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While social media’s growing popularity means you have a large audience, you also have more competition for organic traffic. Therefore, creating unique and valuable content is key to standing out among your competition.What is the secret to success on social media today?Uncover how to craft a social media content plan and the best types of content to include in your schedule to get social media traffic in 2022.
Content plan and content strategy are two terms that are often used interchangeably when discussing social media and content marketing. However, they have different meanings. Your social media content strategy is the umbrella term for what you want to achieve and how you plan on accomplishing that goal.Creating a content strategy establishes goals and ensures those goals benefit your entire business. It’s the framework within which you will build your content plan because it defines your purpose and keeps your content on track to achieve that purpose.On the other hand, your content plan is the specific steps you take to perform your strategy and accomplish your goals.
A content plan is an essential step that takes your ideas off the paper and puts them into action. For example, your strategy might include goals to increase your customer engagement through relevant content. However, your plan tells you exactly what content you will produce and when to publish that content to achieve that goal.
Only 36% of marketers say their content management process is excellent or very good—the rest struggle with the flow of tasks. However, most issues are preventable with the right tools that maximize your efficiency.Consider adding these tools to improve your social media flow:
Instead of investing in a half dozen different tools, you can streamline your process by hiring a social media marketing agency. For example, at Kubbco, we offer social media strategy services for identifying and laying out goals. Our agency then has the tools to create content calendars, manage your community, schedule your posts, and collect data.Our team also has the expertise to create unique content optimized for each of your social media accounts.Performing all these tasks within the same company keeps your marketing plan aligned and ensures consistency.
Follow these six steps for creating a social media content plan that unites your teams and keeps you aligned with your marketing goals:Step 1: Establish the goals of your contentStep 2: Understand your audienceStep 3: Brainstorm ideas and research topicsStep 4: Create a content calendar and organize your topicsStep 5: Invest in quality content creationStep 6: Measure your results and optimize future content
Your social media content should always be high quality. Some criteria of quality content include being well-produced, offering value, and being authentic. Quality content is also creative, and users enjoy interacting with it.Here are some examples of quality social media content formats:
Image from Sprout Social
About 54% of marketers say social media video marketing is the most valuable content format for reaching marketing goals on social media. On Instagram, videos saw 49% more engagement than images. Videos on tweets saw 10X more engagement. People are also two times as likely to share a video post than other media.
Images come in second behind video as the most effective form of content. What makes images appealing for social channels is how quickly viewers can take in information. They don’t have to read paragraphs of text or sit through a film. Instead, viewers can take in most images in a matter of seconds.
Written content is how you convey large amounts of complex information and sell your products. Text content is also necessary for generating engagement by asking questions or sparking a healthy debate. So even as the world moves towards images and videos, don’t neglect written content in your social media plan.
Live videos, webinars, or live events can engage your audience in real-time. These formats are more personal than interacting through a post, which can build trust. In addition, marketers can use live video to answer questions your audience sends in real-time to solve common pain points.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Learn how to gain success on social media with relevant and valuable content.
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Do you need more ideas for filling your calendar? Then, rotate through these ten popular social media content ideas when planning content for social media to keep your posts fresh and relevant to your audience.
Your social media content should be social-first. It shouldn’t be a channel for repurposing all your old marketing content. However, there are cases when a well-placed link can help your efforts.For instance, linking to a press release, relevant resources, or groundbreaking research from your industry can bring more traffic to your channel or website while also establishing you as a trusted source.
Humanizing your brand builds trust with your audience because they see you as a person, not an organization. For example, you might share images or videos depicting your company culture, activities, and work. These images share who you are and what you stand for.
Did your company change leadership? Do you have a new product?These are updates your followers want to hear about because it keeps you transparent about who you are, what you are doing, and what you offer.Some businesses also use their social media channels to promote new positions or job openings alongside marketing strategies.
Not all your posts have to focus on conveying information. Some of your content should also generate a response. These pieces are essential for increasing your audience engagement.Some effective engagement content includes:
People love to talk about themselves. So when they have a chance to respond to a brand’s post, they feel like their voice is heard, and they are more likely to leave with a positive impression of your company.
Your content is an opportunity to educate your audience. Educational content might create a demand for your product, teach your audience how to use it, or show how to get the most out of your products to improve their satisfaction with past purchases.For example, clothing brands might post a video on the best ways to wash your clothes to maintain their quality.Other examples of educational content are “How To” posts, life hacks, interesting facts, or answers to consumer questions.
Social media content posting shouldn’t be a stiff and formal exchange between you and consumers. Instead, it can be fun and relaxed. It’s your chance to kick back and let your creativity shine.Instead of posting infographics and text posts only, you can also throw in memes and GIFs relevant to your business. Holidays, the start of the weekend, and other memorable occasions are ideal for emotional posts that make people laugh or cry.
Image from Instagram
Storytelling changes your content from telling your audience about your company to showing them. Stories make you relatable, support your claims, and trigger an emotional response.You can use real stories from customers and case studies or create fictional stories that demonstrate your impact. You can also share stories about your company, and how it grew into the business, it is today. This is an opportunity to share what you stand for and the causes you support to generate more significant support.
Social media advertising accounts for nearly 20% of all advertising spending in North America. Creating paid content helps more of your target audience see your media and avoids you getting lost in the deluge of other content.When you pay for an ad on most social media platforms, your content will appear according to your keywords or target audience settings. Your audience will see your content in their feed alongside their organic content, except it’s marked as sponsored, indicating it’s paid content.
Promoting your products and services is still a crucial part of your social media strategy, even if it isn’t your primary focus. Social media commerce is expected to grow to a $1.2 trillion global market by 2025. While you want to be customer-centric, don’t neglect this growing opportunity to sell products directly from your platforms.However, product promotions don’t have to be bland. You can be fun, creative, and emotional. For example, consider using AR for an immersive experience or turn your advertisement into a fun game.
Your content plan can and should include content from others. Getting those outside your business involved in content creation and distribution expands your brand awareness and encourages more conversations around your brand.You can use content from influencers, employees, brand advocates, or loyal customers.
Create your social media content plan with the help of our social media agency. We understand social media platforms and what content performs best. Our experts come alongside your marketing teams to create content plans that help you achieve your business goals and reach a broader audience.Contact us to talk about our social media content solutions.
I create and execute effective communication strategies and content based on data-driven insights and creativity.
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