Be the editor of your brand - Social Media Explorer
Be the editor of your brand
Be the editor of your brand
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There are about a thousand ways to say what I need to say today: Less is more. Never add, always subtract. Pare it down. I’ve recently decided that we could all use a good editor. It’s easy to believe that pushing out new content several times a day is the goal. It isn’t the goal. It isn’t even close to the goal because, well, it’s potentially annoying to your customers. The goal should be pushing great, sharable content. I think that’s where we all started. I think we started with good intention to contribute great content to our audiences, but then we fell into the trap that we all fall into from time to time. If it works…do more! Sometimes more is just more. Never forget that. More is just more. More does not equal better. Better equals better.

So instead of building more content for the sake of having something to post, only put something out that is a real point of view or really useful. Even if this isn’t a long post/update/podcast. Even if it isn’t the old level of frequency. Make every piece of content count. Why? A few reasons: chances are your audience did not wake up today wondering what you are up to on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter. If your blog post doesn’t come into their feed today, they are not going to stop and wonder if everything is ok. Because they care about 100% less about your brand than you think they do. Another reason: weak content hurts you because it makes it easier to ignore you. You do not wish to be ignored.

But what about test and learn?

Less is MoreWe often preach test and learn. Test and learn doesn’t mean you have to add to the content cycle, it means you need to have a plan and be meaningful in your content. When you have a plan and direction and insights you want to test against, then you can really perform content tests to see what will be engaging and shared. Test and learn does not mean throw a bunch of content out there to see what sticks. It just doesn’t. Because that isn’t a plan at all. It is reckless and it will not help you learn what works and what you should be doing. With this in mind, let’s try to agree that we need a plan and we need to start editing our content strategies to be more meaningful to not only your brand but to your audience. So, here’s what we need to do…

Stop posting to just post

We all do it, heck I do it. And you know what, I bet you can tell. The same goes for all the social updates. Find the right content to post and test to learn. Don’t feel compelled to fill your social updates because you think you should. Post when you have something useful to share. Which leads me to the second point:

Have something to say

This talks to having a plan and a voice in the marketplace. Your content should have a unique point of view. It should push buttons or provide value to your audience it should be unique, memorable. If you are getting ready to share something on social in an update or a blog post or ebook, make sure it is a point of view that you can stand for and behind.

Say it in fewer words

If you can use fewer words to get your point across you should. People skim. They read short sentences to get the gist. Use powerful words and less of them that might seem comfortable. Trust me, they’ll get it. We can get better and better at being concise and it will pay dividends.

We can do this. Let’s get started.

SME Paid Under

About the Author

Tracey Parsons
Since 1995, Tracey has been developing digital solutions. Currently SME Digital’s lead strategist, she continues to be dedicated to bringing cutting edge, thoughtful and measurable solutions to marketers. With more than 15 years in digital, Tracey not only brings vision, but the tools and strategies to execute against complex next generation concepts. She has worked with some of the world’s most recognized brands to develop and devise cutting-edge social, mobile and digital marketing practices.

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