How To Bring Your Content Back From the Dead

When was the last time your business posted content? And I’m not just talking about a reposted article that leads people to someone else’s website or a quote - I’m talking original, high-quality content that your customers find value in. 

Just the other day, I was talking to a friend who said his business hasn’t posted anything since 2018. Unfortunately, this is the sad reality for too many companies and business owners. These same companies who either haven't posted or lack a content strategy, in my experience, will say social media "doesn't work" for them.

With how fast social media moves, it can be a bad look if your company is inactive for even a few months especially considering the huge shift to digital we’ve seen from companies throughout 2020. 

Anyway, back to my social media slacking friend… Business owners like this are usually the same people expecting sales from Facebook or other platforms that they haven’t touched in months or years. Like anything worthwhile, it takes time. But luckily, it doesn’t need to be complicated. All you need to do is show up, create content that helps make your dream customers’ lives easier, and stay consistent.

Dead content isn't what your audience is looking for and it won't benefit your company. By dead, I mean in both the time aspect and the content relevance. Yes, I’m talking to you… I see you posting motivational quote + stock image combos. There's nothing wrong with this at all, but I want to help your content resonate with your audience, get them to feel something, and take action.

Focus on Posting Killer Content

Create and post out content that establishes your business as a thought leader and shows that you know what you’re doing and do it well. Ask yourself if you were a stranger, would this piece of content make you stop scrolling and catch your attention? Does it make your life better?

If you aren’t doing any organic marketing, you either aren’t getting in front of new potential customers or you’re having to pay for every single lead you’re getting through paid ads. This can work but organic marketing can help diversify your strategy and get you leads and clicks that you didn’t have to pay for.

Here are the three types of content to create so you can consistently put out valuable posts without having to guess or get stuck:

Content to Grow - This type of content will help you gain followers and increase traffic. It includes the slightest of actions such as reposting memes or viral posts such as relatable quotes. What's the point of having this category? Share things that are most likely to get saved and sent to a friend. That’s how your business gets recognized and you get in front of more eyes. This type of content is for virality and increased brand awareness.

Content to Sell - This is to familiarize others with your product and create impressions. Include a call to action! Show them that you are the best in the market and give them a reason to choose you and not your competitor. This is also a great way to show the deals you have that will excite people to buy from you.

Content to Build Your Brand – This is a long-term strategy to build credibility and convert customers. This focuses on showing your brand's story, personality, and behind the scenes. As I said, people love stories, so give them that! Show them your journey and be real. Make use of pictures and visual aids (original ones whenever possible).

With more brands online, the demand for quality content and personalization is at an all-time high if you want to reach your audience. Content and social media marketing are two things you’ve probably been avoiding for some time now and I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this but… You’ll never escape it so let me help you conquer it.

Put Intention Into Everything

What is your content posting strategy? Hopefully, it’s not just thinking of something last minute and throwing it out there to see if it sticks. Everything has to have a plan and intention behind it and when I say everything, I mean everything - down to the platforms you post on and at what times. Yes, there’s data on this, check your insights! This will help you be more efficient while getting the best results possible. Don’t blindly throw things out and expect great results.

Select the Right Platforms (Spoiler: It’s Not All of Them)

Where do you feel you are most likely to succeed? Which platforms are your ideal clients using? When it comes to social media, I suggest choosing two or three. A lot of businesses believe that they need to be on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tik Tok, Youtube, Snapchat, Pinterest, and the list goes on and on. In reality, every single one of those platforms is used in an entirely different way. Instagram, for example, is based around visuals while LinkedIn is primarily text-based. There is really no way to use five or six different platforms in a way that will give you results you’ll be happy with. It’s just too much. Side note: if you're a tech company, for example, do you think your ideal audience is on Tik Tok? No! You can turn off the dance tutorials now - phew.

It’s better to stick to just a few platforms and maintain high quality so that you can get great results rather than trying to post the same thing on ALL platforms expecting it to be personalized and perform well among your audience. 

Know Your Target Audience

Know whom you are aiming at and give them what they like. Remember it is not always about you. Also, trends and demands change (I’m sure we all learned that lesson very well in 2020) so be sure to change content accordingly. It was a challenge for marketers to continue to do their jobs without looking insensitive or out of touch throughout COVID.

Keep it Consistent

I have talked about this a million times. Actually, my last blog was all about consistency. Refresh your content strategy and keep it consistent. If you choose to release a blog twice a month, stick to it! When it comes to social media posts, you can ensure you don’t forget to post by setting reminders or by using built tools such as Facebook scheduling. For Instagram, I use Later.

It's time to revive your content so you can drive more traffic to your website, reach new people, and be viewed as an industry expert because you ARE. Ready? Let's talk.