Whatever goods or services you’re offering, your marketing focus is likely on social media, as it should be.
Just don’t let it be at the expense of long-form content for your website, blog, and newsletter. Those are still just as vital and, in some ways, more important than ever.
We’re doing a good job keeping up with social media – are we forgetting something?
Spending on Social Continues to Climb
According to a survey last year by Hootsuite and We Are Social, the average business allocates around 24% of its marketing budget to social media, with most of the companies surveyed spending between 11% and 50% of their total marketing budget on social media marketing. And that is going to grow – Digital Marketing Institute has said that over $90B was spent on social last year, and by 2026, that number will grow to over $120B.
I’ve helped small- and medium-sized companies with their social media strategies (and some big ones, too), and while it can be frustrating and fraught with dead-ends and lackluster results, it’s a game that must be played. And to do it effectively with results, you must respect that the rules are changing all the time. But that is actually the exciting aspect for the marketer – constantly reinventing a brand’s message sure keeps you young.
Is this your website?
A “Weedy” Website
As I traverse across the digital landscape, I’m increasingly noticing some neglect on the home front – as in the home page. I’m seeing websites increasingly looking “weedy” – neglected, stale copy, new product or services not being updated. Nothing shakes confidence in your brand like clicking on the “Blog” page and seeing the last entry being two, three, or more years old (one webpage I was shopping as a consumer was last updated nearly 10 years ago). Another company I’m following had an offer to receive their newsletter. I clicked on and signed up but received no acknowledgment – and no newsletter.
With social media, you’re fishing; with your website, you are speaking to a fish that has come to you, and they are interested in biting. They found you by searching for keywords associated with your brand, or better yet, a direct recommendation. So it’s urgent that the website is worthy of you. It is your storefront.
And of course, having fresh content on your website every month raises your SEO, so it’s important to keep a stream of new content happening monthly.
Long-form content should be part of the strategy.
Have a Reliable Content Supplier
I’ve provided a lot of website content for companies and organizations, and when they talk blogs and newsletters, I ask them directly: Who is writing those? If they say someone on staff or they personally plan to write it, it’s a red flag. The thing about writing is, well, it’s something we all do. It seems easy and it’s “free” when done in-house.
But I have seen repeatedly that it’s the first thing to fall off a to-do list. So if you can have a dedicated person on the payroll whose obligation is to supply that at on a monthly basis, great. Oh, and about being “free” – it actually costs time, so that must be budgeted. And honestly, even then, it’s something that can fall completely to the wayside.
An outside writer is the surest way of getting a steady stream of professional, appropriate, engaging content to keep your message fresh, constant, and effective.
Ghost in the Machine
And that writer should be a “ghost writer.” I almost always recommend writing it in the owner’s or a senior executive’s voice, rather than a bland “royal we” approach. Because we are in this highly competitive world, in addition to having superior products and services, it’s still important for people to feel good about and want to do business with you – and I mean you specifically, on a personal level. A simple effective way to get there is to have a writer who understands writing in a specific voice, and to do short interviews on a topic for the monthly blog. That’s what I typically do, and if the client is too busy, I’m still able to pick a topic and write in that voice without input.
Fresh content drives SEO.
All the News That’s Fit to Print
One might have thought the newsletter would have gone completely away by now – and honestly, not every organization needs one. But for many, that monthly communication that informs the current and prospective clients of what is happening in their world is valued. Even if it’s not always opened, just the headline of the subject head can keep you on the front of their mind.
These have gotten shorter and for good reason. Just two or three stories at two or three paragraphs each (or less), with a link to more information, is all that is required. Images are key.
Go Big or Go Home
I do tell clients that if they don’t have a solid plan, and the resources and commitment to keeping their website fresh with new content, then don’t try writing blogs or newsletters. Clicking on a blog that hasn’t had a new post in years does way more damage to your image than not having one at all. And in many cases, that can be okay – if at least the webpage is kept up to date and revamped every few years.
So while pursuing a vital social media marketing campaign, just don’t forget to mind the website store.
Is your story being told?
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