A good content strategy relies on the regular creation and distribution of social media posts, blogs, whitepapers, graphics, ebooks, landing pages, etc. This sounds like a lot of work – and it can be without a dedicated team – but it’s an important aspect for any business with a digital marketing strategy, especially now that traditional marketing techniques are waning and even becoming obsolete.

However, according to a study by Altimeter, more than 70% of marketers still lack a consistent or integrated content strategy. Why? Because, despite what some may think, creating valuable, consistent content isn’t an easy task. There is a lot that goes into any one piece of content, from text to original images. Now that video is dominating the social-sphere, even more resources, time, and effort must be funneled into content creation.

So, what’s a marketer to do? Or, even more relevant, what’s a business owner that has a marketing team, whether it’s in-house or through an agency, to do?

Snap it / Record it

Social media is a visual platform, so pictures and video are key! You don’t have to dump large portions of your budget into professional photography (though no one is going to tell you not to do that). Today’s smartphone cameras are better than ever, so all you or literally anyone at your office has to do is pick up their phone and snap some pictures and record some video.

Check out these photography tips to a perfect picture every time!

Once that’s done, send it off to your designated marketer (along with some context), and your job is done. Your marketer will take it from there, turning it into social media posts, adding it into blogs, or putting it on your website. The opportunities for using original content are endless as long as new content is being generated.

Encourage User-Generated Content

User-Generated Content is any form of content created by users of a system or service and made available publicly. Yes, that means having your current customers do the heavy lifting for you!

As Hubspot lists, there are plenty of advantages to using user-generated content (referred to here as UGC).

  • UGC helps brands understand their target audience better.
  • UGC increases customer satisfaction through conversations.
  • UGC provides means for other users to connect, which then, builds a stronger community.
  • UGC improves the brand’s search engine ranking and online visibility.
  • UGC is inherently peer-reviewed, making it more trustworthy.

Social media is already the perfect channel for users to share content with you. Leaving a review is one form of content that is already widely encouraged. You can use those reviews on other platforms! Create a graphic with the text, add the review to a slider on your website, or include it in your next product booklet.

Warning: Trolls Ahead

Yes, user-generated content is cost effective and you can get a lot of miles out of the what your fans and customers post. But, there’s always the risk of trolls. Internet trolls are not the same as an honestly dissatisfied customer. If you reach out to a customer that posted about their bad experience and actively work to fix the problem, chances are you haven’t lost their business, and they’ll return with a post about how you helped them.

Internet trolls, however, are negative for the sake of negativity. They’ll post numerous times about a “bad experience” but never let you try to fix the problem. Sometimes, they’re not even real customers. There’s just not much you can do about them, but as long as an experienced manager is monitoring the comments and posts, the authenticity of your brand should be fine.

Ask for it

There are many ways you can ask your fans and customers to engage your page with their own content.

  • Use social media posts to ask for reviews, pictures, and videos.
  • If you have a storefront, include a sign by the till with your social media handles.
  • Encourage website visitors to share to your page by including links to your social media on various pages.
  • Incentivize users to share through contests and giveaways.

Creating communities through social media is a powerful tool that can be used to generate new, organic, and customer-oriented content. But before you ask your fans and customers to contribute, remember that the quickest, easiest way to create shareable content is probably in the palm of your hand right now.