Why is social media content so important?

Content Marketing and how it helps your business

Getting content posted could seem fairly easy to some, but posting content that is favourable is another story. So let’s get you on the right path!

How many times have you posted a piece of content to then receive 0 likes or comments? It sucks right! The guys at Ganache chocolate experienced this before signing on with us!

This is where a structured social media content plan comes into play, they are crucial for businesses who want to reach a wider audience, engage with their audience, and generally build a stronger online presence. By putting focus on the content you are sharing across your platforms, you will generate noticeable success that can be measured and adapted accordingly.

So what actually is content marketing?

Content marketing is an integral part of any strategy and when done correctly, should perform extremely well for any business.

Content marketing involves the planning, creation and sharing of content such as photos, videos and blogs. Sounds easy right? Well, if only it was as simple as that.

But where do you start?

1. Research your competitors – What are they posting?
2. Draw up an editorial calendar – Research important industry dates and add them in, these are crucial for content planning.
3. Set goals – It is important to know where you want to be in 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months.
4. Trial content – Post varied content at different times and track engagement’s for them all. Track when your receive high engagement and continue to post at that time!
5. Never stop – Continue doing what works and never stop improving on it.

Are you still feeling quite overwhelmed? Well don’t, because content marketing really isn’t as intimidating as it sounds!

Just remember, content marketing really is a secret weapon for small businesses wanting that extra, ‘oomph’. If you hit the nail on the head, you will reap the rewards. Did you know that content marketing costs on average 62% less than traditional forms of advertising, it really is a no-brainer in our eyes!

Anyway, let’s break it down even further for you!

So now you know what content marketing involves, but are you ready to tackle creating the actual content? Again, we know it can be overwhelming!

The bottom line to creating ‘bomb content‘, is something that will be of value to your followers.

Things you should consider:

• Why am I posting this?
• What does this tell my followers?
• Will this be of interest to other people?
• Does this ‘show off’ my product or service?

Great, your content is now valuable to your followers! If you continue to ensure every post is valuable to your followers, naturally you will grow a greater sense of brand awareness, build a stronger community feel within your business and drive a greater number of sales.

Now, focus on your brand tone. Tone of voice across social media is greatly important, it allows your followers to build trust and credibility towards you.

Things you should consider:

• Is my tone of voice consistent?
• Is my brand message consistent?
• Am I using the same colours throughout?

Perfect, so now you have consistency across your social media profiles as well as valuable content.

3 Recommendations for content that drives engagement

1) Videos

Video consumption is forever on the increase and we do not see this slowing down any time soon. Social media videos seem to perform extremely well, better than photos which is why we recommend jumping on board. IG Reels & TikTok are great examples of video content being the latest craze.

Tip: Post video content on your website and share the link via social media platforms. This is a great way to link back to one another and get visitors on both pages. Remember that if people spend a longer amount of time on your website, your SEO ranking will be increasing due to this. Win-win? Check out more about SEO here!

2) Competitions

It is no surprise that social media competitions are driving engagement, who wouldn’t want to win something from a great brand? Competitions are in fact a brilliant way to drive engagement and a buzz around your brand given that there are hundreds (sometimes thousands) of people sharing your content. What more could you want?

It might seem daunting giving something away for free, especially if it of high cost, but the return seems to mostly always be worth it.

Tip: Run a competition with a smaller item and see how it performs. You can then decide from there whether social media competitions are for your brand.

3) How-to content

Whether it is a simple ‘how-to’ reel, or an in-depth behind the scenes video, educational content is always a win-win in your followers eyes. People want to see what goes on behind the brand, how products are created or simply how the team use the product. This content will go further than you think especially given that it humanises your brand.

Another favourable type of content is ‘tips & tricks’, they educate your followers on topics they may not have been aware about before. This type of content is what brings in new followers.

Tip: Use polls on your social media stories to get a better understanding of what type of content your followers would like to see. You will be surprised at how many people partake in this activity, giving you a stronger insight into what content to post moving forward.

Tip: Do a ‘this or that’ via social media stories. Post two content images and have your followers decide what piece of content they prefer.

Bottom line:

If your content does not resonate with your target audience, your social media platforms will not perform well. Time needs to be taken to consider your target audience, their interests, what content they like and most importantly what type of content will keep them engaged.

If you notice a drop in engagement across any platform, take a step back and re-evaluate your content plan and where you have gone wrong. Once you have defined the problem, it will be easier to plan around this and get back on track. To ensure you aren’t making common mistakes, check out our ‘4 mistakes to avoid‘ blog!

Content is important, valuable content is key.

If you need help with your content, come talk to us – Contact us here.