How to Create Content Your Audience Cares About
In an oversaturated media landscape, how do brands grab the attention of their target audience? This might be a loaded question, but it’s one worth unpacking. With so many users occupying the digital space, it’s no wonder why people often grow tired of seeing the same thing on their social feeds.
Over the last few years, marketers and consumers alike have come to realize the value of social media. With some of the world’s largest brands like Nike and Coca-Cola using it to spread their messages and sell their products, social media is a tool that has proven itself to be the weapon of choice in the arsenals of digital marketers.
Social media is here to stay and is projected to experience even greater levels of growth in the next decade. With this in mind, it’s important to figure out how we can differentiate ourselves and stand out from the crowd. To assist your brand in the quest of making your online presence known, below are three things to keep in mind when creating content to capture the attention of your audience.
Do Your Research
Research often feels like a burden, but in reality, can make or break a brand. Your first priority should be to do research on trends in your industry, your target audience’s likes and dislikes, as well as different ways to communicate your ideas to get a gauge of how your social presence stacks up. Obtain an understanding of who it is you’re talking to and how they like to receive information. Once you nail this down, you can work on crafting your message and really get down to the nitty-gritty.
In my experience, research has helped tremendously in my attempts to find content that is relevant and truly resonates. For example, during my time working as social media editor for an online magazine, an issue that I encountered on many occasions was sourcing content that aligned with the interests of our audience. Once I took the time to sit down and start my research, I was able to get an idea of the type of posts our audience wanted to see and how I could apply my knowledge to future efforts. While it might be a pain in the neck at first, research can make a huge difference in the end by providing credibility and a roadmap for your creative endeavors.
Think Outside the Box
Social media is a place that encourages innovation and creativity. The last thing you want to do is limit yourself. Whether it’s coming up with a fun twist on an otherwise mundane promotional post or incorporating trending themes into your calendar, don’t be afraid to mix things up! Unique ideas are the basis upon which we thrive, so really make an effort to flex your creative muscles during the brainstorming process.
During my time as an intern at MFG, I was tasked with developing new themes for Instagram stories. Although it took some time for me to finally nail them down, I found the challenge of brainstorming fresh ideas extremely rewarding. In the end, not only were people engaging with the posts, they were an achievement I felt proud of.
Consider its Value
What are you offering your audience with this post? Think about ways you can provide something of value to their lives. Offer sound advice, educational tidbits or insight that will pique their interest. Once your audience realizes that they derive useful information from your content, they’ll keep coming back for more.
When sourcing content for our social calendars, this is something that I try to keep top of mind at all times. If you’re providing your audience with content that they can find anywhere else; you’ve got a problem.
You’ve heard it time and time again but social media is evolving. Staying creative, unique and informed are crucial to finding success in the digital marketplace. Following these tips are simply jumping off points for you to reach your goals in creating an online image you can be proud of.
GRIT: Surviving Agency Life
Working in an agency setting can be a gratifying path. With a wealth of opportunities for collaboration and client experience, it allows us PR professionals to challenge ourselves and form solid relationships with colleagues and clients.
Ask anyone and they’ll tell you that agencies are one of the most fast-paced and fastest-growing work environments you’ll ever come across, with U.S. PR agencies growing at a rate of 30% yearly for the past five years.
From tight deadlines to guaranteeing client satisfaction, PR professionals are tasked with a number of responsibilities to ensure that their agency is performing at the highest standard at all times.
What few people will tell you is that agency life isn’t for everyone. While the idea of working with a variety of clients and having the opportunity to wear a number of different hats is promising - things can get stressful. Fast.
Agency life isn’t for the faint-hearted. If you’re looking to thrive in an agency, you’ll need courage and determination - in other words, grit.
Where to Begin
You’ve already gotten this far and might be wondering, how can I keep up with so many moving parts? There isn’t a single answer but bracing yourself for the unexpected is a good place to start.
Instead of acting after something happens, make it a point to be prepared in all circumstances. You never know what may happen in an agency - clients might want to make last minute changes and instead of scrambling to get things done quickly, you’ll need to approach the situation in a calm and level-headed manner.
Things come up all the time. Everyone, no matter who they are, will have to deal with a less than ideal situation at some point in their professional career. What really matters during these instances is how you react to them. Don’t be so quick to lose your composure. Keep your cool and find balance.
This resolve will take you far in your career as a PR professional. It shows that you can handle yourself and ultimately get things done.
How to Navigate
Keep yourself accountable. Set goals and make it your mission to deliver your best at every turn. While there will certainly be times where you’ll experience challenges along the way, commit yourself to improving and make sure you’re hitting your mark.
Getting into this mindset where you set yourself up for success goes a long way. It gives you the opportunity to step back, see what needs to be done and act. The key here is to create a space where you can offer something of value to your agency and make sure your presence is felt.
The Rise of Live Video
While often subject to ridicule by social media users, vertical video has taken over the digital landscape. Due to its visual appeal and mobile-first format, videos filmed in portrait mode are the format of choice for content producers and consumers alike.
For decades, video has been presented horizontally. So why is this shift to vertical video significant and what can we learn from its meteoric rise to fame?
Vertical Videos Perform Better
Facebook claims over 8 billion video views per day and early tests have shown that vertical videos increase user engagement (in addition to reach, unique views, click-throughs, swipe-throughs, ad recall and completions).
Studies even show that 65% of consumers consider brands that advertise vertically to be “more innovative” while so-called novice video consumers prefer vertical video for its convenience.
These stats tell us that vertical video is not only beneficial for video metrics, but has the potential to position brands as creative, out-of-the-box thinkers.
It’s Perfect for Social
With mobile users accounting for 80% of all time spent on social media, it wouldn’t be farfetched to say that a majority of those users are browsing with their phones in portrait mode.
Additionally, from a user-experience standpoint, vertical video eliminates the extra burden often associated with viewing videos created in landscape orientation. For instance, when watching a video displayed horizontally, users must choose between watching a smaller version of it, or having to turn their screens, thus isolating playback from the rest of their feed.
While this might seem like a relatively minor detail, when you factor in UX, it can make a difference in how users perceive a platform’s capabilities.
Virtually All Platforms Have Taken Notice
Vertical video has been rolled out across nearly every social media channel you could think of, with Spotify even offering a dedicated service for artists to upload their own vertical music videos.
This expansion has not only helped the music streaming giant hold its ground against direct competitor Apple Music, it creates a more immersive and intimate experience for users.
Although vertical video isn’t considered a new concept by any means, it is revolutionizing the way we engage and behave with content. While its negative reputation might precede itself, this format will undoubtedly continue to grow at a rapid pace as more users occupy the digital space.