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Building Custom Social Content on a

BudgetCaitlin JeansonneSocial Media Director, MMI

Agency

@qcait @mmiagency |

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Caitlin Jeansonne• Cat lady, pop

culture junkie, geek• 10+ years

experience in digital strategy, SEO/SEM, social media

@qcait @mmiagency |

#pubcon

As digital marketers, we create a lot of content

@qcait @mmiagency |

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…A Lot of Content• Blog posts• White papers• Landing pages• Tweets• Facebook Posts• LinkedIn Posts

@qcait @mmiagency |

• Video• Pinterest Pins• Instagram Posts• Ad copy• Testimonials• Case Studies

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For example, always-on social content

@qcait @mmiagency |

#pubcon@qcait @mmiagency |

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Structure = Efficiency

@qcait @mmiagency |

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Let’s Chat• Build your content formula• Create a calendar• …But be flexible• Use channels strategically• Amplify• Measure

@qcait @mmiagency |

#pubcon

Content Strategy Inputs• Goals• Key messages• Audience data• 10%

experimentation

@qcait @mmiagency |

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Define Content Goals

@qcait @mmiagency |

Awareness Consideration

Preference/Purchase Retention

• Increase visibility to key new audiences

• Improve findability through SEO

• Improve brand perception in consideration set

• Reinforce key brand attributes

• Overcome objections

• Educate on service offerings

• Drive website traffic and new consumers into the sales funnel

• Convert leads into customers

• Resolve customer service issues efficiently

• Build brand trust and customer loyalty

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Soapbox: Growing your social media following is not a business

goal.

@qcait @mmiagency |

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Define Key Messages• What impression do you want

your audience to walk away with?• Keep them customer-centric• Be sure they reflect reality• Differentiate your brand from

competitors• Keep it simple• Reevaluate over time

@qcait @mmiagency |

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Add Audience Data Inputs

• What are people searching for?• What questions are they

asking about your brand?• What trends are you seeing

over time?

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And beyond search…

@qcait @mmiagency |

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Facebook Audience Insights

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YouTube Organic Search

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Amazon Products and Reviews

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Social Listening Tools

@qcait @mmiagency |

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Social Listening Questions• What are people saying about your brand to their

friends?• What User Generated Content are people sharing?• Who is influential in the conversation?• How are people interacting with competitors?• What customer service issues are occurring?• What content is getting the most engagement? On what

channels?

@qcait @mmiagency |

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Determine Your Breakdown

@qcait @mmiagency |

• Answer users’ questions• Address hot topics• Differentiate from

competitors• Provide value• Be entertaining

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Content to Think About• Ask for and share User

Generated content• Update existing content• Repurpose content across

channels• Curate third-party content

@qcait @mmiagency |

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Start with a Monthly Calendar, then Dive In

@qcait @mmiagency |

AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB

Back to School

Store opening

Football season

Camping/Hunting/Fishing

Black Friday

Store opening

Holiday shopping

Super Bowl marketing

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Create a Calendar• Keep in mind organizational timelines• Plan for content to support marketing and PR

initiatives• Identify key moments in time (Back to School, New

Year, The Oscars, etc.)• Layer in Evergreen content (based on audience

data)

@qcait @mmiagency |

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Create Evergreen Content Reserves

• Create multiple pieces at once• Publish over time• Tie back to timely moments• This is where you can create

in bulk to save $$

@qcait @mmiagency |

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Channel Strategy• Where does your

audience hang out online?

• Where does your content feel native?

• How will you differentiate content in each channel?

@qcait @mmiagency |

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More tips to speed up the process• Develop content syndication protocol to share

media hits and PR content (Where will you share? When? How often? Who needs to approve?)

• Develop a list of approved third-party content sources to curate content efficiently

@qcait @mmiagency |

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Remember: People Often Share Based on Headline Alone

• Make it valuable or entertaining• Invoke emotion• Reinforce who they are and what they care about• Avoid click bait

@qcait @mmiagency |

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Remember: Visuals Matter

@qcait @mmiagency |

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The More Organic, the Better

>>>

@qcait @mmiagency |

84% increase

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Visuals• Visual should match the “feel” of the

network• Stay away from blue to stand out on

Facebook• Optimize image size by platform• Think mobile-first• Ex: Facebook 20% Rule• Ex: Instagram square images

@qcait @mmiagency |

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Look for Opportunities to Amplify

• Reinforces key messaging• High organic reach• Heavy website traffic• Key cultural moments

@qcait @mmiagency |

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Leave Room for Experimentation

@qcait @mmiagency |

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Measure and Refine

@qcait @mmiagency |

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Recap• Build your formula• Create a calendar• …But be flexible• Channel strategy• Amplify• Measure

@qcait @mmiagency |

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Thank you!

@qcait @mmiagency |