Why Quality Over Quantity Is The New Banking Social Media Strategy
A new report highlights a counterintuitive strategy: brands posting less are seeing better results. This shift reflects evolving consumer priorities, with audiences now valuing authentic connection over continuous content. For bank social teams accustomed to feeding the algorithm, this presents a fundamental recalibration.
By Garret Reich, Senior Project Manager at The Financial Brand
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The report: The 2025 Content Benchmarks Report
Source: Sprout Social
In a social media landscape approaching peak saturation, the conventional wisdom of “post more, reach more” is being turned on its head. According to Sprout Social’s 2025 Content Benchmarks Report, the most successful brands are actually scaling back their publishing volume and focusing instead on creating truly engaging, human-centric content. There is a clear shift in strategy — it’s no longer about who posts the most, but who posts with the most purpose.
It’s an important point in time for banks and credit unions to dig deep into their social media strategy, particularly as a reported 86% of social users plan to maintain or increase their time spent on platforms in 2025. However, consumer priorities are fundamentally changing from passive scrolling to active community building. The message is clear: post less, engage more and prioritize authentic connection over volume-based approaches.
Key Takeaways:
- Engagement is up, posting frequency is down: Brands published an average of 9.5 social posts per day across networks in 2024 (a slight dip from 2023), while average inbound engagements increased almost 20% — climbing from 70 per day in 2023 to 83 in 2024.
- Video content continues to dominate: The percentage of video content is increasing across major platforms, with a 3 percentage point increase on Facebook and Instagram, and a 2 percentage point increase on X. Instagram Reels and carousel posts continue to see steady growth.
- Quality trumps quantity: Consumers rank originality of content as the second most important factor in making brands stand out on social (behind only product/service quality), with 73% saying they’ll buy from a competitor if a brand doesn’t respond on social.
- Personalized engagement is crucial: Consumer-facing industries that are prioritizing engagement over posting volume saw significant rewards in audience interaction and loyalty.
The End of ‘More is Better’
Sprout Social’s report showcases the maturing social media landscape, where brands of all kinds are recognizing that flooding feeds with content doesn’t always translate to greater impact. Brands — across industries — did average 9.5 posts a day, but the report also shows that consumer-facing sectors like media, leisure, sports and recreation, automotive and retail consistently exceeded this threshold.
“There’s an opportunity to scale back publishing volume even more and create space for producing truly unique assets,” the report notes.
The data supports this strategic pivot, with average inbound engagements increasing by nearly 20% year-over-year. Brands focusing on quality over quantity are seeing stronger results from their social efforts. Bank and credit union brands that prioritize meaningful content over volume are being rewarded with higher engagement rates, particularly as audiences discern what earns their attention.
The Rise of Video Across Platforms
If there’s one content format that is dominant on social media, it continues to be video. The report shows consistent growth in video content across Facebook, Instagram and X, three platforms that are already prioritizing video in their own algorithms and feed displays.
On Instagram specifically, Reels and Carousel posts have seen steady growth, while single image posts declined by seven percentage points from 2023. Industries including retail, media and travel and hospitality are leading the way in video adoption, despite the higher production demands associated with this format.
“As we move into 2025, we anticipate Reels will account for an even larger share of Instagram posts, as consumers say they are most likely to interact with short-form video content on the platform,” the report predicts. Interestingly, the report also highlights that multi-media and multi-video posts remain the least utilized formats across industries, indicating untapped opportunities for brands willing to experiment with mixed-media approaches.
Dig deeper into banking social media strategies:
- Inside Banking’s New Digital Advertising Playbook
- ‘It Won’t Happen to Us:’ The Dangerous Mindset Minimizing Crisis Preparation
- Why Some Community Banks Are Ditching Social Media Marketing for Streaming Platforms
Platform-Specific Content Trends
Instagram: Video’s Expanding Dominance
Single image posts posted on Instagram have declined significantly (down seven percentage points from 2023), while Reels and carousel formats are gaining traction. If brands look at their consumer preferences, they’ll see that shift reflected there, as many users say they’re most likely to engage with short-form video content on the platform. It’s a good sign for bank and credit union brands that are still heavily invested in static images.
