Should you plan a photo-worthy moment or let it ‘just come to you’? The short answer is that both can be extremely beneficial to your business when done correctly. That means utilizing all of the tools each platform has to offer. For example, Instagram has the Stories feature which is fantastic for “let it come to you” moments. You can learn more about how to utilize Instagram Stories here and here! However, your Instagram, LinkedIn and/or Facebook feed is a different story. Here is where I would argue that planning out your content is the best way to go!
Have you heard the quote, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” by Benjamin Franklin? When you aren’t planning for success you are more than likely going to fail. In order for you to achieve any goals you have set for yourself or your business; it isn’t going to be done without thoughtful planning and execution. Planning your content will help you out in many ways but there are three major benefits that I wanted to point out!
· Efficiency
No matter who you are or what industry you work in, you are probably wearing multiple hats: writer, editor, director, etc. When you have so many responsibilities, it can be challenging to remember to keep social media a top priority. When you don’t have a plan for your social media, you end up sitting there wasting time trying to think of what to post, and then you have to think of content, hashtags, descriptions, engagement… the list goes on and on. This is ineffective and stressful. Without a strategy, you’re more likely to engage in non-productive behavior and let things fall through the cracks. With planned content you cut all of this out, allowing you to be more efficient with your time.
· Consistency
If you haven’t heard that consistency is EVERYTHING when it comes to social media, you have been living under a rock! You need to be consistent in order to stay relevant. If you aren’t doing it, then your competitors are, which is bad for you. The only way to be 100% consistent is to plan out your content ahead of time so you can maintain all of your social profiles and make sure that everything you are delivering is high-quality. When you are crunched for time, it also makes it easy to stray away from brand guidelines and try and get something out there even if it isn’t the best representation of your business.
· Impact
There is a lot of noise on social media, and when your content isn’t impactful, you are simply adding to the noise. This leaves your audience feeling uninspired and detached from your brand or business. You want to use the images, videos, or other forms of content to draw their attention and leave a lasting impact on them. In order to do this, you have to give your audience something that either benefits them or solves a problem they have. This shows your authority on the topics and keeps them coming back for more. A great way to be impactful is to focus on being a great storyteller through your pictures. Good stories allow for great connections, but that can be very challenging when you are always throwing up content at the last minute.
Good content is key to becoming more visible in your industry. And good content comes from planning and placing more focus on the content you are putting out. At Marketing TEA, our approach to your marketing is always a custom blend of the most effective strategies that all revolve around creating strong, engaging, informative, and intriguing content for your target clientele. While this may provide an overview, you should have a chat with us to find out how we could help you plan a photo-worthy moment that wows your audience and delivers on your marketing goals.