How To Manage Your Social Media Marketing Campaign Part 2

 

What do you have available?

Now that I've gotten you thinking about how special your specific website target is, I need you to look at the different content types available to you. You need to think outside the box. You need to look at all the available options out there and how you can create content that is tailored to your specific type of online entity.

 Here are the list of content types you can use to promote different online entities, but your specific focus and specialization should weigh more heavily on certain types of content instead of others:

 

• Audio clips
• Slideshows
• Infographics
• Diagrams
• Blog links 
• Videos

 

The Bottom Line: Don't Just Think Links

 It really freaks me out, in fact, it really saddens me when I see a lot of otherwise capable social media marketers focus almost entirely on spreading their links. They think that is the endgame. Well, yes, links are important. I can see where they're coming from because when people click on a link, that's instant traffic.

 

But you have to understand that depending on the type of target site you are promoting, you would build a tighter brand if you share different types of content.

 

In many situations, you probably would be better off sharing more audio or infographics and diagrams than if you were sharing naked links because people are bombarded with links every single day. You have to pay your dues. You have to become familiar enough to your target audience members using these different content types for them to eventually trust you enough to click on your link.

 

Unfortunately, a lot of people have this in reverse. They start with the links and when they get desperate, they then use other types of content. At that point, they are a day late and a buck short. Don't do that. Instead, use the derivative content first and then play up the links. Also, not all of these formats work with your particular type of website.

 

I would suggest that you look at your competitors first and pay close attention to the type of content they are currently sharing. What kind of format do they use? Are they sharing mostly picture quotes? Are they focused primarily on video? Do they have a special fondness for diagrams? This is not random. This is actually telling you all you need to know about how to appeal to your target audience members.

 

This is no time to "be revolutionary" and come up with something completely out of left field. That's not going to work. There's a reason why your competitors are not doing that. At this point in the game, you should focus on what everybody else is doing and reverse engineer their formats.

 

Once you have established a distinct brand, then you can experiment with different formats, different ways of doing things, and possibly come up with something that is distinct to your brand.

 

But until and unless you reach that point, you need to focus first on reverse engineering what everybody else is doing. In other words, let them do your homework. Focus on what they're doing right and build on it. Figure out their areas for improvement and come up with a more compelling offer. Pay attention to what they're not doing. Avoid those because obviously it doesn't pay.

 

I hope I'm being clear here. Make sure that your content types as well as your sharing strategies fit the type of business you're in. A little bit of reverse engineering can definitely go a long way.