Content strategy or social media strategy: Which is right for your business?
Confusion reigns as to what is more important: social media, or a content strategy. The answer, however, is pretty clear.
Should you be developing a content strategy for your personal brand-based business … or a social media strategy?
A lot of people come to me to say, “Hey, I need a social media strategy, can you help me?”
Sure, of course I can help, but then we get to a certain point: If you’re going to create a social strategy, there’s a fair bit involved but at the heart of it, lies CONTENT.
Pull up stumps
If you go down the path of developing a social media strategy for your business, you’re going to have to pull up stumps pretty quickly unless you can effectively tackle the question: What sort of content are we going to be publish?
So, really, you need to do a content strategy first … focus on becoming your own media channel.
That’s the way I’m going to be thinking anyway: you do a content strategy first for your owned media channels that can then morph into your earned media efforts and also your social media.
[ I explain more in the video below ]
And of course, then you’re also going to need to know your communications goals and how they support your overarching commercial goals: What are your aspirations? What are you setting out to achieve?
You’re going to have to know your audiences really, really well, but also the people who influence them. There might be content you have to create for influencers as well.
That’s obviously just a starting point. There’s a lot to it if you want to do things properly, with purpose and strategic intent!
Thought leader profile
And of course, in developing a social media strategy, you might need to go off and explore different areas, depending on how big your business is, and what it does.
For example: customer care might need to be factored in (especially pertinent if your brand is consumer-facing), along with elements of personal branding, if an elevated thought leader profile is important to your overall PR and marketing communications.
Of course, this then will beg the question: where to you channel your efforts: your business brand, or your personal brand? » Unsure of the answer? This article will help - Should you focus on building your personal brand, or business brand? Here are 4 examples to get you thinking! «
So, if you’re ever confronted with the task of developing a social media strategy for your business, I recommend you focus first on your content strategy and that, in turn, will dovetail nicely into your broader social plan.
However, if you want to take things more seriously and really up your game, you might want to consider developing a more encompassing strategic PR and marketing communications plan, of which content will play a leading role, along with social media.
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Thank you for reading … let’s connect on the socials (links below)!
Onwards!
Trevor 💪
P.S. I’ll soon be launching the Credible Authority Academy, in which I will be teaching, guiding and supporting genuine leaders, entrepreneurs and experts to become influential thought-leading voices in their industry.
If you'd like to a heads-up as to when the Academy launches, please register here and I shall keep you posted. No obligation, of course 👊