As Social Media Managers, we know that the content we deliver is an integral aspect of any social strategy. Having a content plan is important, but how do you create impactful content that captures your audience’s attention and drives results?
This week at #SproutChat, Sprout Social’s Director of Content, Lizz Kannenberg joined the chat to talk about the ins and outs of great content. We delved deep into the importance of gaining buy-in from senior leadership and how familiarizing yourself with your audience unlocks the potential of strong content.
Plan Ahead of Time & Always Tweak
Strategizing content should happen annually, but stay flexible as social is constantly shifting. If you’re too stringent in your content strategy and leave no room for new platforms or trends to be implemented your audience can become unengaged and you lose the potential to tap into new audiences.
A1: Depends on the how integrated social is with overall marketing. A full year brand campaign begets a year-long social strat #sproutchat
— Lizz Kannenberg (@lizzkannenberg) July 26, 2017
A1a: What does the brand’s/client’s plan look like?
A year-long #comms & #content plan makes for a great year-long social plan. #Sproutchat https://t.co/xm8TeldlTE
— Bruce Kennedy (@BruceKennedy1) July 26, 2017
Monthly! We create a unique strategy for each month of content after reviewing the previous month’s analytics #sproutchat
— Carbonara Group (@CarbonaraGroup) July 26, 2017
A1 #SproutChat: Our team at @CityOfLasVegas has a combo, we have goals for the year + a strategy that ties in monthly & yearly initiatives pic.twitter.com/FnxvMJBXRl
— Natasha Kristina (@hitheresunshine) July 26, 2017
A1: Both! Short-term keeps content current for communities, and annual strategy supports overarching business objectives. #SproutChat [TK]
— ModSquad (@modsquad) July 26, 2017
Align Business Goals & Audience Needs
Have a clear understanding of your overall business goals and how these objectives can inform metrics surrounding your content. Keeping your business goals and your audience aligned can ensure you develop a winning content strategy.
A2: I.D. their needs first & bucket them based on brand objectives; if they want content to share, that could generate Awareness #sproutchat
— Lizz Kannenberg (@lizzkannenberg) July 26, 2017
A2 (b): If they want to share personal stories about how they use your product or service, that could generate Engagement #sproutchat
— Lizz Kannenberg (@lizzkannenberg) July 26, 2017
A2: Your audience relishes being around the brand as it becomes an extension of their identity. Just BE the brand at all times. #sproutchat
— Randy Thio (@ideabloke) July 26, 2017
A2: The audience needs should be considered when forming objectives, if there is no need, there is no lead. #SproutChat
— SonOfBetsy (@KevinSchluth) July 26, 2017
A2. I listen to what the audience are chatting about daily and I adjust my business to solve those needs #sproutchat
— Cheval John (@chevd80) July 26, 2017
A2 Content should fit the audience you’re trying to reach by adding valuable information or sparking a relevant conversation #sproutchat
— Kacy Shea (@kacyshea2) July 26, 2017
A2: Always be listening. Your business objectives should be in tune with your audience #SproutChat
— Cindy Stuntz (@cindy_stuntz) July 26, 2017
A2: Actually, I feel like those things align. Knowing my audience just helps me fine tunes my messages. #SproutChat
— Deserae_Dorton (@Deserae_Dorton) July 26, 2017
Clearly Define Your Brand To Develop Great Content
Knowing your audience is key for creating content that resonates. Spending time crafting your brand around who your audience is and what their behaviors are will be beneficial for your metrics in the long run.
