So, you have a startup or longtime business that’s doing pretty well. A little bird happened to have whispered in your ear that there are currently around 2.7 billion users across social media platforms worldwide so you thought it “marketably apt” to create a few business profiles across a few platforms and venture into the uncharted, investing your time, energy and perhaps some money. And it may have started off promising, up until you realized that – wait a minute – handling a business page is fairly different from handling your personal social media profiles. The twice-a-month selfie posts and random meme retweets don’t quite apply in this arena, and you’re right. Just as you wouldn’t start building a house without a blueprint, you can’t attempt to set up an online presence without a clear strategy or a plan. The power of a well-crafted online presence to ultimately generate revenue for your business cannot be overstated, and the blood that will keep it alive and kicking is content. Quality content is a vehicle that allows you provide useful information to your target audience, attract potential customers and retain existing customers through quality engagement. Before you begin creating online content for your brand or business there are a few things you’d want to keep in mind, and we’ve done our best to zero in on the 5 most fundamental. Dig in!
- Know Yourself
A business cannot thrive online if it has not, first and foremost, figured out why it is online and how its online marketing activities tie into its overall marketing goals. Is your primary goal brand awareness, or is it the generation of quality leads and sales, or is it both? It is also imperative that you seek a comprehensive understanding of your industry, as well as your brand’s place in it. Checking all these boxes accurately will go ahead to inform certain key decisions you will have to make along the way, such as the channels that your brand and content will perform best on, as well as content formats and themes to focus on.
- Find A Voice
The next step is to find a voice that correctly reflects your brand’s personality and suits your audience and industry. Try not to focus your attention too much on expansive vocabulary and big words, but rather seek to communicate ideas and do that naturally. Simple and conversational language is recommended. In your bid to make sure your brand tone fits your field, however, disruptivity is not discouraged at all. For certain businesses, you can explore the idea of establishing a fresh tone of communication in your industry. Don’t be afraid to blaze your own trail, you’ll be surprised who will follow
- Less You, More Them
It is not uncommon to come across a business page online that finds itself so fixated on selling itself and it interests in its content that it completely loses touch with its audience. Effective content creation hinges less on constantly speaking about yourself but rather on speaking to the needs your audience. A date that spends the entire evening rambling about themselves hardly gets a second date – let alone get invited over when the night is done. Seek primarily to add value to the lives of your target audience with engaging content, rather than hard sell. The more value you add to their lives for free, the more willing they will be to pay for what you actually sell. The aim should be to create a community of loyal followers online and engage with them as much as possible. Always remember that people give their attention, and money, to brands that they connect with.
- Keep Current
The quality of the content you churn out is essentially a reflection of your knowledge base in your industry. With that in mind, it is key to stay current not just in your knowledge of industry trends, but with what your target audience responds to best. You don’t want to be investing all your energy on tactics and techniques that used to work and don’t quite work anymore. Follow your competition keenly and look out for gaps you can fill in your industry. Pay attention and, better still, be a step ahead! It is important to ensure that you are not just regurgitating the same content that everybody else is producing but providing your own unique angles and perspectives on ideas and striving to be ahead of the curve as much as possible.
- Keep at It
Consistency is a crucial ingredient in almost every venture of life, and the content creation ad-venture isn’t any different. Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t become Arnold Schwarzenegger because he hit the gym only when he felt like it. You can choose to hit the gym only when you feel like it, but that’s why you’re not Arnold Schwarzenegger. And therein lies one of the major differences between a business’ page and an individual’s profile on social media; the business cannot choose to only post when they have time or when they feel like it. To have, and keep, your audience’s attention you will most likely have to post and publish fresh content consistently. Keep at it and you’re sure to reap the returns!
The returns on a well thought out investment in your online content game are countless; a direct boost in sales and revenue, increased traffic to your various online channels, gaining thought leader status in your industry, etc. And the truth of the matter is that the five points above do not entirely cover the scope of work involved in pulling that off. KPIs must be set, data must be consistently collected and analyzed, content calendars must be consistently prepared and adhered to, some content will have to be strategically promoted, and that’s just to name a few more. The reality remains that a lot of thriving businesses find themselves lacking in the time, resources and tools (digital and physical) required to carry it out, and carry it out well – even with inhouse personnel. And with the understanding that any half-assed marketing is likely to fail and is perhaps better off not done at all (yes, we’re looking at you Pepsi and Kendall), the best of them seek professional assistance from competent agencies in the creation of quality content for their various channels. It’s not a bad idea to focus on your business and find a team whose business is to keep world focused on you. Now that’s a smart investment. Oh and, since you’re asking, a little bird whispered in our ear that a certain Genie Intel is exceptional at just that.
Kenneth is a self-described subtle genius, creator and plug. Lock him up in a room with nothing but good music and something to create with and he’ll be perfectly fine. With extensive backgrounds in both engineering and art, Kenneth loves to combine both to create compelling content and forms of expression.