Content, Social and Digital: The Holy Triumvirate

The age of traditional marketing is well and truly over. And while newspaper ads, billboards, TV spots and word-of-mouth still have their place in overall marketing strategies, the future for successful businesses is online.

So how do you go about combining the forces of the ‘Big 3’: content, social and digital?

The problem with working in silos

An unfortunate side effect of old-school work processes is that many businesses still operate in silos. While it might seem productive to silo certain departments, it actually generates new risks. Consider issues such as the:

• Duplicating work or doubling-up on tasks.
• Not communicating, therefore creating roadblocks between the business and its customers.
• Overlooking essential tasks or strategies, therefore costing the business both time and money.

An established business that has always worked in silos will be challenging to overcome, but not impossible. Luckily, small businesses have fewer staff and are more capable of pivoting their strategies quickly.

Do you recognise any of these signs of the ‘silo effect’? If so, the best time to make a change is right now.

Combining the forces of content, social and digital

In its earliest incarnations, content marketing meant simply that. It was all about marketing through content. But as the sector has evolved, it’s come to encompass a great number of pillars – all designed to engage audiences.

Building a comprehensive content marketing strategy should be complex. This is what will set you apart from the rest. Don’t get bogged down in simplifications about what content is. Rather, you need to combine the forces of three key outlets:

• Content: Not just blogs and articles but interviews, white papers, eBooks, Q&As, quizzes, e-newsletters and more.
• Social: This means tailoring your business’s social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc.) for a streamlined, consistent user experience. And don’t be afraid to combine elements from the content and digital pillars to deliver a unique social post.
• Digital: Technically content and social are both part of ‘digital’. But think about other digital channels you can harness – video, online masterclasses, SEO, pay-per-click advertising… The wisest marketers keep their finger on the pulse of up-and-coming digital strategies.

These companies are aligning their strategies right

Whether you’re a small business owner or running a medium to large company, there’s plenty you can learn from Fortune 500 companies.

King Kong put together a create write-up on how some of the biggest brands do it right:

• Coca-Cola is the leading soft drink company around the world for one key reason: their brand is instantly recognisable. Having kept their logo and branding consistent for well over a century, the product basically sells itself. Oh, and their $4.3 billion annual marketing spend doesn’t hurt.

• In many industries, trust is the deciding factor for customers. Colgate has based its entire marketing model on it by promoting themselves as a ‘trusted’ dental care product. Could building consumer trust put your business ahead of the competition?

• Last but not least, some consumers want to feel connected to brands. Nike does that by telling stories. They don’t just sell shoes. They paint pictures, they champion social change, they embrace positive initiatives. And they even promote their products with intriguing people who have their own intriguing – and sometimes highly controversial– stories

Need help figuring out how to align your content, social and digital strategies? At Brandalism we’re experts in all things marketing. Get in touch todayto find out how we can work together to boost your business.

You can also read more about marketing, content, social and more at The Beat.