There’s no doubt that social media is a valuable marketing tool. It’s free. It’s fun. It has incredible reach. But it also has to be maintained. It’s not enough to sign up for a few social media accounts and call it a day—you have to regularly update them with interesting news, photos and tidbits. It can be tough to keep up the conversation, but there are plenty of easy ways to keep the social media content flowing.
Use Google’s Keyword Tool
If you don’t know exactly what information customers are searching for, it’s going to be tricky to make your social media content relevant and compelling. This is where Google’s Keyword Tool comes in handy: type in a few words or phrases that you believe your customers might use, then scan the results. You’ll see how many people are searching for the exact terms you typed in, plus a bunch of other related keyword ideas that you can use as jumping points for new content.
Set Up Google Alerts
Google Alerts helps you monitor the web for interesting new content. Simply enter the search query you wish to monitor, choose the kind of results you’d like to receive, then presto—tailored results delivered right to your inbox.
Put Yourself in Your Customers’ Shoes
To your customers, you’re an expert in your field. They look to you to answer all of their questions, from the complicated to the mundane. So scale back your thinking and put yourself in your customers’ shoes. What problems are they facing? What basic questions do they need answered? What concepts may they not understand? Explanations and breakdowns of “insider” information not only make great social content, but they also level the playing field and make your business more approachable.
Ask Your Sales Team
As the initial point of contact, your sales team knows your clientele better than anyone. They are familiar with the questions customers ask before making a purchase, and the kind of information that closes a deal. They know all of the industry-outsider terminology—not necessarily what you’re used to—and the things your competitors are doing right. Your sales team is a valuable resource that can fuel all sorts of wonderful topics. Befriend them.
Monitor Industry Conversations
Follow industry conversations on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and blog networks to a good sense of how people talk, and what they’re talking about. By gathering social media content ideas from real-time industry chatter, your content is guaranteed to be in sync with your audience.
Check Out Your Competitors’ Social Media Content
Creep on your competitors blog and social media accounts to see how their content resonates with readers. Don’t copy their content directly or repurpose their ideas, but rather use it to get a better understanding of what generates conversations and what fails.
