Are you a bootstrapped business owner with limited time and resources?
Are you the HR contact, the project manager, the sales team and the accountant?
Is the need to outsource your social media marketing becoming more evident because (besides your lack of time), slumping over a keyboard producing nothing but cramped hands and irrelevant hashtags is the stuff of nightmares.
Well, you’re in luck. Here’s a quick and painless guide to creating a month’s worth of social media content. Spoiler alert: you won’t need to write one single paragraph from scratch. I promise!
Content Curation
Content curation isn’t about creating new content. According to Hootsuite, it’s the act of discovering, compiling, and sharing existing content with your online followers. This means posting educational articles by other thought leaders in your industry or niche. Curated content should provide value to your audience, so they’ll stay subscribed to your social channels, blog feed, and email newsletter… viewing your brand as both reliable and credible.
Need help finding articles? This site organizes content into specific themes, hand-plucked across the web. Bookmark it, and you’ll save oodles of time.
Videos
Are you a great talker? Then say hello to the camera. On mobile alone, YouTube reaches more 18 to 49-year-olds than any broadcast TV network. And 6 out of 10 people prefer online video platforms to live TV. If you’re launching a new product, have a tip that will help your customers, or want to show the energy and vibe of your downtown restaurant, do it visually.
Your smartphone camera can easily and clearly record video footage. Then you can upload the native video right to your social channels. You can also outsource the video to an editor who can add captions and music. Or, use a video app tool such as Promo and quickly do it yourself.
Social Proof
Did a customer rave about their latest experience at your store? Did someone write an awesome Yelp review about your fitness class? Share these beautiful nuggets on your social channels, website, and printed marketing materials. Today, people look to people before they buy.
Sleeknote does a great job of breaking down the different types of testimonials you’ll often come across, including the reasoning behind their effectiveness. The portal also offers an email swipe file that you can use to request customer feedback. Congratulations, you’ve just upped your marketing game tenfold!
Opt-in Downloads
Do you have an archive of old blogs? Is the content “evergreen” – meaning still up-to-date, relevant, and reader-friendly? Well, what’s old can become new again. You can compile blog content into a helpful PDF and package it as an eBook download. For instance, when you visit a web page, you’re often greeted with a lightbox (a.k.a. a pop-up box) asking for your email address in exchange for information. This tactic increases your email subscriber list while also offering substantial tips and advice for your site visitors (reciprocity is a true win-win).
You can also easily repurpose blog copy into video content. Remember to keep your videos under two minutes though since that seems to be all that viewers (and some social channels) can handle.
And don’t forget to share all of it on social media, and drive traffic to your website.
Funny Memes
If you haven’t downloaded the GIF Keyboard by Tenor to your smartphone, you should do so now. These animated GIFs and videos are similar to emojis. GIFs or memes are funny, witty, and can easily display your brand’s softer, more entertaining side. Express emotion and clever responses across your social posts for a lighthearted change of pace and encourage engagement from your followers.
The bonus: this creates a different inflection point other than promoting a sales pitch. Believe me, your audience will pick up on that subtlety and will thank you for it.
Poll the People
Surveying your audience lets you gather tons of valuable insight. And the kicker: this information can serve as a gateway toward creating targeted content in the future. SurveyMonkey is a great tool and depending on your format, can be leveraged for free.
Ghostwriting
Sitting behind a desk and trying to formulate clever turns of phrase isn’t for the faint of heart. Yet, you wonder how your competitors are churning out useful content and conversions.
Many of them have a sidekick named “ghostwriter.” More and more businesses are outsourcing their blog writing and copy. Fresh content often drives new leads, which means more eyes on your products and services and better rankings in search engines. Hiring someone who “gets” your voice and understands your brand is an absolute no-brainer. Plus, it frees you up to do other things – like run your business.
As a small agency owner, I know the headaches concerning social media content creation.
So, what’s our secret? Go ahead and ask… ahem, no paper or pen needed.
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