Writing content (or having content written for you) is critical to the success of your business. However, what you do with the content once it exists is, in some ways, is even more critical than actually writing it. If you just write the content and then you don’t do anything with it, what good is it going to do you and your business?

The importance of content syndication

Assuming that you are connected to the appropriate social media channels, it is important that you use those channels in the most effective ways possible for your particular business. That means that each social media channel has members who are appropriate for you and that you thus have the opportunity to interact with those people so that you can educate them on your brand and your offerings.

One important thing that you need to realize is that it will take time and effort to successfully get your content to the right people. Once you have accomplished that, you will need to continue to engage those people going forward. It will take a lot of commitment on your part.

However, if you set aside a certain amount of time each week (or, each day, if that is comfortable for you), you will be fine. Just like anything else, if you incorporate your social media work into your schedule (and into your strategy), it will become second nature more quickly than you might imagine. There is a definite approach that you can take to make your content syndication a raging success.

• Give them a headline that they can’t refuse: The fact is that your headline is the first thing that your target audience sees. No pressure but that means that you better make that headline really good. You have three seconds in which to capture the attention of your reader. Everyone understands that three seconds is not a lot of time. Your headline should have strong keywords or key phrases but you need to be cognizant of the fact that “stuffing” the headline with too many keywords or key phrases is not a good thing. You need to find the right balance. Another important aspect of your headline is that it needs to connect with your reader on an emotional/human level. If you can’t touch the other person on that level, they will not be able to relate to what you are saying and they will leave you right there. It is important to keep in mind that the perfect headline is not always so easy to come up with. It will take work and you may have to revise your headline several times before you consider it worthy of posting.
• Customize your search engine optimization for each social media channel: This may seem like an awful lot of work to you; however, it will produce results that are well worth the effort. The fact is that all social media channels are different. If they were all the same, there would be no point in being a part of more than one of them. It is their uniqueness that helps you to succeed. You have a responsibility to shine your content in the best possible light and that means that you need to consider each social network carefully in order to come up with the best way to present your material. Not only is each social media channel different but each one has a different set of guidelines that you must follow. Those guidelines will help you to figure out how to customize your content accordingly. Nothing that you do with your content syndication should be by chance. Every move that you make should be calculated and intentional. You are in control of your content and you are the one who makes the decisions about where to share that content.
• Mix your content up appropriately: There is nothing more excruciating than reading the same content over and over again (even if you use slightly different words each time). You need to keep your content fresh and exciting. You need to make sure that you hold the interest of your readers at all times. Just like your content, your relationship with your target audience members must also evolve over time. It would not do either of you any good to stay in the same place (emotionally, mentally, etc). You must continue to develop your relationship so that it continues to benefit both of your now and in the future. You will want to try to come up with fresh ways to present your content so that it continues to be compelling.
• Don’t overwhelm your readers with status updates: Updates are essential to your success; however, you don’t want to post too many all at once. You want to space them out although you also need to make sure that if they are time-sensitive, you don’t lose the opportunity to capture the timeliness at the same time. People tend to get annoyed by too many status updates at once. It is a really good idea to allow them to absorb the information from one or two before introducing new ones. Another thing that you should definitely shoot for is to make sure that your updates have substance to them. If you provide status updates that are meaningful and you post them on a regular basis, your readers will look forward to seeing your posts. That is exactly how you build a loyal following with other people online. People love consistency as much as they love good quality. There is absolutely no reason why you can’t give them both at once.
• Make sure that your call-to-action (CTA) is effective: Your call to action should ask your readers for specific things (that could be any number of requests, such as signing up for a newsletter, white paper, etc). Most people are more than willing to do whatever you are asking for, as long as it isn’t outrageous. Your CTA is the one way that your reader has to reach you. It provides the opportunity for the two of you to begin to establish your relationship together. It brings you to the next level together. If you want the other person to do something, just ask. Don’t be afraid that the other person will not be willing. In most cases, he or she will be.
• Avoid the hard sell: The bottom line is that you (just like all other people in business) are trying to sell something. However, when it comes to content, your immediate purpose is to educate, inform, and entice the other person. Nobody likes to be knocked over the head with a sales job (at least, not initially). First, you need to build your relationship together. Once the trust, credibility, etc., has come into existence, you can sell your offerings. You need to establish the emotional connection and your story needs to resonate with the other person before anything else happens.

Conclusion

Content is king! It is important for you to write top-quality content and to syndicate it appropriately to all social media groups that apply to what you are doing. As important and impactful as social media is to your business, it is important to proceed in the most effective way possible so that you achieve optimal results.

Of course, you must understand that your content should be offered in a polite manner to the various social media groups. If you see that a discussion is going on, offer your relevant content as a way to be a part of the discussion. The other people will probably appreciate it a great deal.