A content marketing (social media marketing) campaign can do incredible things for your business, but only if you work to wring every bit of value from your time and efforts. If there’s one thing business owners tend to do wrong with content marketing, we can say that some simply overlook the value of sitting down to define and refine their strategy. So as you get started – or even if you’re revamping your content marketing plan – make sure to take these five critical steps.
Be Helpful
Think about it; do you go online hoping to read advertisements? Of course not! Internet users are looking for answers to their questions, or information that helps them in some way.
Your blog articles should provide this service, and your audience should feel fulfilled after clicking a social media post and reading them. When they know they can rely upon you to provide answers, they will return time and again.
Leverage Visuals
Inclusion of visuals increases click-through rates by 80 percent. Pictures, videos, and infographics command more attention within social media feeds, and provide a user-friendly resource for information. Each post should be paired with a visual in order to maximize impact.
Strategize Appropriately
If you’re not active on social media, you could be missing the opportunity of the century. Your blogs and/or video content views will multiply when you strategize a social media presence. Once you identify your target audience and learn how to reel them in, shares will occur naturally and your exposure will expand rapidly.
Schedule Your Posts
Avoid the temptation to create content only when you feel inspired. This can lead to procrastination, inconsistent posting, and uneven results. Instead, develop a calendar for your different content marketing activities and stick to it. As with anything else in life, content marketing is most successful when you are diligent about it.
Do leave a bit of room in your calendar to throw in the occasional newsworthy or trend-based piece of content. You don’t want to be so overworked that you miss valuable opportunities to boost your traffic.
Analyze, Learn, Adjust, and Improve
Content marketing is never a “set it and forget it” proposition. It’s more of a “learn as you go” exercise as you get to know your target audience, figure out what gets their attention, and uncover the secrets of social media success.
In addition to content creation, block off some time on your calendar to analyze metrics behind your blog and social media sites. This information tells you what works, along with what needs improvement. Adjust your strategies accordingly, and the results of your content marketing campaign will skyrocket.
These five steps are critical for successful social media content, but you don’t have to tackle them alone. Contact us for clarification about any of these topics, and we will be happy to explain the process in greater detail.
