Crafting Content in the Social Web

There is a lot of talk about chasing search engines with ‘relevant’ topics to grab more eyeballs for your website or blog. What’s often missing in these discussions is the simple fact that you’re running an organization, and the goal is to reach people. So why are we crafting content as if we’re talking to dumb machines? The advent of the social web requires that content be engaging and part of an ongoing conversation.

An attractive website by itself is simply not enough, it needs to be a living, growing entity, something that dynamically moves with the market. In short, your site needs to be social. Weigh your social content strategy at the outset, but don’t delay too much: If you don’t update key online channels your brand will read as ‘stale,’ leaving the door wide open for competitors to step in.

The secret sauce to the content puzzle of the social web is engagement. More than throwing topics up on a site, content needs to always answer the question; how will people find and interact with this information, and how will they share it? In order to craft an effective content strategy, it is crucial to align your organization’s mission with your website or blog content.

Also keep in mind that your content strategy doesn’t exist in a vacuum; you must develop a listening strategy to keep on top of real time feedback (we’ll cover social listening in another post). You can encourage engagement by providing updates and insight into your mission and thought process on your site, on relevant social networks, and offline.

The following is a step-by-step guide to building an effective online content strategy

First, state your business purpose, and from there develop areas of focus for your content strategy. Speak from areas of strength and expertise. If you’re in the business of servicing high-end European automobiles, don’t go on a tangent about unrelated hobbies. Developing relevant content will build your online following, boost your search performance, and over time build trust and drive customers to do business with you.

Second, and most importantly, identify your intended audience. Most people spend so much time immersed in their own business concerns that they rarely pause to consider the world of their customers. This is the “Curse of knowledge,” as the authors of “Made to Stick” put it; “Once we know something, we find it hard to imagine what it was like not to know it. And it becomes difficult for us to share our knowledge with others, because we can’t readily re-create our listeners’ state of mind.”

In other words, we need to actually do the work to get into our customers’ heads. Doing so will naturally lead you to develop the content that they’re searching for (yes, right now). Ask yourself these questions about your audience to get into their heads:
· Where do your audience/customers spend their time online?
· What are their goals?
· What they looking for that you have to offer?
· Why will your audience look to you for information?
· How will they discover your content, and why would they share it?
· How can you make the content more engaging and interactive?
· What social networks will you target, and how often?

Once you answer these questions, you can begin to tailor your content and delivery strategy to fit your own human and capital resources. In other words, now that you’ve done the work to define and prioritize content, identify the person or group in your office will actually develop and post the content. Also don’t forget to outline mid and long-term content and engagement goals in line with organizational objectives. Keep in mind how annual events, overarching trends, market updates, and news will impact this strategy.

Third, and finally, mix up the type of content you produce. In addition to text updates, post videos, photos, tutorials, audio podcasts, YouTube presentations or skits, infographics, and articles. Provide something unexpected; show customers that you understand the world around them. Working in different mediums is not just a good idea; it’s a way to test the waters of engagement, to find the perfect mix of content, platforms and timing that grabs your particular audience.

Developing relevant content is more than just an exercise to improve search performance; it’s a way to communicate the unique qualities that differentiate your brand. A human touch will go a long way towards developing relationships and loyalty among customers. Over time as you develop an arsenal of content and social engagement, you will establish that your organization “gets it,” and customers will “get it” that you “get it.” Now that’s a winning strategy.