Business owners, have you shifted your social media strategy yet?
If you handle your own social media, or you have someone in-house managing it, this is a question worth asking right now. Because what worked a few years ago isn’t necessarily what will get someone to stop scrolling today.
For years, businesses were told to educate, educate, educate. Give people tips. Answer common questions. Create how-to posts. Explain your products and services.
That advice wasn’t wrong. In fact, current research shows people still want educational content. Sprout Social’s Q1 2026 Pulse Survey found that 26% of consumers said educational value or useful information was a primary reason they stop scrolling, second only to entertainment and humor at 30%. Another Sprout Social study found educational content was the number-one type of content consumers wanted to see from brands, at 40%.
So the problem isn’t educational content.
The problem is educational content that anyone could have written.
Educational Content Isn’t Dead, But Generic Content Is
Your Audience Can Find Basic Answers Anywhere
Think about your own social media feed. How many times have you seen some version of “5 Tips for…” or “Did you know…?” followed by information you could have found with a five-second Google search
Probably a lot.
Your customers are seeing the same thing. And now that feeds are packed with businesses, creators and endless amounts of content, the bar for earning someone’s attention is higher.
Consumers are becoming more selective, too. Sprout Social reported in March 2026 that 66% of social media users said they were more selective about what they engage with than they were a year earlier.
That doesn’t mean you stop teaching. It means you stop teaching the obvious.
Social Media Is Becoming a Search Engine
There’s another reason your social media strategy needs to change: people aren’t just scrolling social media anymore. They’re searching it.
Sprout Social’s research found that nearly one in three consumers sometimes skip Google and begin their search on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram or YouTube. Its Q2 2026 research found that 21% of consumers now go to social media first when searching for information, particularly when they want firsthand experiences and opinions. That’s why it is important to determine which social media platforms work best for your business.
That creates a huge opportunity for businesses.
But if someone searches for a topic related to your industry and finds 50 posts saying basically the same thing, why should they pay attention to yours?
Your expertise needs to be the difference.
Stop Sharing Information and Start Sharing Expertise
There’s a Difference Between Knowledge and Wisdom
Knowledge is knowing the answer.
Wisdom is being able to say, “Here’s what I’ve learned after doing this for 20 years, and here’s what most people get wrong.”
That second version is much more interesting.
Your social media content should increasingly come from the things you know because you actually do the work. What mistakes do you see customers make over and over? What common industry advice do you disagree with? What sounds good on paper but rarely works in the real world?
That’s the content people can’t get from a quick search.
Give People the Part They Can’t Google
At The Seedless Agency, we believe businesses should look at their educational content and ask one simple question:
Could someone easily Google this?
If the answer is yes, don’t necessarily throw the idea away. Go one level deeper.
Instead of “5 Ways to Improve Your Social Media,” talk about the social media tactic you think businesses spend too much time on and explain why.
Instead of “Why Google Ads Are Important,” explain the mistake you repeatedly see businesses making inside their campaigns and what you would do differently.
Instead of telling people what to do, tell them why you believe they should do it that way.
That is where your expertise starts showing.
Share Your Opinions
You Don’t Have to Agree With Everyone
One of the easiest ways to make your social media content more interesting is also one of the things many business owners are most nervous about: having an opinion.
Not every opinion needs to be controversial just for the sake of getting attention. You don’t need to pick fights or manufacture hot takes.
But if you have been in your industry for years, you probably disagree with some commonly accepted advice.
Say so.
Then explain why.
The goal isn’t controversy. The goal is perspective. Your perspective is one of the few things your competitors can’t copy.
Unpopular Opinions Can Show Expertise
If you think a popular trend in your industry is a waste of money, talk about it. If customers frequently ask for something you don’t recommend, explain why. If everyone in your field seems focused on one metric but you think another matters more, tell people what you’ve seen firsthand.
Those opinions demonstrate something a list of generic tips never can: you know your business well enough to have a point of view.
That matters even more as social media feeds fill with interchangeable content. Hootsuite’s 2026 social trends research points to the same broader shift, finding that audiences increasingly value human, authentic content and that brands are adopting more of a creator mindset rather than relying exclusively on polished corporate messaging.
Put Your Experience Into Your Content
Talk About What You See in the Real World
Some of your best social media content is probably sitting in your head right now.
Think about the conversations you had with customers this week. What questions did they ask? What surprised them? What did you have to explain three times
Those conversations are content.
A plumber who has been in hundreds of homes knows things about plumbing that aren’t captured in a generic “three signs you have a leak” article. An attorney has heard misconceptions from clients that might never appear in a basic FAQ. A physician sees patterns in patient questions that a generic health article may miss.
