Marketers who share the right content at the right time to their target audience will have no trouble driving traffic to their website. By creating a content marketing campaign that drives likes, shares, tweets etc., you will encourage users to click through to your website onto various landing pages, with the end goal of converting them to customers. Ultimately people want your expertise, not your content marketing pummeled on them, however if you find the right balance using these tips, you'll create a "likable" campaign that will drive traffic to your website.
Create the Perfect Message
- Use a compelling and descriptive headline. Use the headline to advertise exactly what it is you're product or service offers.
- Give people a reason to click. Whatever the platform, present a clear call to action. Be sure to deliver what it is you're offering. On Facebook and Twitter, make sure your audience knows that the link you provided leads to a landing page on your site; this will also help build trust.
- Provide value, be consistent, and be dynamic. A content marketing campaign is useless unless there is value and consistency wrapped around a dynamic and well thought out brand presence.
Image Selection
Images elevate your content and help purvey your message. Images get shared on Facebook more than any other type of content. Use images to support your content marketing campaign, get more likes and shares on Facebook, and drive traffic to your website.
Standards for Sharing
Find your brand voice and follow these points to remain consistent and give your audience the content they like.
- Be relevant. It is good to know what is appropriate, popular and timely according to your audience. This way, your job is made that much simpler when trying to connect and engage with them. You'll be able to accurately distribute the appropriate content to all the various social media channels and hit your target audience...all while being relevant and relatable!
- Be consistent. Your tone and voice will be understood by your audience if you are consistent in every aspect of your content marketing campaign. Maintain consistency in your tone, voice, frequency of messaging, and kinds of messages.
- Be informative. This is probably the most important element of creating a "likable" content marketing campaign. Be informative! Make sure your campaign brings insight to new and old users alike.
- Be entertaining. Content that is entertaining is more likely to be shared and consumed. Try to form an emotional connection with your audience.
- Be honest. Put a name, face, and personality to your brand. It will make you or your brand all that much more relatable!
Why People Share:
People share content for many reasons. Here are a few of the most common:
- Product involvement. People have personally used a specific product and feel strongly enough about it to share with family and friends. They typically have had a positive experience with said product and want others to know about it.
- Self involvement. Some may be personally affiliated with a product or brand and therefore share certain media pertaining to it.
- To get the word our about causes or brands. Some people know others who are affiliated with a certain cause and share it within their social circles to further spread the word.
- To bring valuable and entertaining content to others. People sometimes share certain content that they may find valuable to their family and friends. People often share entertaining content to brighten and lighten the day.
What People Share:
- Educational content. As mentioned above, being entertaining is a standard of content marketing. People are more likely to share educational content than content that leaves the audience emotionless.
- Informative content. Often times users will share content they found useful themselves to their circle of friends.
- Entertaining content. Videos, memes, cartoons, jokes etc., are various content types that have a great potential of being widely shared.
- Inspirational content. People love stories or excerpts that tug at their heartstrings and evoke emotion.
Most Frequently Shared Pages
People most often share these website pages:
- Active campaigns. These could be contests, promotions, or giveaways. People love freebies, and social media platforms allow you to quickly share current promotions or contests. When your audience is encouraged to share your campaigns, they are helping to spread your brand message.
- Blog posts. People follow you on Twitter, are fans on Facebook, and subscribe to your blog for a reason. They are interested in your brand and the content you produce. Most likely your audience will have friends or family who may also be interested in your company. Posting your blog posts to your social media profiles will give them the opportunity to share it within their own community. Make sure your content is of the highest quality otherwise you won't get many shares.
- Product pages. You may want to stay clear of promoting your product pages on your own social media profiles, but that doesn't mean other people will never have the opportunity to share them! Provide social sharing buttons (such as Pin It buttons) so your audience can quickly share their favorite products on their profiles.
What not to share
Product pushes or advertisements. Do not just push your product or services onto your audience. Provide them with something more. The value of social networking is to build relationships and not to simply market to your fans.
People don't want to be blatantly advertised to so blend the above components to create a campaign that not only shows of your industry expertise but builds relationships. There are some content marketing challenges, but nothing a savvy marketer cannot overcome. By understanding what, why and where people share content, you'll have no trouble creating a campaign that appeals to new and returning customers.