Producing it, that is.Without content, Facebook fan pages are as empty and hapless as a shuttered shopping mall.
Without content to link to, tweets are endlessly chatty and will likely fail to produce measurable returns.
Without a steady stream of content, blogs are updated irregularly, or with the turning of the seasons. Or perhaps those intermittent posts uncannily coincide with a product marketing manager's dental appointments, when he or she finally has some down time with a laptop and a mouth too numb to return calls.
We've all seen the pattern: Company X is won over to the importance of social media. They figure out what their blog will be about, who will write the drafts, what the approval process will be, and so on.
With much fanfare, the blog is launched. And the initial post sits there. And sits there. And who has time to write a second post? Or update the Facebook page? Or tweet?
To help company X (and companies Y and Z, as well, because this problem seems common), here are some suggestions for getting content on line.
Leverage What You Have
Has your company just launched a product, published a white paper, or hosted an event? Write a short description and link to the relevant Web page, PDF, or Flickr photo set.
(Speaking of Flickr photo sets, make sure someone on your team has a digital camera. Then set up a Flickr account and link to it from your blog, your tweets, and so on.)
Put Blogging on the Agenda
Track the production of blog posts, Facebook updates, and other social media content just like you track the production of anything else. Like any accountable activity, each content production task should be assigned a name and a date.
While your team is discussing projects, events, and announcements, ask what can or should be shared through social media. What could be published on a blog or Facebook page? What news or links could be tweeted?
Get in the habit of asking what social media content can be wrung from any major activity or milestone.
Let Us Join Your Great Conversations
Over lunch, you and a colleague had a great discussion about something relevant to your industry.
Share it with us. Ask for our comments. When we post comments, respond.
Make Jotting Ideas Down a Habit
Create a folder on your desktop for blog ideas. Or if you use a note-taking application like Evernote, set up a Notebook for blog ideas. Or simply carry a notebook or a stack of index cards.
When an idea pops into your head, jot it down. Then spend 15 minutes a day, sorting through your ideas and filling them out, converting your hasty note or outline into a short post of 250-500 words. It's best if you make that 15 minutes early in the day, before you're interrupted or trapped in meetings.
The nice thing about this approach is that you're suddenly able to accomplish big things (writing that content you haven't found time to write) by taking a bunch of little steps. You never have to face the daunting prospect of a Blank Page Expecting a Complete, Well-formed Piece of Writing (cue organ music and the Wilhelm scream). You're simply jotting down idea you've already thought of and that's practically begging you to record it, or you're developing an idea you've already written down and simply producing a short, pithy elaboration. And you're writing regularly. And your blog and your Facebook page are living up to your expectations. Wow.
What Have You Read or Seen that Inspired You?
Tell us. Ask questions about it.
Make Lists
Like this one. You can't only make lists. But a list now and then is a fine idea.
And The Most Important Thing Is . . .
Get going. Now.
Shopping mall photo credits:
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