11 Jul 4 Ways to Extend the Lifespan of your Social Media Content
Often times social media content is thought of like speed dating – you make a quick connection, enjoy it while it lasts, and then you move on to the next suiter, only to smile somberly at the memory of that special someone in the weeks to come. Well, I’m here to tell you that Social media content can be much more than one and done – with a few hacks and edits, it can be a relationship you’re ready to commit to.
Unlike most content production, social media content creation can be timely and inexpensive. In order to get the most out of your content, your team will need to think of creative ways to stretch that content to work for your brand in the coming weeks and months. Below are a few creative ways to turn your speed dating into a serious relationship.
Turn your fans into your creators
Social media content is like a seed – with the right attention and execution, something big and beautiful can grow right in your backyard. Expand and grow your content library by engaging your users with a call to action, and then rewarding them by posting their content to your pages. Fans and followers are always eager to share their experience, feedback, and creativity on social media, so it’s time all brands to start taking advantage of that.
Incentivizing is always a bonus, you can do this with free product, discounts, or gift cards, but it isn’t always necessary. For some the reward of being highlighted by a major brand is enough, which makes the cost to your brand next to nothing. Take West Elm for example, who has the hugely popular #MyWestElm hashtag for users to show off their impeccably decorated rooms. They even started using UGC in Facebook Carousel ads, and saw a spike in sales because of it.
Start by brainstorming the high performing content your brand needs more of, then create a campaign with a simple hashtag, and sit back and watch the UGC roll in.
Edit, edit, and then edit more
Videos to GIFs, GIFs to photos, photos to collages, collages to carousels… the list goes on, but you get the idea. The possibilities in the editing room are endless. Don’t let great content slip away by only posting it once. Video production is timely and often expensive, so get every post out of it that you possibly can by turning it into different media.
Stretch
To extend the life of your social media content, get flexible. Stretch your content to as many platforms as the content will allow and make sure to adjust the copy, imagery, and goal of the post accordingly. A link post on Facebook can easily turn into a Twitter post with a couple less characters and a couple more hashtags. An inspirational GIF on Instagram can easily translate to a tip on Pinterest. A simple crop, caption change, or formatting can take little time, but make a big impact.
In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) is your friend
There are billions of pieces of social media content posted on a daily basis. So much content in fact, that most users can’t even absorb it all. Between busy lives and busy feeds, your content is likely being missed by a good percentage of your audience. This may sound like a con, but it’s an easy fix that will extend the life of your social media content.
To learn more about stretching your social media content, content creation, and more, spend a few minutes of your day listening to one of Ignite Social Media’s content experts, Kyle Stuef.
