By now, you’ll know just how passionate we are when it comes to content marketing, and we know you know this … because we’ve never been asked for advice more than we have recently re: folks wanting to know how they can continue to remain visible as a brand throughout COVID-19 [i.e do you reduce your content schedule? Increase it? Pull it all together? And if you are maintaining a similar schedule throughout all of this … what on Earth are you meant to post?].
Let us help you, frands. Not with content marketing tips, perse [we feel like you’re likely across that, or know where to upskill if you’re not], but moreso … how to maintain visibility with your content throughout a content marketing crisis.
And so without further ado, let me [and us] walk you through the x5 things we’d be recommending you consider in order to maintain [and likely very-much-so increase visibility throughout all of this].
Maintain your current content schedule
But can we quickly cover ourselves here by suggesting that you lower the conversion posts a smidge [or even a lot], and focus [like, really focus] on brand awareness? … because when you let go of expectations around conversion having done what it was doing for your brand even 6’ish weeks ago? You can exhale, and believe-you-me … your audience will feel that exhale, and enjoy you for the current brand awareness potential within you RN.
Y’see … we did this same “relax” just a few weeks ago, and hol.ee [?!] … our engagement has increased [on both FB + IG] by more than 50% and that’s literally been off the back of slightly decreasing our promotional content / going “all in” with the content pillars that we know work best for our brand [and with visibility in mind].
She shoots, she scores.
Google ‘empathy canvas map’ online.
Seriously. Download it. Print it out. Whatever. Just have it.
Reason being? You’ll follow its “flow chart”, and it’ll seriously help you understand your audience even more [particularly during this current climate] … and subsequently punch out content that lifts your ability to empathise with your followers / serve them exactly what kinda content they’re craving to see from you RN.
Try it.
[and we seriously wish some of the really tone deaf brands who’ve contributed cringeworthy tone deaf content in this climate could have done the same … buh-lieve me].
Consider your legacy, i.e what do you want to be remembered for?
No matter what happens throughout all of this? … I want TDP to be remembered for the following things: our generosity of spirit [we’ve over-serviced clients throughout this period into significant non-profitability, just so we’re able to retain them], our authenticity + transparency [you’d only need to hop on any of our socials to see that at every-single-touchpoint], and our zilch scarcity complex [did we mention we run a x10 week paid ads bootcamp that literally teaches you to run paid ads activity as well as we do … so long as you implement the learnings].
Knowing these things are the things I [and we] want to be remembered for, I’m ensuring that we’re showcasing all o’ the above in as many places as possible so that – whatever happens – the long lasting impression for people would be that TDP was generous, authentic, transparent, and was always always about community over competition.
Avoid humour.
Or if you do dip into humour [because your brand is one of the brands that can get away with it] throughout all o’ this? … remember that there’s a right way to do it.
For TDP? We can’t get away with humour in this climate, i.e too many of our people have been impacted: partners have lost jobs, solopreneurs have lost entire industries their solopreneur career relied upon, businesses have folded, and the sad stories are … everywhere.
For us to be showing up with an LOL right now? Not something I’m going to do.
And finally? … think contribution, not conversion.
Which brings me back to my first point, really.
How are you going to contribute during this time, as opposed to just focusing on how you’re going to convert during this time.
We’re playing a longer-term game here, which we passionately believe will lead to conversion later on [when the conversions are actually there].
Until then? … we contribute.