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Now that a huge number of companies are creating Facebook content, a whole generation of marketing departments, copywriters and social media practitioners are discovering the joys of coming up with ideas.

When it comes to Facebook, of course, it is probably just as important to relay existing content as it is to create it – particularly given the sheer quantity of material that you have to be putting out there. There is no denying that it is a beast that must be constantly fed.

And our attention span is, um, short.

Creating Facebook content that means something (at least to you)

I’ve often read that you should stick to the 80/20 rule when producing material on Facebook: 80% conversational and 20% promotional or advertising. It’s a very rough rule of thumb, but a useful yardstick nonetheless. The same is largely true on Twitter as well.

But I can see many people struggling with the 80%. The last thing you want to do is just become a relayer of random material as there are a couple of million people out there doing that already. So there is a danger that the values of Facebook – such as being transient and sensationalist – rub off on you. So what should you be communicating?

If you have writers (or sharer’s) block, go back to your roots. Check your company’s mission statement or brand story. You might find a number of themes that can be used. If words such as “innovation”, “well-being” or “social responsibility” turn up, these are great sources of inspiration. Use them generously. Wouldn’t it be great to become a spokesperson for either of these concepts?

If you seek out stories covering these themes, you will create a great vibe on your timeline that will reflect your company’s positioning – and actually mean something.

Working with social media

The other good reason to determine what your timeline is about is that it is easier to delegate. The timeline becomes less dependent on the inspiration of one person and a briefing can be sent out to other writers that know where to go looking for ideas. And remember that every one of the 80% posts is warming the readers for the 20%.

If you have any other tips to creating more consistent and coherent timelines, why not drop a note below?