Content is a word that might have been used a few too many times in the past few years, and it would be tough to identify an individual who still associates the term with a feeling of relative happiness and comfort as a result. However, it would be even more difficult to make an argument against the idea that “content is king,” as the numbers do not tend to lie that often, and marketing success is indeed being fueled by organizations’ ability to craft engaging information within their ads.
At the same time, the potential methods to share the content have exploded by way of diversity and penetration, giving even small business owners a proverbial universe of opportunities to spread the word further than ever before. So long as you have a seamless, efficient and intelligent plan in place to share content once it is available, and get the most ground out of every word therein, you will likely begin to have a more engaged marketing department as a result.
Tenets of social sharing
Content sharing can take place in various different channels and mediums, and each will have its own best practices in terms of publication. Here is a breakdown of the popular sharing methods and tips on how to improve on a case-by-case basis:
- Websites: You should have a blog in place that will house longer-form content. More interactive sites with different formats will tend to perform better by way of traffic. For sharing, consider establishing mailing lists or trying to build a following so that every time you post, the word gets out automatically through the platform itself.
- Social media: This will be your most powerful sharing tool in many situations, as you can send out links directing followers to the main pages. Do not share too many times, but try to time out your tweets, LinkedIn messages, Facebook posts and the like at times when you know your clientele are active on these websites.
- Email: If you have a large, quality email list for your marketing plan, it will be a great conduit for content sharing as well. Try to include multimedia in the messages themselves, reeling the audience in visually so that your click through rates are optimal.
Other than those, you can work on organic sharing through the optimization of content and websites for search engines, as this will help to naturally boost your visibility every time you share.
Looking ahead
In the coming years, there is no indication that content will become any less vital to a marketing and brand management program, and staying on top of these matters can help you achieve and sustain a competitive advantage in your industry. Focus on reporting and measurement every step of the way to ensure performances are continuously improving over time, and remaining relevant alongside the trends that impact content creation and sharing best practices.
As always, when in doubt, seek out a service provider to help you in these endeavors.