We all know that content be it branded or user-generated is what fuels social channels. Without comments, shares, and retweets, a great social platform is like a slick porsche with flat tires. Content is now the asset of any business, it's how you make people talk about your brand and how search engines will reflect those sentiments.
I recently had an interesting conversation with PayrollHero's Stephen Jagger, I asked him if there's a person managing their social media pages and if they have a content plan.
His answer? "How do you know we don't have a content plan?"
My answer: "Because you're treating Facebook like Twitter."
Here are 4 aspects of Facebook content planning:
1.) Share Branded Content
If you know your business then you know your customers. So how do you entice more people and turn them into instant fans? While you have your own Facebook page and the URL, it doesn't mean that you own the wall or you have to talk about yourself and your products.
People like your page because they love your brand and feel that they can share every content you feed them. One of the best examples of shareable branded content is McDonald's motivational posters. Fans can easily relate to these posters and will be able to share on their network.
2.) Leverage on Emotions
People become fans because of a reason - brand love. Fans aren't liking a brand's fan page just for the sake of receiving updates. If such is the case then something is missing from that fan page, and that my friends is called user engagement. Effective user engagement is how you make your brand or company connect with fans on a personal level.
Remember that your fans own your brand and they own your fan page wall. People don't want to talk to a salesman, they want to have a real conversation. Your content plan shouldn't be all about advertising, it should be about promoting meaningful conversations. User-generated content is what fuels fan pages.
3.) Passionate Storytelling
Facebook paved the way for brands to think like publishers and shun the idea of hardselling. As the Timeline format rolled out early this year, it enabled brands to include company milestones and product highlights to share their history to their fans. The great thing about some brands like Coca-Cola and Starbucks is that they make their fans feel that they're part of their brand history. Coca-Cola has even released a video called "Content 2020" that promotes content excellence through brand storytelling.
4.) Think Mobile
Want to engage with potential customers on mobile? Stick to the old reliable, while you have a great mobile landing page it's a must that your social media thumbnails appear on the mobile page as well. With this in mind, it will create a seamless mobile experience for visitors and before you know it your mobile strategy just turned a mere visitor into a customer. Always keep in mind that your mobile presence is a crucial tool to entice a user to purchase your product. How does mobile tie into a Facebook content plan? People are accessing the Web using their mobile gadgets. If your fan page is good enough then better check how you can improve your mobile landing page.