In part 1 we covered the top five growing platforms in South Africa and what they’re about. In this, part 2 of the 3-step plan to get going and keep going on social media, we look at creating a workable content plan.
This might not be a formal plan at first, but here are some key points you need to consider:
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Give some thought to what your core message and tone is – figure out your brand voice and stick to it.
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Decide how you’ll generate the content (e.g. creating your own content, creating content in collaboration, or curating existing content).
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Also, consider the different types of content you’ll create. Some of it might be helpful ‘how-to’ content and some of it about your products or services. Remember, it’s not just about promoting your business, but also how you plan to attract traffic and create brand exposure. See the Writer’s Write article by Amanda Patterson on 40 types of content to inspire.
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Apply the 80/20 rule. Make 80% of the content about the user and only 20% about promoting your products or services.
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Be real. Make sure that the content you create is authentic, entertaining and useful. It should offer real value, evoke emotion and present information that people are curious about.
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Focus on creating relationships – it’s not about how many followers you have, but how engaged and loyal the followers you do have are.
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Let your audience lead the conversation and make it their own, listen patiently and be receptive to feedback and suggestions. Remember, conversations are content too.
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Be regular. You need to be visible on social media and that means regularly posting and participating (see part 3 for Social Media Management Tools). Inactivity will kill your social media presence and following. But remember, quality surpasses quantity when it comes to content. The Social Media Examiner 2016 Social Media Marketing survey shows that increased traffic occurs with as little as 6 hours per week invested in social media marketing.
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Use visuals and video. Use imagery that’s relevant and as sophisticated as you can get it. According to Arthur Goldstuck of World Wide Worx, the global rise of the video is now making itself felt here in South Africa.
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Have a response ready for negative feedback. If you’re worried about negative feedback, make sure you have a strategy for dealing with negative feedback. Don’t take it personally and don’t respond emotionally. Develop a standard ‘go to’ response to give yourself time to think it over. At least on social media, you know what is being said about you and you can do something about it.
Here are some free resources you can reference to help build your content plan:
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Hubspot’s ultimate collection of free content marketing templates.
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Hubspot’s free Content Planning Template which builds on four content pillars: Entertain, Inspire, Educate and Convince.
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Google’s free "Build a Content Plan", which identifies three main ways to add value: Inspire, Educate and Entertain.
Take out: Even if you don’t develop a fully-fledged content plan at the outset, give thought to what your core message is and the types of content you can build around that. Create content that entertains, inspires and educates. Focus on building relationships rather than followers.
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