Planning Your Social Media & Blog Content Strategy. Most businesses know by now that content is an essential part of your marketing strategy. Millions of consumers go online every hour to research and buy products and services. While it’s easy to get excited about writing and posting your business’s messages, planning and implementation are key; it’s not often people find success randomly posting.
Traffic increases with well-thought-out content. According to one of the marketing stats posted by HubSpot, 72% of marketers say relevant content creation was the most effective SEO tactic. That means you need a social media and blog content strategy.
Your Platforms
Your social media and blog strategy begins with platform choices. By knowing what you’ll be using, you can start deciding what to post and when. Each business has a different type of clientele. Some are going to respond more to video while others prefer short snippets of information. Every business should have a blog, but what supporting social media will work best for you? Here are some of the most popular social media platforms for businesses:
- Facebook – Facebook is here to stay, and they now have endless ways for businesses to connect with consumers. One way to use Facebook to its fullest advantage is to look at all it has to offer and decide which tools will work for you.
- Instagram – Instagram is an excellent place to build your brand. With millions of users—many who check in every day—you can create beautiful images that strengthen your business’ vision. One thing to note about Instagram is that you need to have a strategic plan in place.
- Snapchat – If you want to reach a younger demographic, Snapchat is the place to be. Companies that utilize Snapchat have gotten creative; you can find behind the scenes footage, interviews, videos, and more.
- Pinterest – Pinterest is an interesting platform that can be effective when used correctly. Most users are women, which makes it a great place to target the female audience.
- Twitter – Twitter is a wonderful place to support your other social media platforms. Think of it as a short-form support. Promote other content with a quick Tweet. It’s also a good place for rapid feedback and an easy way to connect with consumers.
- YouTube – If you haven’t harnessed the power of online video marketing, now is the time. With the latest stats (for example, more than 500 million hours of videos are watched on YouTube each day), you'll be hard-pressed to find a reason not to use YouTube.
As a business, it’s also crucial to keep up with the makeup of your target audience. Create buyer personas, and research the latest platforms that consumers in your demographic are currently using. Although the social media platforms above are considered top ranking among users, keep your eye on other social media opportunities.
The Calendar
One of the best things you can do is create an editorial calendar for your blog content ideas. Treat it as importantly as you do your employee schedule. Decide the frequency of your blog and social media posts, and play around with the formula until you see a steady increase in traffic and leads. A good rule of thumb to start with is to post at least one blog a week, and on your various social media platforms anywhere from one to five times per day, depending on which it is. Research what others in your industry do (successfully), and strive to match their calendar.
Related: Top 5 Secrets to Social Content That Sells
The Blog
Planning your blog content strategy takes a few simple steps:
- Research – Look at other blog content examples in your industry and see what they’re writing about. Look at who does it well, and who doesn’t. Listen to consumers—what do they want to know about your industry or product? This research will become topics and other types of content.
- Create titles and keywords – Look at your topics and create compelling titles and SEO-rich keywords.
- Execute – Your blogs should be well-written and stand out from the crowd. Go more in-depth, or answer the questions that no one else does. Keep your content unique.
- Stay consistent – Your blog should follow your calendar. No excuses.
The Social Media
Your social media content strategy should:
- Be consistent – Post regularly based on your calendar.
- Plan events and campaigns – Plan to use your social media to support promotions, events, sales, and even blog posts.
- Share and promote – Don’t make it about you only; make sure to throw in support for others and other content as well.
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