Are you treating social media in the same way as content marketing?
Your content marketing should facilitate your social media campaigns. When used in conjunction with one another, you can connect with your audience in a much more powerful, exponential way.
That is why I have created a list of methods that you can use to enhance your social media channels with content marketing.
1. Know your market
Before you start integrating your content marketing and social media regimens, you need to identify exactly who are you trying to market to. Remember that content marketing is predicated on pulling potential customers to your web properties. This will require you to understand the needs and desires of your target audience.
If you’re creating arbitrary content on your blog and social media channels, then it most likely won’t resonate with your followers (learn more about segmenting your blog content in this Content Marketing Institute article). Before you determine the posting frequencies for each platform, you should be able to answer these questions below:
- What is the age demographic of my ideal customer?
- What is their number one goal?
- What are the specific fears that keep them up at night?
- How would their life change if they were able to achieve this goal?
Content marketing is essentially the art of communication without selling. When you understand your market, you can start crafting your message to accommodate their core needs and desires. This will entice them to take profitable action steps in your marketing sequence.
2. Offer a core value
Once you understand your market, you need to position your brand accordingly. No two businesses are exactly alike, and some niches are much different than others. Nevertheless, your customer will always have a myriad of options to explore.
What makes your products and services different? Why would your customer consider purchasing from you, instead of the other authorities in your niche?
When building a sustainable web presence, you need to incorporate a core value proposition. Your articles and videos should expand on the unique ways that you can deliver the benefits they are looking to glean.
3. Understand the dynamic nature of social media
If you want a social media strategy that works, then you need to understand the psychology of its users. Before you start creating content, you need to determine the platforms that are conducive to your niche.
If you view social media as a massive distribution channel, then you are missing out on an opportunity to generate new leads and customers. Social media isn’t as personal as email marketing, so you can’t treat it that way. Each platform is unique, and your content needs to fit the context of its users.
In general, the majority of your followers will only be merely interested in what you have to offer. Instead of using social media as a “pitching platform”, you should focus on creating educational content that’s congenial with their intentions.
4. Re-purpose your articles as needed
Don’t wait for your content to go “viral” on the web. Often times, you need to post the same article multiple times before it starts gaining traction. Once you have created a blog post, be sure to share it on your Facebook and Twitter newsfeeds.
Every couple of months, share that same article across a multitude of social media channels. Obviously, you’ll want to modify the headline to maintain the interest levels of your audience. As your articles continue to get more exposure and engagement, it will boost your SEO rankings.
Your social media campaigns should focus on pulling your readers to one of your own web properties. There’s no better way to do this than by posting your articles on each of your social media channels. From there, you can optimise your blog for lead generation and boost your sales with email marketing.
5. Write brief articles concerning your videos
This is one of the most effective ways to leverage content marketing and social media. When you create a YouTube video, why not write an article about it?
People love to watch video, and the numbers don’t lie. YouTube is the second ranked search engine in the world, and you can leverage their platform on your own web properties.
Although YouTube is owned and operated by Google, its algorithm is much different. YouTube encourages you to use as many keywords as possible in the descriptions and tags of the videos.
YouTube also allows you to edit your videos at anytime. Once you’re done writing an article that summarises your video content, simply copy and paste it into the description box. This will optimise both the rankings and organic reach of your videos.
You can then take that same video and embed it into your blog post. When your readers click on the video, it will count towards the overall number of views to your YouTube channel. This is a great way to run an incoming links campaign to your videos, in addition to boosting your SEO rankings.
6. Add text to the images
Virtually every social media channel has a visual appeal to its users. When your content is shared organically, your audience is going to see the thumbnail image of your post.
These images are similar to the subject lines of an email. The best body copy in the world isn’t going to matter if your prospect doesn’t open the message. The same principle applies to your social media images. If you want your content to get shared organically, then you need to create captivating images that resonate with your readers.
One way to do this is by adding text to your images. Often times, the images of a post don’t accurately depict the content being displayed. If your message isn’t clear, then your reader isn’t going to click.
Think of this as if you were writing a headline for an article. You want to summarise your content by using succinct, benefit driven language. The better the image, the more likely your content will get shared.
7. Engage with your audiences
You’d be surprised how many marketers neglect the “social dynamic” of social media. When you interact with your users, it will make you stand out from your competition. Although engagement is often times an intangible metric, it can have a profound impact on your bottom line.
Make sure to implement this same approach into your content marketing. Always encourage your readers to leave a comment on your blog, and respond to them in a timely manner. A simple “thank you” note can go a long way with your audience.
Wrap Up
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the various social media platforms. When this happens, marketers often times neglect the quality of their content. Instead of using social media as mass distribution, choose one website and focus on it. Craft your messages to fit the unique context of that platform, and speak to the core desires of your audience. Your content marketing and social media campaigns should build off one another. Repurpose your articles and videos into your social regimen, and always entice your readers to visit your own web properties.