In this article, I am going to give you the elements to mastering good content to use on any platform. These elements can be used for any purpose. So, regardless of the industry you are in, even if it’s a non-profit, they will work.
You should always be marketing. You do not have to be promoting something in order to be marketing. If ever there is time to stay present and relevant, it’s now. This is especially so if what you do typically involves being out in front of people, though can’t be. You’ve heard of “Out of sight – out of mind?” Don’t let that happen to you! “Five To Keep Your Brand Alive” is something so easy (and necessary) to do, even in the best of times. Because this is key to how I built a following of over one million people around my lifestyle brand, Drum Talk TV, I can tell you they work. And, this is also how I reach millions more each month 100% organically without “boosting posts” or even running ads.
Regardless of your business or industry, this works, from music to real-estate, from dentistry to car and truck sales, from coaching and consulting to [fill in the blank with what you do], this works. I didn’t make these steps up, but I will tell you how I applied them to make them work for me and my brand, and I have been teaching this to clients all over the world for seven years.
Here’s the true, authentic, efficiently productive purpose to post:
Anytime you let these elements slip and lose momentum, you are practically starting from scratch to get the gains back. As you read these, keep in mind that everything you post should include at least two of these elements. All of them are OK as well!
1. Stay Present
Post Frequently
You must regularly and frequently post content. Otherwise, “Out of sight – out of mind.” It’s like stepping out of line and someone taking your place. Whatever your social platforms are and in whatever preference, use them, and use them frequently. And don’t worry about wearing people out. Thanks to the algorithms in place, there’s no way for all your followers to see everything you post. If you are wearing them out with what they are seeing, your content might need some work.
This isn’t something to do “when you have the time,” this is something you must make time to do. Here’s a quick side note on time for those who think they don’t have the time:
When I started Drum talk TV, I knew no matter how good the content was, none of it mattered if there wasn’t an audience, let alone an avid audience in love with what we do.
Content Doesn’t Matter Without an Audience
No matter how big the stars were who I interviewed or how spectacular the videos were, none of it mattered without the audience. The same goes for how educational and entertaining the content was, none of it mattered without the audience. I spent 70% of my daily waking hours, which was 18 hours on average, on marketing. Within the first seven weeks of the brand, we had 47,000 followers and were reaching about a million people a week. Here’s the old-fashioned Facebook report from that seventh week:
While there were major algorithmic changes that came into play over the years that made reach and engagement harder organically, I still never boosted a post and achieved a million fans and a reach of a two to three million a week and acquire 2,000+ followers each week. Again, all 100% organically, all from everything I teach.
Anyhow, I am one of you. I understand what it means to be busy with two full-time companies, helping my wife with her business, a combined eleven kids and nineteen grandkids and a cat. Yes, I get busy and don’t really want to hear anyone is too busy to be effective.
Back to FIVE TO KEEP YOUR BRAND ALIVE!
2. Stay Relevant
Remember, the content you post is for them, not yourself. It should serve both of you, serving them first. While most businesses have more than one target market and persona in each, it is import to:
Your Content is for Them
A. Drill down your target market(s) and identify as many personas as possible. This will help you come up with even more content, as well as help you re-propose your content with a different voice for different persona. You likely would not expect the same piece of content worded for a 70-year-old man to resonate with a 24-ear-old woman, and so on. Speak to them. Though you do not have to have a separate piece of content for every persona for everything you post.
B. Don’t worry about each piece of content appeasing, each different persona who makes up your audience/target market. There will likely be something for everyone to benefit from, even if it isn’t speaking directly to them. And remember: Me being married with 11 kids and 19 grandkids, I can tell you I have learned you cannot make everyone happy – LOL!
3. Be Helpful
Be of Value
Don’t just post to talk at your audience. Many do this unintentionally, though some think this is what posting on blogs or on social is supposed to be. Offer value. Give solid advice. Share your wisdom. Be inspirational. Light a fire under someone’s bum. It’s these things that truly create a following because it shows you have something I can relate to and use. Provide valuable takeaways and they will always come back for more and tell others!