Facebook: Images Hold Strong, Video Gains Ground
Despite the video boom, images remain the dominant content format on Facebook, accounting for 48% of all brand content across industries. The report also highlights an often-overlooked format: text-only posts still hold considerable value on Facebook, comprising 18% of all content. According to consumer feedback, text-based posts generate strong engagement on the platform, “proving that compelling copy remains an effective tool” in a brand’s content mix.
X: Balancing Traditional and Video Content
On X (formerly Twitter), single-image posts still dominate (47% of brand posts), but video content increased by two percentage points since 2023 as brands experiment with more dynamic formats. The platform’s evolution toward multimedia hasn’t diminished the importance of text and link posts, particularly for industries like banking, consumer product manufacturing, food and beverage, and retail.
Engagement Benchmarks and Platform Performance
When it comes to interacting with brand content, not all networks deliver equal results. The report reveals Instagram leads with 27 average daily engagements, followed by Facebook (24), X (13), and TikTok (4). Company size also influences engagement levels, with enterprise organizations (1,000+ employees) averaging 27 daily engagements compared to 13 for small-to-medium businesses (1-50 employees).
These engagement patterns emphasize the importance of strategic platform selection based on audience activity. For brands with limited resources, focusing efforts on platforms yielding the highest engagement rather than maintaining a presence everywhere could be more effective.
Interestingly, while engagement is up, brands’ response rates have slightly declined. “Daily response rate to messages and comments is slightly down from 8% in 2023 to 7% in 2024,” the report says, potentially due to increasing incoming message volume. On Instagram alone, incoming message volume jumped from 13 in 2023 to 18 in 2024.
Consumer Expectations and Brand Differentiation
What truly makes brands stand out on social media? According to consumers surveyed in the report, originality of content ranks second only to product/service quality. This reinforces that while trend awareness matters, simply following every trend or reposting popular memes isn’t what creates lasting brand memorability.
There is also a significant disconnect between consumer priorities and brand focus: consumers say companies should make personalized customer service their #1 social media priority in 2025. This aligns with the finding that 73% of social users say they’ll buy from a competitor if a brand doesn’t respond on social media.
For brands looking to differentiate themselves, the data suggests several strategic priorities:
Prioritize originality and authentic voice: Brands that develop and maintain a distinctive voice and content approach stand out in increasingly crowded feeds.
Strategic trendjacking (when appropriate): While mindless trend-following can appear desperate, strategic participation in relevant cultural moments can drive significant engagement.
Influencer partnerships that add value: The report reveals that 59% of marketers plan to expand their influencer partnerships in 2025, but emphasizes the importance of finding partners who align with brand values. National Debt Relief is showcased for its successful partnership with financial wellness creators who integrate the company’s services naturally into their content.
Customer engagement over content volume: Perhaps most critically, the report emphasizes that “posting alone can’t earn you brand loyalty — only genuine engagement can.” Brands that excel at responding to comments, addressing concerns and creating two-way conversations see significantly higher loyalty and conversion rates.
Looking Ahead: Content Strategy for 2025
As social platforms continue evolving and user expectations shift, the report concludes with strategic recommendations for brands planning their 2025 approaches:
- Focus on community building over broadcasting: The most successful brands are transitioning from broadcasting messages to building genuine communities. This means prioritizing response times, encouraging user-generated content and creating spaces for customers to connect with each other as well as the brand.
- Platform diversification and experimentation: Over one-third of marketers are finding their audiences are migrating to emerging platforms like Threads, Bluesky and Lemon8, signalling that bank and credit union brands should remain flexible and willing to experiment. The City of Las Vegas, for example, is highlighted for its agile approach to platform adoption.
- Quality-focused resource allocation: Rather than stretching resources thin and posting at high volumes, brands should consider reallocating efforts toward creating fewer, higher-quality pieces of content. This might mean reducing overall posting frequency to invest more in video production, influencer collaborations, or community management.
- Measuring what matters: Engagement quality is steadily growing more important than quantity. Brands should focus metrics on meaningful interactions rather than just reach or impressions, tracking how content drives specific business outcomes like conversions, customer retention or community growth.