A3: Make sure the lifestyle touch points you use to connect with your audience are aligned with your brand persona. #sproutchat
— Lizz Kannenberg (@lizzkannenberg) July 26, 2017
A3: Invest in social media brand strategy. Consistency requires a plan; your follower count will reflect that. #sproutchat
— Mike Mills (@SagefrogMike) July 26, 2017
A3: Scheduling at least some of the content in advance. I’ve seen time pressure screw with creativity = horrible content. #sproutchat
— Sarah Romero (@iHeartDates) July 26, 2017
A3 It’s all about knowing your clients! As a small agency we’re able to get to know them & speak authentically to their audience #sproutchat
— Christine Kilbride (@SagefrogChris) July 26, 2017
A3: You have to be yourself! If you try to be something you’re not, your audience will see right through you. #SproutChat
— Express Writers (@ExpWriters) July 26, 2017
A3: It needs to provide info that speaks to your buyer personas pain points or areas or interest #SproutChat @Sagefrog
— SonOfBetsy (@KevinSchluth) July 26, 2017
A3 #SproutChat: create a brand voice that your whole team understands and make sure to set rules on what can and can’t be shared pic.twitter.com/9YcbaBwLaK
— Natasha Kristina (@hitheresunshine) July 26, 2017
Jump on Social Opportunities That Are on Brand
By getting to know your audience and having a strategy in place, determining what social opportunities are worth hopping on is easy. Jumping on the latest news craze or viral trend isn’t alway genuine to your brand and can leave your audience feeling disconnected.
A4: Get buy-in at all levels on your overall social strat so when quick-turn opps arise, you know right away if they’re on-brand #sproutchat
— Lizz Kannenberg (@lizzkannenberg) July 26, 2017
A4: A strong plan for social strategy is the foundation for delivering quality content. Curate your content library! #sproutchat
— Mike Mills (@SagefrogMike) July 26, 2017
A4: Repurpose existing content to maintain a quality resource hub and conduct social media monitoring to stay up to date. #sproutchat
— Sagefrog Marketing (@Sagefrog) July 26, 2017
A4: You need to have a plan in place so you can be strategic about what you share to ensure it provides value. #SproutChat
— Express Writers (@ExpWriters) July 26, 2017
A4: We like to leverage existing content to produce high-quality information that keeps up with the social pace. #SproutChat
— Mark Schmukler (@SagefrogMark) July 26, 2017
A4 Write what you know! We position our clients as thought leaders – success lies in striking a balance b/w quality & speed #sproutchat
— Christine Kilbride (@SagefrogChris) July 26, 2017
A4: The deeper understanding you have of brand voice and goals, the better equipped you are to make quick content decisions. #SproutChat
— Krista Vogel (@KristaVogel) July 26, 2017
A4: Mix and match. Schedule some, tailor some and at the same time, keep room for creating new content as needed. #SproutChat
— Ayesha Ambreen (@AyeshaAmbreen) July 26, 2017
Track Metrics That Ladder up to Business Goals
Allow time for analysis and make sure that you’re carefully tracking content performance so that you know you’re making informed decisions about where to allocate efforts in the future. Additionally, make sure that your goals for social content also ladder up to business goals.
A5: The most important metrics are the ones that directly support your clearly-defined objectives for social. #sproutchat
— Lizz Kannenberg (@lizzkannenberg) July 26, 2017
A5: It all depends! Businesses have different objectives, research the #metricsthatmatter to your brand. #sproutchat
— Mike Mills (@SagefrogMike) July 26, 2017
A5: I like to focus on conversions and engagement. Are people taking action? Is it getting them talking? #SproutChat
— Express Writers (@ExpWriters) July 26, 2017
A5: I would say ‘shares’ as you want your brand ambassadors spreading your message for viral potential #SproutChat @Sagefrog
— SonOfBetsy (@KevinSchluth) July 26, 2017
A5: it totally depends on your objectives, but I personally think engagement is the one. #SproutChat
— Rebecca Meekings (@rbccmaria) July 26, 2017
A5: Engagement and conversion to website/in-store sales (whichever is the end goal). #relationships + #sales! #sproutchat
— Sarah Romero (@iHeartDates) July 26, 2017
A5: Metrics that support your #KPIs– Key Performance Indicators!
Shares>visits>leads>success #sproutchat— Mark Schmukler (@SagefrogMark) July 26, 2017
A5: Measuring engagement will help direct you in deciding the kind of content to share in the future. #SproutChat https://t.co/z62K5VTIT5
— Aisha White (@itsaishawhite) July 26, 2017
A5 Metrics can be subjective depending on goals. CTR, CVR, bounce rate, referrals, video views, etc. #SproutChat
— Cristy (@lacristysalinas) July 26, 2017
Be sure to join us next Wednesday, August 2nd at 2 p.m. CDT on Twitter to chat about how to get more out of monitoring on social. Until then join our Facebook community to connect with other folks in the industry.