There’s no magic bullet for a perfect content marketing strategy. But if such a thing existed, it would probably include a combination of high-quality, engaging content; a solid distribution strategy; and social media savvy. It would also include a heavy dose of input from you as a leader.
You could have a truly killer marketing department that helps you craft top-notch messaging and can tell you all about the latest content marketing trends and social media updates in its sleep — but without your voice in the mix, your team’s impact is somewhat limited.
That’s because a lot of your success depends on how well your company can get the right content into the hands of the right audiences at the right time. And if you aren’t doing your part to help ensure it gets there, that’s a problem. To turn passive readers into active brand advocates, you need to participate in your company’s content distribution.
Executive-level social strategies exist to be used
Content distribution is important, and you as a leader have a major role to play in maximizing it. Now, I realize that it’s one thing to say leaders need to distribute their own content and really utilize it themselves, and it’s a completely different thing to actually do it — especially when your main focus is leading your company and its long-term vision.
This is something I’ve personally experienced. It really wasn’t all that long ago that my team and I made my personal Twitter presence a priority, in addition to our company account. After implementing an actual social media distribution plan, I was able to grow my following by more than 100,000, and our content now has even greater potential to reach our audiences — on both my account and our company’s.
As much as I wish I had the time to do so, I wasn’t able to do this on my own. It can take a good number of resources to help you distribute content in a meaningful way. That’s where a social distribution team (or at least a specialist) comes in.
Whether you build it in-house or outsource it, here’s what your social team needs to help you maximize distribution (and build your influence online along the way):
1. A social distribution schedule
Consistency is essential to any good strategy, especially when it comes to content and social. You want to sustain audience engagement, and that’s impossible if you post three times one week and then go silent for a month. So rather than post whenever you remember or find time between other responsibilities, your social team should commit to a distribution schedule.
This lets your audience members know they can expect to hear from you regularly and keeps them engaged over time. A content promotion template is a great place to start planning your social efforts. With a plan in hand, you can begin coordinating your social posts in advance. You’ll still have to check in and respond to readers’ comments, but you won’t have to remember to tweet or hop on LinkedIn multiple times a day.
2. Guidelines for posting
As you schedule your posts, tailor them to each channel — but make sure they share a consistent voice. For example, an update to LinkedIn and a tweet that both promote your latest whitepaper shouldn’t look identical, but they shouldn’t sound like they came from two different people, either.
Start with a unified message that aligns with your brand voice, then package it for each unique channel. The trick is to build off your brand’s voice while adding a personal twist so your readers know it’s actually you who’s posting.
3. Tools to measure and improve reach
Publishing social posts is only half of the distribution equation. You still need to track engagement to see which types of content resonate and which styles of messaging garner the best results. Fortunately, there are tons of free social media tools out there that enable you to monitor your analytics, get context on a post’s performance, and find out which influencers are talking about your work. Resources like these can help you refine your tactics and maximize the effectiveness of each post.
4. Engaging, share-worthy content
Optimizing your individual posts is important, but one of the biggest factors in your distribution is the actual content you’re sharing. You and your team should create original content using your own expertise for your company blog and external publications.
Don’t get me wrong; sharing valuable content from someone who isn’t you — or another person on your team — is fine. I do it pretty often. But writing, publishing, and sharing your own content helps you build thought leadership and connect more authentically with your audiences, and you should share that content on social, too.
5. A budget for paid promotion
Going viral organically is the dream, but it’s one that eludes most brands on most days. Not every post will be a home run right off the bat, so set aside money for paid promotions to amplify those posts that really strike a chord with your audience. Monitor which pieces of content generate engagement and drive people to your site — these are your high performers. Then, put some spend behind those pieces and keep them in front of your audience.
