If you want to your content to get noticed, it needs to be RITE - Relevant, Interesting, Timely and Entertaining. That, according to social media author Mark Schaefer, is how to get found online by Google and, ultimately, by people.
Speaking to Econsultancy recently, he explained how one element in particular is impacting on success. He said: "The entertainment part is becoming more and more important, and more of a challenge, because most businesses aren't sitting around thinking 'How can we be more entertaining today?'."
However, there is a pretty straightforward way to sort the 'entertaining' bit. "If you think about the content that you as a person like to share, there is probably an element of fun to it," said Schaefer. This is one of main things to consider with web content, news articles and content marketing in general – would you like to read it? If the answer is no, then it's unlikely that anyone else will.
Schaefer continued: "What companies need to understand is that behind every social media success story, there is a content strategy, and a network strategy. So, you can't just create content. It has to move. It has to be shared."
He suggests the answer is to "systemically" go out there and find people "who would be excited by your content".
Entertaining is fine for say linkbaiting, but it doesn't really get your content in front of those that matter – ie your potential customers.
Schaefer stressed the importance of being "authentically helpful" as well as entertaining because "people are sick of being advertised to".
He added: "They are sick of being marketed to. So the content can't be salesy. People are attuned to skip right through the ads and identify what is an ad, but they will sit down and spend 30 minutes with a great story.
"They will spend their own time with something that will help them make money or save money for instance."
Timely, Interesting, Relevant and Entertaining – it sounds hard and you may TIRE of it.....but really it's about having a true voice. Make your content authentic, genuine, honest – it doesn't need to ram your message down people's throats all the time. Engage and connect with your audience and the rest will follow.
Speaking to Econsultancy recently, he explained how one element in particular is impacting on success. He said: "The entertainment part is becoming more and more important, and more of a challenge, because most businesses aren't sitting around thinking 'How can we be more entertaining today?'."
However, there is a pretty straightforward way to sort the 'entertaining' bit. "If you think about the content that you as a person like to share, there is probably an element of fun to it," said Schaefer. This is one of main things to consider with web content, news articles and content marketing in general – would you like to read it? If the answer is no, then it's unlikely that anyone else will.
Schaefer continued: "What companies need to understand is that behind every social media success story, there is a content strategy, and a network strategy. So, you can't just create content. It has to move. It has to be shared."
He suggests the answer is to "systemically" go out there and find people "who would be excited by your content".
Entertaining is fine for say linkbaiting, but it doesn't really get your content in front of those that matter – ie your potential customers.
Schaefer stressed the importance of being "authentically helpful" as well as entertaining because "people are sick of being advertised to".
He added: "They are sick of being marketed to. So the content can't be salesy. People are attuned to skip right through the ads and identify what is an ad, but they will sit down and spend 30 minutes with a great story.
"They will spend their own time with something that will help them make money or save money for instance."
Timely, Interesting, Relevant and Entertaining – it sounds hard and you may TIRE of it.....but really it's about having a true voice. Make your content authentic, genuine, honest – it doesn't need to ram your message down people's throats all the time. Engage and connect with your audience and the rest will follow.
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