Even if consumers don’t complain about a brand’s content failings on social sites, blogs, and forums, they can silently register disapproval by ignoring anything more the brand has to say. And being irrelevant is a brand’s worst curse. Which is why we must think more critically today than ever before about the value of content before publishing it online.
A disciplined approach to content development has been used for years by content strategists to plan for, and manage, marketing assets published on large-scale websites. With content distribution now spanning many digital channels, even more rigor—and artfulness—is needed to provide consumers with the meaningful online experiences they’re looking for, and demanding.
What constitutes meaningful online content? The answer requires insights about your target audience demographics and online behaviors. It also requires marketing professionals to redefine what constitutes quality content on the social Web. In part, this shift is about understanding that online content is far more than award-winning copy and graphic design; good content needs to be felt, not just seen. More importantly, though, it’s about understanding how marketing content has the potential to influence social media interactions.
Leading social media expert Jyri Engeström believes that “social objects” are central to influencing social interactions. He points out that the more successful social sites don’t simply connect people to people but are built around connecting people through shared interests in meaningful objects, such as photos on Flickr or videos on YouTube. Brand consultant and cartoonist Hugh MacLeod has also written about the importance of social objects. “Human beings are social animals,” he says. “We like to socialize. But if we think about it, there needs to be a reason for it to happen in the first place. That reason, that ‘node’ in the social network, is what we call the Social Object.”
For digital marketers, then, creating content that achieves the status of a “social object” can help a brand to thrive. To do that, you have to give people a story that they can care deeply about—strategy by itself won’t produce the kind of meaningful content that enchants and transports audiences. Look for opportunities to shape your content using the same narrative techniques great storytellers rely on. Marketers tend to think about tone and voice, but what about the importance of point of view? How might shifting perspectives improve your story depending on where and when it’s released? As you create editorial calendars, take time to consider how each piece of content will build narrative urgency, contributing to the campaign’s overall dramatic arc. And as you write each part of the story, whether it’s for a website home page, an email, or a Facebook post—ask yourself the age-old storytelling question: Why is this piece of the story particularly meaningful at this very moment?
Borrow these techniques to make your content more than content, to elevate your words, images, and user interfaces into the realm of social objects that drive meaningful social connections. Succeed and you’ll be rewarded when individuals broadcast your content across their networks, elevating your brand to new heights.
This is a shorter version of an article that originally appeared in Society of Digital Agencies (SoDA) 2011 Digital Marketing Outlook: http://www.slideshare.net/sodaspeaks/society-of-digital-agencies-soda-2011-digital-marketing-outlook
Content Strategy: Tips for Creating More Meaningful Online Experiences
by Perficient Author on July 12th, 2011 | ~ minute read
