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"I know I need to be using social media more but there are just not enough hours in my day."~ Jen, owner of a small residential care home.
If you are constantly struggling to come up with new content, you are not alone! Creating content is hard work. Besides that, it takes a lot of time.
You need to be in a creative mood and you have to be willing to spend the time it takes to create good quality content. After all, it's not just about churning out stuff to post.
How Many Hats Do You Wear?
If you own a small business you probably wear a lot of hats. If you are able to hire a marketing person kudos to you! But that marketing person must be able to utilize their time effectively. The truth is, there are only 24 hours in a day. You need to make every hour count.
The stuff you post must be useful and have meaning to your audience. After all you want to engage them and you want them coming back for more, right?
The truth is if you are passionate about your business you have a lot of great content. And the key is to get that content out to your target audience. Social Media is a wonderful platform to educate, inspire and motivate your audience.
Create Content With Blogging- Then Re-Purpose
Blogging is a great way to create content to share that speaks to your audience. Do you have an extra 2 to 4 hours to write blogs weekly so you have content for your social media pages?
A well written blog ( 1000 + word) will take most writers between 2 to 4 hours. There is research that needs to be done and SEO to consider. Also, it is important to add the right pictures. After all humans are visual. The right picture will draw them into the ideas you want to get across.
Strapped For Time?
#1- Take snippets of information from your blog.
The idea is to tease the audience. Pair these with one of the great pictures in your blog or use a word bubble to get the idea across.
One 1000+ word blog should be able to generate 9 to 12 different posts. Spread these out over the course of a year.
To make it even easier, use a service like Missinglettr. They will create posts which you will approve before they are sent out and then schedule 9 posts to be delivered over a 12 month period. The cost in my opinion far outweighs the time you will save on this task. I use this service and love it so much I have become an affiliate. :-)
Different people will respond to different ideas you present in your blog. That's why this idea is a win /win. You will attract more people. You will also be able to see which posts perform better. This will help you understand your prospects needs.
2. Host a Live Video
If you have often wondered what you will talk about on a live video this idea will work. Use the ideas in that great blog post you just wrote. You could have a topic of the week or month. Some people will want to read your content while others would prefer to listen.
If the idea of going live frightens the daylights out of you it's okay. You can also pre-record the video.
Don't like being on camera at all. No worries. There are lots of programs that allow you to create whiteboard videos, or storyboards. They are simple to use and some even offer free versions so you can try them out.
Video is hugely popular. So you will want to use videos in your online marketing in one way or another.
3. Create an E-Book
Use several of your old blog posts and create an e-book. It is easier than you might think. There is a program that can help you put it together in a snap! Designerr allows to to drag a drop your old blog posts into the prefect format for an e-book. You will even be able to design a professional cover for your book.
You could also do interview blog posts. Just ask industry professionals to answer a question pertinent to your audience. This is a great way to create blogs. All you have to do is to come up with the questions and then get others to help you write the blog. :-)
Most people will be honored that you choose to interview them and will be happy to help. Let them know you will quote them in the article and offer a link back to their website. Besides having some great and unique blogs you can also use these to create another E-book. Take a couple of the blogs and create an Expert Advice E-Book. You will be a hit with your colleagues and referral partners.
4. Graphic Posts
Take the 5 Tips to...... blog you wrote and create a custom post with each step. Simply use great picture and a small amount of text to get your idea across. Post one per week to each of your channels. Then later take all five and create a small slide show on Facebook.
Programs like PicMonkey and Canva can help you create professional looking posts even if you are not a graphic designer.I use both of these programs and could not imagine my life without them.
5. Create an Infographic
Take the statistics and other content in your blog post to create an engaging infographic. This is especially popular on Pinterest and Instagram.
Kathryn Watson is a Social Media Strategist. Her focus is on Content Creation, Facebook and LinkedIn Strategy, Training and Coaching.
Schedule a complimentary 30 minute consultation with Kathryn to see how she can help your business.