Give it Away
When I first heard this concept ten and a half years ago, I was making videos for the charter yacht industry and the 2009 Sydney to Hobart. A friend of mine was trying to convince me to blog about how to make videos. I said, “I get hired to make videos, and you want me to teach others how to do what I do?” Yes. That’s basically what he said. But then he went on to explain that I should show them how to do what they could do, and then what I offered at a much more pro-level for those who wanted that.
I had an “Ah-HA!” moment. I did it and watched the magic as I built a following. When others saw this following, it gave me more credibility and people paid attention. A few weeks in Australia turned into six months of work there.
I hope you are having the epiphany I had then. Awesome effective marketing is different from advertising and promoting. Share your wealth. It will always more than make up for the giveaway and everyone benefits. That’s what it’s all about.
4. Be Inclusive
LET THEM IN!
This concept was the most pivotal point in Drum Talk TV. It has also been extremely successful with clients in speaking, coaching, consulting, real estate, dentistry, automotive dealerships, financial planning and many more. This is all about letting your followers be part of the experience you are providing. This is exactly what it should be, not just a constant hock-fest of what you are offering. In my “SMOS: Mastery” course I go very in-depth regarding this element. SMOS is my Social Media On Steroids line of workshops, courses and more.
It’s the Game-Changer!
This element of being inclusive is my favorite of the five. It is a huge part of what not only skyrocketed Drum Talk TV past all our industry peers in numbers. It also set us apart from what any of them were doing. There are many ways to be inclusive with any post, even if it’s in the category of promoting something you offer. One way we have had huge success with this is by curating videos from our fans around the world. In the course, I share a HUGE “Ah-HA!” moment I had, and it changed everything for us in the first year of the brand!
How it Works
Even though you may not work within a space that allows for such curation, there are always many ways to get your audience involved. Some ways include:
Asking your audience their favorite [whatever the topic of the post is about].
Getting your audience to talk about their first experience was with [whatever the topic of the post is about].
You Need Real Engagement
Likes and emoji’s are not real engagement. Comments and questions and a two-way conversation are engagement, as is sharing of your content to like-minded people. Inspiring your audience to comment regarding anything about an experience they may have had with whatever the topic of the post is about. This could include where it happened, how far did they go for it, the most surprising thing about the experience … There are literally about 24 or more questions you can ask about anything you post to get your audience engaged and to participate.
This process humanizes the experience. You learn from them (helpful for product/.service, sales, and marketing development) and you create trust and brand love. For almost anything out there, trust and brand love needs to be achieved before a purchase happens, let alone signing up for an email list. If you include them you engage them.
5. Position Yourself As An Expert
The Huge Opportunity
This is often missed by many people with their content for the simple reason that people don’t use any of the above four elements. Positioning yourself as an expert is not achieved by spouting on and on about what you know, promoting what you have endlessly or by bragging about your certifications. It’s also counter-productive to say how great YOU say a training went with someone when YOU were the trainer … and so on. And by the way, never compliment yourself. Leave that to others to say how great you are or what you do is. If it’s worthy, they will put it out there.
How it Works
One simple way to position yourself as an expert to curate content from other known experts. The higher profile the better, who have quotes, videos, or other assets you post to validate what you are telling people. Example:
If you are a life coach or business coach, use something of Tony Robbins’ that echoes what you are saying is a helpful thing to do, and/or that validates something you have said in what you offer.
Many people understand that “positioning” is a no-brainer as to why one should post content. Though as I mentioned, many are going about it in a completely defeating way by either constantly promoting what they do as the majority of their content. Or they do this by going on and on about their own accomplishments. Use testimonial videos of other people praising you/your company’s work.
Success in Strange Times
Positioning yourself as an expert is more important than ever nowadays because there is so many others who do what you do, or at least claim to. You have to not only position yourself but make sure you stand out with a differentiator that truly brings value.
More than ever, people need and want value So remember:
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