Content Marketing Archives - Alpha Digital
Let’s Talk Content Mapping
Have you ever found yourself conflicted with having to post on socials, get blog posts up on your brand’s site, create new content, and round it off with keeping on top of your business’s terrestrial marketing programming?
So, what do you do with all of that content?
According to Buffer.com and Marketo, creating a calendar and mapping your posts can be very helpful in saving time and keep your brand ahead of the posting curve. Some benefits of a strong content map:
1. It will help you maintain a consistent cadence.
3. You’ll take your business’s social marketing out of a silo.
5. It enforces the Rule of Thirds.
Consistency: Plan out your posts based on the expectations of your brand’s following. Whether you post 4 times or 10 times a day, stick with it.
Mapping: Take your paid content examples and your time sensitive posts, write them down on a posting calendar and map that content to make it easier to schedule.
Share the calendar: Once you get everything nailed down on a calendar, you can then share with your business’s team so they can all see the tangible assets and your intentions with the posts.
System of Record: This helps keep track of your posts, past, present and future as to not overlap or repeat content.
And the Rule of thirds: Ok ok, What is the Rule of Thirds? This is a ration of sharing on social media. Try using a third of your content to focusing on original content, a third on posts and blog content and a third on shared content from others. Think in terms of what suits your brand and your digital listener the most.
By putting your content all together in a schedule or map, it will help optimize your posts and blogs ahead of time so your business can grow its digital presence in a meticulous, well organized manner.
Do Not Mistake Flash for Substance When it Comes to Building Your Marketing Messages
Last year, I created a team building exercise for my staff. The premise was simple; I would provide a whole host of toppings, the teams simply needed to provide the best bite of toast they could. We had sweet toppings, salty, the entire range to tempt the taste buds. For fun, I added a dragon fruit as one of the toppings. For those not familiar, the flesh of a dragon fruit is probably the most eye-catching food on earth. The problem? It really has no taste; it is all looks with no real substance.
Multiple teams sprinkled on the sliced dragon fruit, even though it added nothing to the taste profile. It did however make a pretty slice of toast. The problem? Not one slice using the dragon fruit made the top three. The top honor went to the boring avocado, because it was made for toast!
Marketers look at viral videos or marketing campaigns and say, “I want in.”
After all, they create the most amount of buzz. If you have ever been to an advertising seminar, chances are you have heard about the Nissan “Dogs Love Trucks” campaign. It won all the major creative awards, and then the campaign was cancelled due to lack of sales.
A great online message must be engaging, but do not forget to make it in your authentic voice. Just about every piece of research will tell you 75% or more of consumers will use the internet to research before a purchase. What they are looking for is your authentic voice in your marketing messages. That is why review sites like Yelp! and Google My Business are critical. Your website tells consumers what YOU say you are. Review sites customers tell who you REALLY are.
So when you go to lay out your next campaign, make sure it’s engaging, but do it in an authentic voice. Do not become obsessed with being that pretty fruit that serves no purpose.
Your passions for your business, also called your “why,” is what makes a great campaign that stands the test of time.
Make sure to check back often, as we will highlight campaigns that use “authentic voices” for brand marketing messages in future blogs.
On a side note, if we’ve piqued your interest, click here to see the beautiful Dragon Fruit!