Your experience is your content advantage.
Explain Why You Do Things Differently
This is also your chance to show potential customers what makes your business different without constantly telling them, “We’re different.”
Show them instead.
Use your social media to talk about why you recommend one approach over another. Explain why you don’t offer a certain service. Tell people about a lesson you learned from a difficult project. Share the advice you give clients even when that advice means they might spend less money with you.
Those stories demonstrate expertise much more effectively than another graphic telling everyone that you provide “great customer service.”
Let People See Your Personality
Familiarity Matters in Social Media Marketing
There’s another part of your social media strategy businesses sometimes forget: people want to know who they’re dealing with.
You don’t need to turn your business account into a personal diary. But letting people see the humans behind your company helps them become familiar with you before they ever call, email or walk through your door.
That human element is becoming even more valuable. Sprout Social’s 2026 Content Strategy Report found consumers want brands to prioritize human-generated content, while separate Sprout research found 55% of social users said they were more likely to trust brands that publish human-generated content.
Your Business Doesn’t Need to Sound Corporate
This is where a lot of businesses make social media harder than it needs to be.
They have interesting people, strong opinions and years of experience. Then they strip all of that personality away when it’s time to write a post.
Don’t.
Talk like you talk. Share a little humor when it makes sense. Show behind-the-scenes moments. Put your employees on camera if they’re comfortable with it. Tell stories about the business. Let customers get a feel for who you are.
People should begin to recognize your voice before they ever become a customer.
What Should Businesses Post Instead?
Turn Basic Tips Into Expert Insights
You don’t have to completely rebuild your content calendar tomorrow. Start by changing the way you approach the topics you already have.
Take a basic educational idea and add your experience to it.
Instead of asking, “What information can we teach?” ask, “What can we say about this that comes specifically from our experience?”
That one change can turn a generic post into something worth reading.
Answer the Question Behind the Question
You can also go deeper into the questions customers ask.
If someone asks, “How much does this cost?” they may actually be wondering what makes one option worth more than another.
If someone asks, “How often should we post on social media?” what they may really want to know is whether posting more often will bring them more customers.
Those deeper questions give you room to share judgment, experience and perspective rather than simply repeating information that already exists on hundreds of websites.
Social Media Management Needs a Strategy Shift
Social media isn’t becoming less useful for businesses. It’s becoming more important across search, discovery, research and the customer journey. Recent research shows people are actively using social networks to look for businesses, products, reviews, recommendations and answers.
But that also means simply being present on social media isn’t enough.
Your social media content has to give people a reason to stop.
Teach them, but go beyond information they can find anywhere. Share what experience has taught you. Give your opinion. Challenge conventional wisdom when you genuinely disagree with it. Answer the questions people aren’t asking yet.
And while you’re doing all of that, let people see some personality.
Because your audience doesn’t just need to learn what you know.
They need to understand why you’re the person they should trust to help them.
If your social media strategy still revolves around posting generic educational tips several times a week, it may be time for a shift.
Educational content still has a place. The research makes that clear. But the businesses that stand out are increasingly the ones that add something to the conversation instead of simply repeating it.
Your experience, perspective, opinions and personality are things no competitor can duplicate exactly.
Use them.
And if your business needs help developing a stronger social media management strategy, The Seedless Agency can help you figure out what your audience actually wants to hear and turn your expertise into content worth stopping for. If you’re considering professional help, understanding how much it costs to hire a social media manager can help you determine the right level of investment for your business and its goals.
FAQs
Is educational content still good for social media?
Yes. Current consumer research shows people still value educational content from brands. The key is making it useful, specific and grounded in genuine expertise rather than simply repeating information that is readily available elsewhere.
What should businesses post on social media in 2026?
Businesses can combine educational content with expert opinions, firsthand experience, customer questions, behind-the-scenes content, stories and personality. The strongest mix will vary by platform and audience, so your strategy should be based on the people you’re actually trying to reach.
Should business owners share controversial opinions on social media?
They can share genuine opinions when those opinions are relevant to their expertise and useful to their audience. Being controversial just to get engagement can backfire. A better goal is to have a clear point of view and explain the experience or reasoning behind it.
Why is social media important for search?
Consumers increasingly use platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn to research products, businesses and solutions. Social content is also becoming more discoverable outside individual platforms, which means businesses should think about both engagement and search visibility when creating content.
Do I need a social media management agency?
Not every business needs an agency. Some businesses have the time and internal expertise to manage social media effectively themselves. But if your team struggles with strategy, consistency, content creation or knowing what to post, an experienced social media management agency can help turn your business knowledge into a more focused content strategy.