social media content with AI
Turn your content mix into a calendar
Choose your pillars, create each format in your brand's style and fill the month.
100 free credits · Cancel anytime