It’s one thing to pump out content, it’s another thing to activate it correctly. There are a million platforms out there that allow us to share our tips and tricks – see our previous post that talks about what content marketing really is – but to truly get your return on time investment, you have to know how to work those platforms to boost your presence.
Understand Media Habits
Research is often overlooked when developing content. It’s important to consider who you’re talking to with each of the platforms and how those groups receive messages. In our process at Bondfire, we like to perform media habit research to really understanding how someone’s day is spent online, where they consume information and how they prefer to engage. Using data points like this determine what platforms are worth putting the most energy toward.
Hashtags Extend Reach
First, you have to know which platforms operate with hashtags and which ones don’t. Facebook for example allows you to use hashtags, but it’s not common that someone is going to search for hashtags on that platform. Instagram is the current reigning champ of hashtag use but LinkedIn, Twitter and now, TikTok also use hashtags to categorize content and influence the algorithm.
Keywords Generate Results
When generating content whether it’s for your own site or a guest publishing site, research the keywords that will attract the best reach and conversion. This also helps us understand what questions or insights people are looking for, which might give you some ideas on what to write in the first place.
Segmentation is a form of Targeting
Both email marketing and paid advertising benefit from segmentation. The more personalized you are in your emails, the better the open rate. Ask your clients what they want to read more of, and then give it to them. Similarly, if you’re activating social media or other forms of paid advertising, identify how you can refine your target market and deliver a specific message to them. Gone are the days where a boilerplate banner ad actually work.
Diversify creative
If you post static images all the time, you’ll start to look stale. If you only post video with no captions, people might miss the point. Your brand should always be identifiable but it’s important to shake up your output so that your feed looks more interesting.
Ready to Rock
Now that you have some content enhancing tips and tricks, it’s time to put these things in action. When mapping out your monthly content plan, go ahead and use some of these items as a checklist.