As a graduate student
enrolled in the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) program at West
Virginia University, one of the messages I get loudly and clearly is that
content matters – particularly when it comes to a company’s online presence.
In fact, I have absolutely no doubt that content plays a key role in helping
drive a company’s marketing and communications strategy.
In his article, Content is King of Social Marketing, Michael Greenberg (2009, para. 4) says it best, “Without content, there is not a whole lot to talk about.” He adds this piece of sage advice a little later in the article (para. 14), “Developing content is not for the faint of heart. You have to constantly develop new ideas and think of new ways to keep your readers or viewers engaged.”
In his article, Content is King of Social Marketing, Michael Greenberg (2009, para. 4) says it best, “Without content, there is not a whole lot to talk about.” He adds this piece of sage advice a little later in the article (para. 14), “Developing content is not for the faint of heart. You have to constantly develop new ideas and think of new ways to keep your readers or viewers engaged.”
I live Greenberg’s words every day. With a marketing
team of four individuals, plus a director, that serves six million members and
26,000 clients, we struggle daily to meet the growing needs of consumers for
fresh and relevant content. On any given
day, we wear a minimum of five hats – trying to balance competing priorities –
which means our work day and week often extend beyond traditional business
hours.
So how does a department like ours successfully manage its company’s online presence and build fresh, relevant content regularly? While the answer may seem simple – by knowing where we need to focus our limited resources – doing so is far from it.
So how does a department like ours successfully manage its company’s online presence and build fresh, relevant content regularly? While the answer may seem simple – by knowing where we need to focus our limited resources – doing so is far from it.
Today’s successful marketers and communicators know
one of the best places to start is where you find your target audiences. Are
they using Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or blogs? By knowing where your target audiences
are getting and sharing information, you can be better focused on reaching them. This means doing the necessary research into the
channels your target audiences are using so you can work as efficiently and
effectively as possible with limited resources.
The following infographic from Pew Research (McGee, 2012) shows who is using what social media outlets:
The following infographic from Pew Research (McGee, 2012) shows who is using what social media outlets:
While this
infographic is helpful in determining where a company should have a presence,
it doesn’t help solve the content part of the equation – coming up with fresh
and relevant content on a regular basis.
One of the biggest tools we use for content development is an editorial calendar. This calendar, managed by our digital media specialist, lists what content is being posted on what platforms and when. Then, each member of the marketing team is assigned pieces of the content to develop for these channels. So far this approach is helping our department and team stay focused on content development in a manageable way. This article by Buyer (2012) offers some good advice on how to create such a calendar.
So while developing content isn’t easy, it’s definitely necessary to help ensure a company’s online success. After all, you want to engage your target audiences in a two-way conversation, but without content – giving them something to talk about – you may just end up in a one-way conversation, which is reminiscent of "the old days" of marketing.
In the book, Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, E-Books, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business, authors Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman (2012) offer several examples of companies that have found success focusing on content, including Kodak. The authors (2012, Chapter 1, p. 3) share the story of Ann who was thinking about buying a new camera and starting asking friends and family online to make recommendations:
Somewhere along the way, her search caught the attention of Kodak’s then–chief marketing officer (CMO), Jeffrey Hayzlett, whose team monitors Twitter for queries such as Ann’s. Jeffrey subsequently reached out to Ann directly on Twitter to suggest his company’s own point-and-shoot pipsqueak, the EasyShare. Oh, and if she had any unanswered queries about point-and-shoot products, Jeffrey added, ask away!
It’s cool that the CMO of a $7.6 billion company reached out to a single consumer. But what’s really going on isn’t just cool; it’s a major shift in how companies are marketing themselves online. Kodak might be on Twitter, but it and other companies are also creating blogs, publishing podcasts and webinars, launching Facebook pages, and more. Kodak knows that it doesn’t have to wait for Consumer Reports to review its latest point-and-shoot; it can publish the specs itself and help customers come to Kodak.
Clearly content matters. In his book, Web Analytics 2.0, Avinash Kaushik (2010, p. 242) explains why content is so crucial to a company’s success:
One of the least understood phenomena of the last few years is how the fundamental nature of content creation, distribution, and consumption has changed. Most marketers are unprepared to take advantage of this shift, most web analytics vendors have not evolved their core data collection mechanisms, and most analysts have not yet adapted their measurement techniques.
I know I want to be a marketer who is prepared to take advantage of this shift, using content to spark conversations and help achieve organizational goals. How about you?
ReferencesOne of the biggest tools we use for content development is an editorial calendar. This calendar, managed by our digital media specialist, lists what content is being posted on what platforms and when. Then, each member of the marketing team is assigned pieces of the content to develop for these channels. So far this approach is helping our department and team stay focused on content development in a manageable way. This article by Buyer (2012) offers some good advice on how to create such a calendar.
So while developing content isn’t easy, it’s definitely necessary to help ensure a company’s online success. After all, you want to engage your target audiences in a two-way conversation, but without content – giving them something to talk about – you may just end up in a one-way conversation, which is reminiscent of "the old days" of marketing.
In the book, Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, E-Books, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business, authors Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman (2012) offer several examples of companies that have found success focusing on content, including Kodak. The authors (2012, Chapter 1, p. 3) share the story of Ann who was thinking about buying a new camera and starting asking friends and family online to make recommendations:
Somewhere along the way, her search caught the attention of Kodak’s then–chief marketing officer (CMO), Jeffrey Hayzlett, whose team monitors Twitter for queries such as Ann’s. Jeffrey subsequently reached out to Ann directly on Twitter to suggest his company’s own point-and-shoot pipsqueak, the EasyShare. Oh, and if she had any unanswered queries about point-and-shoot products, Jeffrey added, ask away!
It’s cool that the CMO of a $7.6 billion company reached out to a single consumer. But what’s really going on isn’t just cool; it’s a major shift in how companies are marketing themselves online. Kodak might be on Twitter, but it and other companies are also creating blogs, publishing podcasts and webinars, launching Facebook pages, and more. Kodak knows that it doesn’t have to wait for Consumer Reports to review its latest point-and-shoot; it can publish the specs itself and help customers come to Kodak.
Clearly content matters. In his book, Web Analytics 2.0, Avinash Kaushik (2010, p. 242) explains why content is so crucial to a company’s success:
One of the least understood phenomena of the last few years is how the fundamental nature of content creation, distribution, and consumption has changed. Most marketers are unprepared to take advantage of this shift, most web analytics vendors have not evolved their core data collection mechanisms, and most analysts have not yet adapted their measurement techniques.
I know I want to be a marketer who is prepared to take advantage of this shift, using content to spark conversations and help achieve organizational goals. How about you?
Buyer, L. (2012, Dec. 28). How to create a social media editorial calendar. Retrieved Nov. 9, 2013, from http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2136988/How-to-Create-a-Social-Media-Editorial-Calendar
Greenberg, M. (2009, Oct. 20). Content is king of social marketing. Multichannel Merchant.com. Retrieved Nov. 9, 2013, from http://multichannelmerchant.com/social-media/content-is-king-of-social-marketing-20102009/
Handley, A. & Chapman, C.C. (2012). Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, E-Books, Webinars (and More) That Engage Customers and Ignite Your Business. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Kaushik, A. (2010). Web Analytics 2.0. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley Publishing, Inc.
McGee, M. (2012, Sept. 14). Social networking demographics: Pew study shows who uses Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest & others. Retrieved Nov. 4, 2013, from http://marketingland.com/social-network-demographics-pew-study-shows-who-uses-facebook-twitter-pinterest-others-21594
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