We’ve had the occasional guest article, but for the most part, The Brainzooming Group runs with as a solo social media department.
Because of being a solo social media department, I’m always looking for productivity and efficiency tips to extend our content marketing success. Some are implemented right away, and others aren't.
Here are eight of the smartest solo social media tips I’ve yet to try, but should!
This would stimulate more content directly tied to presentations to keep them fresh. It would also quicken workshop and presentation updates.
Why haven’t I done this? Right now, writing to fit overall blog themes and audience targets is easier than writing to a comprehensive master content calendar.
Even without using presentation and workshop outlines as mini-editorial calendars, you can categorize blog content afterward.
Why haven't I done this? Once content is published, I tend to look forward, not backward. Instead of regularly linking blog content to presentations and workshops right after it’s published, I search recent blog articles when it's time to update a workshop.
Author Pam Didner was the first content marketing expert
Why haven't I done this? I tend to be a content aggregator. I typically generate short content and piece it together later into eBooks.
Hubspot emphasizes launching new content in a comprehensive, integrated way. When launching eBooks, we typically tie launches to major speaking engagements and publish related blog posts and landing pages, but that's about it.
Why haven't I done this? A lack of time and patience are barriers. Integrated launches take advanced planning and time. For some speaking engagements, I have created a new eBook the morning of the workshop. That doesn’t leave time for planning!
There are various ways to reach out to freelancers to complete some ideas mentioned here. That’s something we’ve only done sporadically.
Why haven’t I done this? I tend to handle editing and graphics in-house and save the dollar outlay. The downside is things happen more slowly or NEVER. I also spend valuable time doing lower-value tasks instead of activities to more aggressively grow the business. Pam Didner suggested Upwork as a potential resource for finding freelancers; the next task is picking a project.
I paid for a webinar where Chris Brogan covered blogging less and putting more emphasis on an email newsletter
Why haven't I done this? I'm trying to unwind my long-term thinking about the blog and its role for our business. Quite honestly, the blog is a professional diary and reference tool. I'm actively considering how to vary content within the current format and potentially more dramatically change its structure.
This tip is years old. Experts say to write "whats" and "whys" in blogs, but not “how” to do what you do. I get it, but find it difficult to get away from “hows.”
Why haven't I done this? Maybe my mentality is too teacher-like. It's challenging for me to NOT share how to do things when our primary audience persona eschews fluff and seeks information on HOW to do things.
This tip is front and center for me. A producer would take my ideas and shape them into more and varied types of content. I even know who my first choice to take on this role would be.
Why haven't I done this? Our content generates indirect revenue. You can't "pay" us for anything currently other than strategy, innovation, and content engagements, plus presentations and workshops. We don't sell other content (i.e., books, on-demand training courses, merchandise, etc.) currently. It’s tough to justify the investment for a full- or part-time producer on an on-going basis without direct revenue impact.
What do you say solo social media professionals? Are any of you using comparable tips to expand your organization’s content reach? - Mike Brown
