Finding Balance: The 50-30-20 Rule of Social Media Success

In today's crowded digital landscape, brands often struggle with what to post and how often. How do you engage your audience without coming across as too promotional? The 50-30-20 rule offers a strategic framework that can transform your social media presence from forgettable to irresistible. Let's break down this powerful approach that we at Make TV implement for our most successful clients.

The Engagement Engine: Your 50% Foundation

Half of your content should focus purely on engaging your audience. Think conversation starters, questions, polls, entertaining videos, and content that reflects your brand's personality. This isn't about selling—it's about building relationships. When followers interact with engaging content, algorithms reward you with greater reach.

A finance company might share money-saving tips, while a food brand could post cooking hacks. Whatever your industry, aim to provide value that makes followers pause mid-scroll. Remember, people follow accounts that either entertain them, educate them, or make them feel connected to something larger than themselves.

The Curator's Touch: The 30% That Shows You Care

Sharing relevant content created by others demonstrates that you value your community over self-promotion. This curated 30% might include industry news, user-generated content, relevant articles, or posts from complementary brands. By highlighting others' voices, you position yourself as a thoughtful industry participant rather than a megaphone.

This approach also saves precious content creation time while building valuable relationships with others in your field. When you shine a light on others, they often return the favor, expanding your reach organically. The key is to add your unique perspective when sharing—explain why you found it valuable or how it connects to your audience's interests.

The Strategic Seller: Making the Most of Your 20%

This is where your promotional content lives—your services, products, special offers, and direct calls to action. At Make TV, we've found that promotional content performs best when it follows a foundation of value-driven engagement. When your audience already trusts you as a source of quality content, they're more receptive to learning about your video production services.

The trick is making your promotional content feel as valuable as the rest of your feed. Rather than simply announcing "We offer social media video production," showcase client success stories, explain how your services solve specific problems, or demonstrate the tangible difference professional video content makes in engagement metrics.

Implementing the Balance: Your Path Forward

Consistency is crucial when adopting the 50-30-20 approach. Create a content calendar that reflects this balance across weeks or months, not necessarily within each day. Track which types of content perform best within each category and refine your strategy accordingly.

The 50-30-20 rule isn't rigid—it's a starting point. Some audiences respond better to slightly different ratios, but the principle remains: lead with value, build with community, and promote with purpose. At Make TV, we've seen this approach transform social media from an obligation into a genuine business asset for our clients.

By prioritising audience engagement over immediate sales, you create a sustainable platform where promotional content feels like a natural extension of an already valuable relationship—not an interruption to be scrolled past.