Is Creating Content Stopping You From Using Social Media?

Posted by Merlyn Sanchez on June 1st, 2010

Today’s post is by my good friend and colleague, Amy Hoppenrath. She is a marketing powerhouse based in Kansas City whose phenomenal success as the principal at AH Marketing, led her to launch Acceleraction with Kristen Wing. Together they’ve taken the Kansas City business scene by storm and were nominated this past February, for the title of Kansas City’s Small Business of the Year.

She has a great article on the challenge of creating content that highlights your expertise and having enough time to engage in social media promotion. However, as she eloquently points out, you CAN do both!

Face it, one of the best ways to build trust and credibility is to establish yourself (and your company) as an expert. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to publish articles, blog postings, newsletters, e-newsletters, etc.

Does the thought of having to create content for each of these vehicles make you cringe? Is the mere thought of this strategy overwhelming to you?

The good news is that it doesn’t have to take over your life.

First, develop a plan and determine how frequently you want to send out communications. Then, build a calendar for the year. Brainstorm ideas for articles. What do your clients want to learn more about? What are their most frequently asked questions? What problem did you solve for your client last week? To help with your brainstorming, set up some Google Alerts. For example, if you are an accountant who focuses on the construction industry, you might want to set an alert for “trends in the construction industry” or “construction industry accounting.” Then let Google do your work for you. It will continually surf the Web for new content that just might spur an idea for a great article.

After You’ve Developed a Plan
If the thought of writing is overwhelming, consider hiring someone who can ghostwrite articles for you. Most writers can usually produce a short article after a brief conversation. A writer can often produce several articles for your upcoming issues, helping you to stay ahead of your deadlines.

You’ve Got the Article, Now What?
With a bit of repurposing and some technical assistance, you can turn your once-used article into an editorial workhorse. Here’s how you might want to use that e-newsletter article you wrote:

Use the article as your blog post.
Set-up share buttons to encourage readers to forward (via e-mail, Facebook, etc.) your articles.
Set up your blog with an RSS feed so that it automatically posts to your Facebook page.
If you’re particularly proud of your article, you may want to submit it to article directories.
Send the article to local business publications. They might use it when they need to fill some extra space.
Promote it. Share the article link on your LinkedIn status bar. Don’t forget to check the box, so that it will automatically post to Twitter. Also, encourage your employees to post the link on their Facebook and LinkedIn pages.

Sound like a lot of work? Yes, it may be a little time-consuming at first, but once you set up your processes and allow technology to do the work for you, you should be able to accomplish this communication strategy in a few hours a week.

Amy Hoppenrath is a principal at AccelerAction, the only agency in Kansas City dedicated to fueling successful professional services firms by creating powerful branding messages, developing strategic lead-generation campaigns and driving business development programs. www.AccelerAction.com