Content is any creative piece you make and share online. That could include a page on your website, a post on your social channels, or a video in an email that you send to your customers.
Creating good content
7 minute read • Last updated: 25 February 2025
Create and share engaging content about your business to start and grow a community of potential customers. You need to find interesting and authentic stories to tell about your product, your business, your location and your sector. These stories will take different formats across your channels with reels, videos, images and articles building up a picture of who you are and what you stand for.
Look at what content you should be creating and what to aim for across your channels. Think about the information you have to share – practical details, news, staff and customer stories – and how best to get that information across. Find channel-specific advice guides and think about using content from other creators to enhance your feeds.
Why create content?
Content can be informative, interesting and engaging.
The benefits of good content can include:
What should I be creating?
Laggan Locks
Content should be creative, relevant and inspiring. Ideally it would be something customers are likely to engage with online.
This means a user might like or comment on a post. This tells the social media channel that the content is of value and makes them more likely to show it to one of that user’s friends usually with the badge “Anne Scotland liked this post.”
Or a user might save a post. This would again be a positive indicator to the social media channel, and it would be more likely to be shown to another user.
This all helps to raise the profile of your business, as well as your general area and Scotland as a whole.
Types of content
You have two audiences you want to reach on social media – those that know you exist and may already follow your page, and those that don’t yet know you exist.
Think about creating two different types of content to reach them:
Educational content – key information about your business which can be reshared or accessed again by potential customers.
Topical content – trends, news or seasonal content about your business, or about the general area, sector or Scotland as a whole.
Before you create any content, you want to make sure you have everything you need on your website and online business listings.
Check out how to manage your website, how to create an online business listing and capture great photography.
Content about your product and business
Before you can decide what content to create, think about what you could say and share about your business, location, Scotland and news and trends
Share clear information about your products
- Your unique selling points - what does your business offer, and what makes it stand out amongst other choices?
- Your physical location - what makes your setting special? How does it contribute to the experience?
- Practicalities - where are you in relation to the country’s major transport hubs, and how easy is it to arrive by public transport?
- Your inclusive features - how accessible is your building, and what catered experiences you offer for different groups of people?
Consider what else you can say about the business and its ethos
- Your staff - who are the people behind your business? Why do they enjoy offering this experience to customers?
- Previous customer feedback - why do people enjoy visiting you? Is there a feeling or description that comes up often in reviews?
- Your type of product - why does someone enjoy that type of experience? Is it a growing activity thanks to a trend?
- Your values - what is your business aiming to be, and what do you want to achieve?
- Your sustainable journey - what positive changes have you made, and how are you planning to move forward?
Focus on your location, general area and Scotland
- Your community - do you work with your local community? How has that impacted your business throughout its history?
- The general area - what else is there to do in the surrounding area? Is there a reason you’re based there? What does the area mean to you and the business?
- Scotland - what makes it special? How is that reflected within your business and products?
Think about wider trends or news
- New trends - does your product tie into a new or growing trend, for example wellness?
- News - have you won an award? Has the local area been named a great place to visit? Keep an eye out for any news stories which could have ties to your product and business.
Create content for each channel
Facebook post from VisitScotland
© VisitScotland
Now you have some ideas of what stories you want to tell, it’s time to think about the different channels you wish to create content for.
You may be able to share the same information on multiple channels – but it will need to be tailored to fit that channel best.
For example, VisitScotland produced content on seafood shacks:
- Blog page – a listicle of 11 seafood shacks with an image of each and a link to more information.
- Facebook - The blog was then posted in a Facebook post which allowed users to engage in conversation about seafood shacks they'd visited.
- Instagram – a reel showing 5 seafood shacks with a video from each location showing a close up of the food.
The content was used both for organic and paid promotion.
Content formats
There are a number of content formats available to you:
Video
This type of content is a hugely important part of activity with people are watching significantly more video than ever before. Video could keep people on your website longer, which leads to better engagement and can improve your SEO rankings.
Video content could be a:
- film showcasing your business
- live stream
- reel
- educational or how-to video
- vlog (video blog)
Examples of businesses using video content
- Jack Alt-Stays on TikTok - sharing the story of how their business began.
- Camera Obscura & World of Illusions on Instagram - highlighting their inclusivity with a post about their Sensory Backpack product.
Further advice on creating video is available in these guides from Business Gateway:
Image
Posting images on social media allows you to visually tell your story. You need to try and capture your audience in 3 seconds or less and using striking images is a great way to achieve this.
Blog
Blogging is a great way to build relationships with your customers or followers and drive traffic to your website.
Content length
You also need to carefully consider length. Is the story you are telling something that a user will appreciate detail on, or is it something they can quickly glance at but still be inspired by? Both blogs and videos could be longform – over 1,000 words or 3 minutes – or just a quick taste – around 400 words or 30 seconds.
Potential ideas could include:
- A customer’s view of your business premises and location – filmed as a video, or as a blog post with images
- A close up of a food dish – filmed as a short video or as an image, with details in the caption of the local produce used
- Staff suggestions for what else to do in the area – filmed as a quick video, or as a blog post with further information and links
Benefits of sharing online content
Solas Festival
© VisitScotland / Luigi Di Pasquale
You may think it’s essential to keep your audience looking at only your content. But sharing content from other creators can also work to your advantage.
You can link to inspirational content on your website or share it on social channels without losing your audience’s attention. It can improve your relevance and visibility online and build a rapport within the tourism community.
Consider content created by:
Influencers
You can build relationships with influencers in the tourism industry and be part of a community of content curators. This way, you're mutually sharing and benefitting from each other’s content.
Find out more about working with influencers.
Nearby businesses
Follow local tourism businesses on social media. Like and share any content that is relevant to your customers. This encourages customers to see the wider picture of the destination.
Your local destination management organisation
Destination management organisations (DMOs) will often undertake marketing campaigns, develop promotional materials and provide information about the destination. Subscribe to newsletters, attend networking events for content ideas and share their social posts.
Your sector group
Find out who your sector group is and consider becoming a member. By doing so, you can keep up to date with the latest news in the industry. Follow them on social media, share their posts and support other local businesses in your region.
Useful resources for creating channel content
Instagram ads
How to promote your business and reach new customers on Instagram.
External website
Guide
Growing your YouTube channel
For creators who are looking to take their channels to the next level but aren't sure where to start.
External website
Guide
Business blogging from Business Gateway
Guidance on the benefits of blogging, what to blog about and how to promote your blog.
External website
Guide
Related pages
Manage your social media accounts
Find out how to use social media to share information about your business and inspire people to come and visit you.
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Improve your website user experience
Find out how creating a good user experience (UX) can positively impact your business and get tips on improving your website's UX and accessibility.
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Search engine optimisation guide
Find out what search engine optimisation is and how to improve it on your tourism or event website.
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Working with VisitScotland
Work with VisitScotland and align your own business activity by finding out more about our press, social and content activity.
