Have you been dragging your feet about updating your organizational blog? Does your Twitter account now display virtual tumbleweed bouncing across the screen? Is your idea of having a social media presence keeping your MySpace account wallpaper current?
If so, you need to rededicate (or just dedicate) yourself to creating content, and doing so thoughtfully and regularly, for the reasons we discuss below.
(Special note 1: Twitter, please incorporate virtual tumbleweed to inactive accounts – it’s fun and serves as an incentive for users to stay current!)
(Special note 2: If you or anyone you know is afflicted with a MySpace account, please go to socialmediavictims.org and support the cause)
(Special note 3: We wish that were a real site.)
Anyhow, content creation serves many worthy goals:
First, content creation helps with SEO. Rising to the top of a few organic searches can be very, very valuable. For any given keyword search, over 30% of the traffic goes to the top result. By the time you get pushed to the second page of results, only about 1% of traffic is clicking your link. While your first priority will always be to generate content that is useful to your readers, it’s helpful to pay attention to SEO. Do a bit of keyword research, figure out what keywords make sense to target, and see if there is any overlap between SEO and content your readers would enjoy. If there is, and you are able to kill two birds with one stone, you’ll have a no-cost-added unique advertising channel that really can’t be beaten.
Second, content creation helps with social media visibility. Make it convenient for someone to link to your content via social media, and you’ve removed the main barrier to sharing. Make your content engaging, with photos, infographics, and other sparkly, shiny objects, and you’ve opened up the possibility of a little virality. And on the Internet (unlike on the subway), virality is a good thing.
Third, content creation helps with buzz. It’s important to get people talking about your organization, but you can’t expect them to do it just because they feel the good vibes emanating from your HQ, or because they heard about you on the wind. You need to create something concrete that they can interact with.
No clue where to start with content creation? Highlight a personal story of a supporter or beneficiary, as in this hilarious post about three dudes climbing mountains in dresses for a good cause.
See? Their content creation worked!
title photo from Denise Rolands
