You have products and services. You have a website, a blog, and you’re on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Google+. Yet business is flat. Nothing’s happening. You have to ask yourself this question. “What makes my brand so compelling that people will talk about it and share it with friends?” In other words, you can’t flourish in the social media environment unless you genuinely have something to say. That’s how Stephen King sells more novels than the average writer; he tells better stories. You have to have a compelling narrative. With so much on the internet, readers simply will not share content unless it’s compelling. You need a content strategy.
Online, Coke’s competition isn’t Pepsi and Wal-Mart’s competitor isn’t Target. Your competition is everyone competing for consumer attention, everyone who’s saying something interesting. Your story must be more interesting. As you determine your content strategy, ask yourself:
1. What specialty do I want to be known for? (Personal injury law, for example)
2. What are my readers’ concerns? (Let’s say injuries from automobile accidents)
3. How do I develop compelling content? (Create, for example, blogs and videos that offer safety tips and show how easily accidents can happen. Follow a likable plaintiff through the entire claim process from accident to settlement. Notify readers about pertinent new legislation or new safety technology that may impact them.)
You’ll know your content strategy is working when you’re attracting new customers and your sales go up. If that isn’t happening, tweak your strategy. Go back to your social media sites and determine what your audience has found compelling in the past. Conduct a “listening” campaign, identify the “influencers” in your audience, and find out what they’re saying. Create content that responds to their needs and interests. If you don’t feel particularly creative, contact a social media marketing firm that can manage your social media marketing and create the compelling content that works best for you and your audience.
