When you first started to take content marketing seriously, you likely arranged to use every means of content distribution available, from circulars to Snapchat. The only problem is that you now have a huge host of content and social media outlets to maintain, and you do not have the time to keep up with all of them. These tips will guide you into focusing your distribution. That way, you reach the customers you really want to find, without pushing toward a 24-hour workday.
Spread Too Thin? Here’s How to Tell
A few years ago, you created a Facebook page for your business. Then came Twitter and on its heels, Instagram. Now you have accounts with virtually every social media marketplace imaginable and the hours spent updating them are adding up. Online publishing is absolutely nothing like the ad campaigns you put on television, radio or the newspaper, if you even use those avenues at all.
Your Internet customers and fans expect a real-time answer to their questions and comments. They crave engagement, and will reward you if you simply pull up on the line. However, you have limits to what you can do in all the platforms. If your profiles are stagnating and customer comments are left unaddressed, you know you need a change.
Finding Your ROI
You must assess what systems are working for you, and which are not. Frank V. Cespedes, a professor at Harvard Business School, wrote in Harvard Business Review that businesses have to look at the return on investment for all the avenues they use for advertising. If you are spending so much time on social media without a lot of new customers, you have to ask yourself whether all these accounts are worth it.
Your company’s reach in social media terms is usually measured in links, shares and retweets. Cespedes points out that this data can, at times, be completely unconnected from the leads and conversions you need to keep your business afloat. He argues that if you feel like the spread of avenues for online publishing has you feeling like you are on the rack, you can safely ditch a few.
It’s Cool to Go Niche
Gone are the days when business savvy required the acquisition of as many customers as possible. Now, you want to get to your niche. These are the people who will buy your products and services over and over again, and encourage friends and relatives to get involved. While you can certainly take advantage of new trends in broader social media to offer you opportunities to reach your niche, plain old email also works equally well. Just continue to provide the sparkling content for readers, and they will come running.
Before you crack under the pressure of your online publishing obligations, cut back on the deadweight. Pick a few outlets that really work for you, and stick with them. That way, your customers can find you, and you will have the energy to help them when they do.
Holly S is a social media and SEO expert who believes that drive-by social media management is the worst hazard for businesses today.
