Content is KING, but strategy is QUEEN!

It is no surprise that marketers and brands have been using social media to promote their business for at least the past decade.

Some may say social media marketing is overrated. Some say it is the key to their brand revenue. But one thing is true: there are currently over 3 billion social media users worldwide and, hyped or not, there is still a huge and unquestionable potential when it comes to marketing your business on social channels.

Likely, the competition along with new technologies are drastically increasing over the years. A few years ago, using the right keyword and writing one blog per day would be the two most important components of your SEO strategy. But things have changed big time and it is becoming harder for brands to master online algorithms, and ultimately, create a more effective strategy.

Essentially, defining your business goals is the key start point to any strategy. Are you trying to build audience and create brand awareness? Or creating customer loyalty to your brand and focusing on retention is what is going to make your business keep succeeding? Once you define the achievements you are willing to reach, you should keep in mind that there are numerous ways to advertise your products/services online—Digital Marketing, Email Marketing, SEO, Pay-Per-Click, Social Media Marketing, Website, and many more. In fact, these are all just tools to deliver content. Good content is what really converts followers into customers.

There are numerous indicators that you can track in order to measure your content ROI.

For instance, if building audience is your main goal, you should be sure to look at website traffic, bounce rate and social media sharing. How your audience is engaging with your brand will, ultimately, define how your content is converting. As for retention, you may want to keep an eye on customer reviews and feedbacks—such as comments and likes on your social posts.

If qualified leads and increase in sales volume is what you are focusing on, your content strategy will emphasize getting people to subscribe to your newsletter, read your e-book or download your case study.

SOCIAL MEDIA IS CHANGING–THAT’S A FACT!

Just recently, Facebook announced a new algorithm for its feeds, in which you should expect to see more from your friends and family, and less from brands. Twitter has been deleting over a million accounts every day due to spammy profiles. Instagram just released its latest algorithm update that stops branded content form reaching its audience—it is the end of the hashtag world.

The social media era may have reached its peak and day after day, more millennials are ditching their social accounts or using ad blockers. Why? Privacy is definitely a main concern.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR MARKETERS?

It’s extremely important to remember that ENGAGEMENT is the first step to CONVERSIONS. In other words, there is a big chance that people would not buy your product if they are not engaged with your brand yet. There are numerous amount of ways to increase engagement: contests, polls, asking questions, discounts, giveaways. Depending on your budget, step up your game with influencers who have already built their large audience.

Their followers believe them and see them as a trusted resource. Rather than focusing on social business pages, focus on social communities targeted to your niche—forums, online communities, Facebook groups.Concentrate on the emotional side of the consumer. Sell a story rather than a product or a service.

BOTTOM LINE

Internet and technology are industries that are constantly changing. Keeping up-to-date with industry best practices and news is the key focus to an effective digital campaign. However, a strategic approach, providing quality content, listening to your audience, testing new technologies and, more importantly, measuring your KPIs, will definitely help you tailor your strategy to a more successful campaign.

It is a constant process of analysis and adjustment. Working with a professional that understands that and have the tools to make it happen is crucial. Contact me if you would like to learn more about content strategy.