At the outset, generating social media content may seem like a monumental task. What to post, how often to post, and where to post are all important questions to ask. The answers, however, are already in front of you.
It’s important to remember that content can take many shapes, forms, and sizes. A business website, for instance, may have enough content alone to fill a social media platform for months. The job of a website is to demonstrate value, inform a visitor, and entice an action through a combination of text and media. Content on social media should serve the same purpose which is why most of the heavy lifting is already done. Almost everything on your website can and should be reproduced for social media audiences.
An “About Us” page will have plenty of interesting facts and tidbits about the history of a business that would make relevant social media content. Every product page can be highlighted on social media channels, as can every press release. The list goes on and on but the point is that most businesses already have social media content created, it’s just on their website.
In a continued effort to not reinvent the wheel, businesses should also be examining what their competitors are doing on social media. Not just to establish whether or not they have an online presence, but to see their social media successes or failures. Before publishing your own social material, see what kinds of content businesses in the same industry have posted and which are performing the best. This will help indicate what information is most well received among your potential audience, and therefore what to focus on first. By examining competitor’s social media presences you can also learn the ideal post frequency and platforms for best audience engagement.
Whether your company’s social media pages haven’t been made yet, or you have a growing social following, conducting an internal content audit and external competitor audit can help save time and resources to put your best foot forward online.