Growth of User Generated Content
In this social media age, users are more involved than ever. Getting users to generate content for you is as good as a powerful version of word of mouth. Conversation is a circle. You talk with them, they use that content and they talk with someone else. This is even more so on a social media platform. You are not the only one crafting content on your brand. Social media platforms are the perfect place to have digital conversations and if they are good enough, with a simple click your users can share them with their own network.
Social media has given users a platform to speak out and be heard by their followers. They are crafting their own content, recommending and warning their followers against brands.
Content is Currency
You put up content and grab your audience’s attention. It is a trade for your content and their attention. Your content has to give them a reason to give their attention. If it is a good trade off, chances are that your content will be shared and the trade will go on, increasing the value of your content. Your content can be shared in agreement or disagreement. So your content as a currency can have a negative or positive effect, depending on how you craft it.
‘No Comment’
No comment is the last thing you want to see on your social media or blog post. This shows that your content is not generating a conversation. It is not involving your audience in the brand. Your content is just plainly stating something, not generating curiosity, debate or enticing a user into commenting.
‘No comment’ also means that your users have rejected your content. In the digital medium, this is quite possible because it gives a user that power.
Content as a Storyteller
Call it what you want – marketing, PR, advertising, etc, – branding is storytelling! It is where you tell your audience who you are and there is not better storyteller than content. Tell the stories of your customers, your employees and yourself. Your tag line should tell a story. Tell stories using your product or service.
People love stories and the best way to get their attention and to help them understand your brand is through stories. With social media, you can use content and storytelling in an interactive and conversational manner. The marketing and branding world has always been changing quickly. If you don’t start focusing on content, you are going to take a big chance on your brand.