If you’ve spent any amount of time reading about social media marketing, you’ve probably come across the phrase “content is king.” While we fully agree with that statement, it’s important to understand that there is a big caveat. Far too many businesses are under the assumption that if they create a great piece of content and then put it out into the world, it will perform great. The reason things simply don’t work that way is because there are so many businesses and other channels competing for people’s attention when they’re online. Since there’s a lot of noise on the Internet, content that isn’t promoted will end up drowning. So if you’re investing time in creating awesome content, it’s important to put the right promotional efforts behind it as well. Because we’ve talked to plenty of businesses that understand the importance of promoting their content but aren’t sure how to do so in an effective way, we’ve put together a handful of the most helpful tips to put you on the right track:

Know What You’re Trying to Accomplish

Before you start putting a lot of resources into content promotion, it’s important to have a clear understanding of what you’re trying to accomplish. For many businesses, the goal of their content creation and promotion process is to generate leads. Specifically, they want to grow their email list. Whether this is your goal or there’s something else you want to accomplish with the help of content, clarifying that goal upfront will create a clearer path for everything else you do.

Figure Out Where Your Audience is Most Active

Social media has become a very broad term. When people hear this phrase, Facebook is often the first site that comes to mind. While just about every business can benefit from having an active presence on Facebook, it’s not the only place where your target audience hangs out online. In order to promote your content to the fullest, you need to know all the places where your target audience is going online. By identifying the social media sites of all sizes where they’re spending time, you’ll be in a position to create the momentum your content needs.

Measure and Adjust

Viral content often seems to come out of nowhere. But if you dig a little deeper, it’s often the result of a business figuring out exactly what they need to do for their content to take off. That’s why trial and error is such an important part of content marketing. By consistently publishing & promoting and then looking at what’s working best, you’ll be able to optimize your process through ongoing refinements.

If you’re committed to making the most of your content by properly promoting it, contact us to learn more about how we can use our professional social media management expertise to assist you.