What should your content mix be? The 70-20-10, 80/20 and 4-1-1 rules

Filling a social media account with nothing but campaigns and product announcements seems sensible in the short term, but after a while followers feel it has turned into a billboard and lose interest. Content mix rules give you simple ratios for striking this balance.

Content types

Before applying the rules, you need to sort your content into types. A common and useful breakdown has five types:

• Educational: Tips, how-tos, information. "How do you clean a leather bag?"
• Entertaining: Humor, trends, everyday moments.
• Promotional: Products, campaigns, a direct call to buy.
• Engagement: Questions, polls, content that asks for comments.
• Behind the scenes: The production process, the team, the story of the business.

The five most common models

1. 70-20-10: Most of the content adds value to your brand, part of it comes from other people's content or collaborations, and only a small part is a sales call. Safe for accounts that post sparsely but regularly.
2. 80/20: 80% of the content educates or entertains, 20% promotes the product. A balanced start for most brands.
3. 4-1-1: For every four pieces of value content, one soft promotion and one direct sale. Even on a busy calendar, followers aren't showered with ads.
4. Rule of thirds: Promotional, engagement and value content get roughly equal shares. A good fit for local businesses that talk with their followers all the time.
5. Hero-Hub-Help: You show your expertise with regular "how-to" content and, now and then, tell your brand's big story. It builds trust for B2B and consulting brands.

Which one suits you?

• If you post little and have just started: 70-20-10.
• If you want to see what works: 80/20.
• If you're in a campaign period and posting often: 4-1-1.
• If you're a business with regulars, like a café, restaurant or boutique: the rule of thirds.
• If you sell a service or knowledge: Hero-Hub-Help.

You don't have to hit the ratios exactly; the aim is that when you look at a month of content, sales content doesn't dominate. When you prepare your monthly plan, writing the type next to each piece of content makes the balance easier to see.