Content Marketing Strategies for Social Media: Trends vs. Hype

These days, it’s tough to talk about content marketing without talking about social media. As the Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs

2013 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends research shows, marketers are relying heavily on social media to distribute their content, and there are increases year-over-year. However, is this a good thing? And are marketers doing this correctly?

Continuing the B2B research roundtable conversation from Content Marketing World, CMI consultants Carla Johnson, Michael Weiss, Ardath Albee, and Jay Baer talk about the biggest challenges with social media and content marketing strategies. Thanks to Steve Rotter, VP of Digital Marketing at Brightcove, for moderating the conversation.

As the consultants mentioned, there are two big challenges with social media and content marketing strategies.

1. Marketers are using channels because they can, not because they make sense

I’m finding that the majority of clients are focusing on where; that’s all they care about. They want to know where they need to be; and I say, ‘STOP! We don’t know where you should be. Let’s figure out who, and what. Who do we want to talk to, and what do we want to say? Once we figure that out, then we know where they are.’ So maybe it will work, B2B for Facebook, or maybe it won’t; I think the increase of Facebook is just because it’s easy.” – Michael Weiss

So how do you know which channels make sense for you? The conversation reveals a few ideas:

1. Study companies who are executing content marketing well. Coca-Cola is a great place to start, and you can also check out 100 more content marketing examples.

2. Start with your buyer personas. Really understand who is using your content and how they want to get info from you.

2. Not all channels require the same kind of content

I look at how many B2B clients that I see who automatically drive their Twitter posts to Facebook, and it’s harsh when you see it in the wrong format.” – Carla Johnson

You want your content in the right format for the social network you are using. CMI’s eBook 58 Social Media Tips for Content Marketing provides suggestions and examples for all of the social channels included in our content marketing research. Check it out!

Want to learn more from our CMI consultants? See the rest of the B2B research roundtable series or meet many of them at Content Marketing World.