“Content is king.”
Bill Gates famously wrote about content’s importance back in 1996, just as the dot-com bubble was growing. Since his essay, the dot-com bubble grew and popped, pound signs became hashtags and the previously never-existing word “google” became a frequently used verb. Gates’ insight on the importance of content could not be more true today. So get to creating content!
Fin. End blog post.
If only it were that simple!
Content is invariably important to remaining relevant in today’s digital-centric world, but it isn’t enough to just churn out blogs, videos, vlogs, case studies or social media captions if your goal is to achieve brand recognition or build community. There needs to be a purpose — a strategy — included with the type of content you are releasing, and this includes where you are distributing it and when it is being released. Here are some tips to ensure your content is ready for prime time.
Content Strategy: TikTok in Reel Time
In July 2011, Snapchat, then known as Picaboo, was released. In a world previously dominated by Facebook’s image and text-heavy platform, Snapchat allowed content to simply vanish shortly after posting. A wild concept at the time. Eventually, Facebook and Instagram released their clone feature “Stories,” which was then followed by Twitter’s “Fleets” (RIP). Fast forward a few years and TikTok, formerly known as Musical.ly, introduced short-form video content, quickly propelling TikTok into the mainstream. Par for the course, Instagram released its clone feature “Reels.” The next victim of the clone wars is the audio-only app Clubhouse, and those wheels are already in motion.
The point is that it’s important to stay abreast of content-related trends. For instance, posting only image content on Instagram is completely fine, as long as you are aware that their algorithm is no longer working in your favor as much as it used to. The head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, recently noted that Instagram is transitioning to be more of an entertainment app, relying more on video content, rather than only being a photo-sharing app.
That’s No Moon, It’s Consistency
I am a big fitness enthusiast. I spend most days making sure I am eating the right things and completing exercises the correct way. The hardest part of fitness is not doing the activity or eating healthy, however, it’s convincing myself to actually do it. Putting together a schedule and sticking to it is the real X-factor. The same goes for your content schedule.
If you are posting irregularly or bimonthly, it does not matter if the content you are putting out is Grade-A spectacular. Your audience reach will be null compared to what it could be if you were posting updates and engaging with commenters, thought leaders or influencers in your space on a consistent basis. There are other variables to take into account, such as TikTok and LinkedIn’s organic reach algorithms that let almost anyone go viral on any given post, but that approach is similar to playing the lottery. Besides, one of your goal priorities should be to build a community of real people who become fans and advocates for your brand — and one post every once in a while won’t cut it.
Your Content Strategy’s Night and Day Difference
Alright, let’s say you are running the content strategy for a coffee shop. You’ve been posting consistently, you have the channels you want to post on figured out and you’ve spotted a trend early enough that you can capitalize on it. You know in your heart of hearts that this particular piece of content is the one that will have thirsty coffee-drinkers from all over town beating down your door for their fix of morning joe. The post goes live at 5:30 p.m. on the dot and … crickets. Three hours pass with two likes and zero comments. What happened?
This is simply a misunderstanding of the audience. For this example, a majority of coffee consumers are early risers. It makes more sense to schedule the post earlier, around 6:00 a.m. instead of 5:30 p.m., especially when this audience is most likely commuting home from work or getting dinner ready during the evening hours.
It is imperative that you understand who your audience is. If you are not aware of your target audience, then you are only distributing content and hoping for the best. You want to take as much guesswork out of the equation as possible, and this means doing your due diligence.
While doing your research, also consider:
- What platforms are right for your business? TikTok might be perfect for a music startup but not for a company selling b2b measurement instruments.
- What niche does your brand occupy in the marketplace?
- How do you narrow your strategy to differentiate your brand from your competitors?
- What value will you bring to your audience through your content?
Now, you can get to creating content. If you would like us to help out with your strategic planning or content creation needs, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Compriseagency team — we are happy to help!
