Do you have a Content Marketing Strategy?  Maybe you should.  Content Marketing is a way to think about Social Media as a deliberate branding strategy for your business.   Think of it this way: Social Media provides a way for people to easily share information they care about.  Content Marketing is the mirror image  – a way to provide information that people will want to share.   Companies that practice Content Marketing can establish themselves as a trusted information source, and let that reputation spread through the natural process of people sharing and talking.  It’s a great way to approach Social Media involvement through the lens of business goals.

With the skyrocketing popularity of social media, consumers of all types are becoming more and more comfortable consuming and sharing information, opinions, and ideas openly across the Web.  It can be fun and engaging to jump right in – watch videos on YouTube, share pictures and stories on Facebook, voice your opinions on Twitter – and see what the commotion is all about.  There’s nothing wrong with diving in – in fact, it’ll give you a good feel for what people are saying about your business or industry, what topics are popular, what behavior is acceptable, and who are the opinion leaders in the social media realm. But after your initial immersion, you’ll likely soon be asking how you can gain business value from these new tools.  Try this 6-step approach. (more…)