Content Creation Strategies for A Successful Social Media Existence
We all know content is king. We also know that without content, we can't slay the other two necessary aspects of a successful social media campaign, mainly consistency and engagement. With content holding such a vital role, you must utilize multiple content creation strategies to help you stay ahead on social media. Strategies that will make content creation easier, create more reusable content, content that will engage better, and content strategies that allow you to have more time to run your business.
What Do You Mean By Content
As a point of clarification, content generally means anything that you would post to your social media profiles. However, I am not a supporter of collecting and publishing other people's content to your business pages. When sharing other content, you are not telling your unique brand story, you are highlighting somebody else's. So when I say content, I am talking content that you are creating to tell your story on your social media profiles. Your posts for stories, video content, photo content, custom GIFs, and blogs.
Documentation Instead of Creation
Gary V. gets the credit many times for this one because he bases his social media strategy documenting his life instead of creating content. He regularly records what he is doing in his business on the day to day and shares that as content. Gary talks about this content creation strategy in this post on his blog. He isn't spending time creating content. He is going about his daily activities, and the content is making itself.
Why it works? Authenticity and huge time saver. You are created great content for stories and informal posts. Also allows you to show up more frequently on social media!
Challenges: Remembering to set up a recording device or take photos, and we aren't all as exciting as Gary V.
Utilizing User Generated Content
This content creation hack has double the value because not only are you not creating the content but you are also surprising and delighting a customer at the same time. But wait, there is more sharing user-generated content also acts as a form of social proof, the “look-see other people like me, and you should too.” The way this generally works is a customer purchases something from you, and they love it, so they create a post that features the item they bought and raving about its features. And then they tag you! So to make them feel special and to show that you are fantastic to others, you share this piece of content on your social media profiles, with proper permission, of course. We dove a bit deeper into the concept of user-generated content here.
Why it works? The user has already created the content, highlights real-life use of your product; social proof is compelling.
Challenges: Have to have a strategy that encourages UGC and watch for content to share
Breaking Down Your Blog
How many tidbits of engaging content that could make unique and informative social media posts do you think you can pull out of a blog post? You would be surprised at what you could create from a well-written blog. I have created 20 plus posts from one blog. Then I can space that content out a couple of weeks, and I have a considerable amount of my educational posts done well in advance. I talk at great length about this strategy in this blog post. This strategy is all about working smarter, not harder.
Why it Works? You already have the content and knowledge, and many times even photos for the posts.
Challenges: You have to write a blog. If it is the only tactic you use your content will feel old quickly.
Live Video Content
One of the hardest hurdles for me to jump was the one that prevented me from doing Live videos. If I had not had the pleasure of virtually meeting Eve Voyevoda last year at a virtual event organized by Melanie Richards I would still possibly be petrified of this medium. The thing is once you are able to jump that hurdle the value of Live video is incredible. Live video is one of the best ways to show up on social media as your authentic self, with all the quirks and chill vibes that make you unique and will encourage others to connect. Create content that highlights you and adds value to your audience and SAVE TIME!
Why it Works? It is one of the best ways to create a connection with your audience, enables live interaction, and saves time.
Challenges: Getting over the fear of Live video and creating content that has value and personality.
The Reduce Reuse Recycle Content Creation Strategy
You have great content that has a lot of value that you have posted before in some form. Why not rethink and repurpose this content and deliver it in a new format or to a new audience on a new platform. As an example, I build out the content for a weekly presentation for my BNI group. I utilize the weekly content as a stand-alone social media post. This weekly content is working towards a presentation I do approximately every ten weeks (hence all the nine strategies posts). So the weekly content works to build a presentation, which is also the basis of a blog post.
Many times I turn these into a monthly webinar, which focuses on a critical aspect of the content. This tactic allows me to create content focused on the vital element of the webinar into social media posts. You can also look to create videos from the most active performing social media posts and blog posts. Opportunities are endless with this content creation strategy.
Why it Works: You have done the research. You have already created the content, and you know the subject.
Challenges: Making sure you aren't repeating and figuring out a way to repurpose creatively
Planning Versatile Content that Presents Next Steps
One successful content creation strategy that I utilize but is more difficult to implement is one where you test content out on your calendar with the potential to build more content off of it if it proves to be successful. The way I make this work is during a particular week. I pick three different areas that I think my audience may want a more in-depth look at and create a single social media post for each. Then based on the reaction to those posts, I can determine if there is interest on a particular topic, and then I create another piece or couple pieces of content on that specific interest. Measure success and once again, if warranted, go deeper. This strategy is how a post on social proof turned into a blog post, which in turn was the first webinar I delivered.
Why it works? You are creating content incrementally after measuring the success of the topic, and knowing it has the potential to engage.
Challenges: Must pay close attention to metrics and rapid creation necessary to keep interested of the audience if a deeper dive is warranted.
Writing Out the Story First
A story arc tells a story throughout several posts. Sometimes we decide we want to tell a story throughout four posts without taking into account how long the story is or if other aspects impact the story. So we end up missing essential ideas and having fewer things to post. Instead, try writing out the entire story you want to tell, then break it up into individual chunks that tell a story on their own and create as many posts as that particular story can support. This strategy works very well for Instagram and Facebook Stories.
Why it Works: People get a better understanding of the complete story, and you have more content.
Challenges: Boring points of the story and matching story with visuals
Video Content to GIF Content
A straightforward and fun content creation strategy is to turn short video clips of yourself into fun and funny GIFs or even informative reminders based on things you have discussed in videos before. This method works well if you have a saying people like or a general gesture you always do, might as well make it your own with a GIF. I did a Facebook Live on one of the easiest ways to create your animated GIF
Why it Works? It's fun and engaging
Challenges: Some editing abilities needed, but I think you can handle it.
Content is the Key to Success on Social
If the content is the key to success on social, then these strategies are what you need to begin to conquer that content. Try them all. Mix them up and see what works best for your style, your story, and of course, your audience. If you are interested in learning more about these content creation strategies or how to build a plan that will lead to Success on Social, reach out to Jonathan directly. Or sign up to get on the waiting list for the next session of Success on Social in July!
