Three Keys to Content Development for Social Media

Social media offers an easy and affordable method to market your small business products and services to the world. But without a clearly defined communication strategy, your message might not be reaching the right people through the right network. Marketing is not just about selling, it's also about educating. The better you educate, the more you create a need for your product (or service). By providing accurate and valuable information, you can also build trust and loyalty among your customers and prospects as well.

With social media, you have plenty of options to distribute your message. The challenge today is to create the right message for the target audience that you are reaching with each network. It's important to have a well-planned strategy for content marketing through social media. So before you jump onto Facebook or tweet through Twitter, take time to think about the type and style of content that you will be distributing.

1. Before you use social media to market your business, be sure you have something valuable to contribute. Identify what your customers need and then suggest a solution that will solve their problem. This is not about making a direct sell. Forget about pushing specific products and focus on consumer education. What do they need to know about your industry to make smart decisions when purchasing related products or services? This is your opportunity to show your industry expertise and credibility. Use the social networks to contribute helpful advice and dependable customer service.

2. While you seek to attract friends, fans, and followers, remember that huge numbers here do not necessarily represent marketing success. Are you attracting the right kinds of followers? Are they interested in your products and services, and do they need them? Will they purchase and remain loyal? Ultimately, it's the content that will attract friends, so make sure the it speaks directly to your target audience. Use the appropriate style, language, and tone, and of course, the right message. You are building connections that will hopefully help you spread the word about your business with viral, word-of-mouth marketing. It all starts with content, and quality matters.

3. When you initiate activity on social networks, you are implying that you are interested in customer experiences, willing to listen, and ready to respond. Your content must reflect that. It's all about creating and nurturing relationships, and you can't do that by simply providing content and then ignoring the response. Customer feedback should direct future content. Answer their questions. Provide the information they need. Content that directly helps a customer is likely to be shared with others.

Social media is only a tool to distribute your message. You wouldn't pick up a hammer and start pounding nails into wood with a clear building plan, so don't jump onto social networking sites and start haphazardly posting information. You need a well thought out communication strategy. Remember that you can't take content back once you've posted it on the Internet! Without a clear strategy, you may send the wrong message, and that mistake could take a long time to overcome.