All together now: “Content is King.” We all know this. It’s probably the most oft-repeated phrase in Internet marketing. Without content you have no readership, your SEO rank tanks and you slip away into oblivion.
Here’s a little secret however. A king without subjects is just an ordinary guy with a fancy hat. When it comes to social media and internet marketing, your subjects are your followers. And like the subjects of monarchs throughout history, your followers’ loyalty determines whether or not you continue to sit on the throne.
Content Needs Exposure
You can have the greatest content in your history, but simply owning great content is no guarantee of success. Right now there must be a few dozen Great American Novels languishing in desk drawers across the nation. They’re wonderful, groundbreaking novels, but without someone to read them, they’re just words on dusty paper.
It’s the same with online content. You can’t upload content to your website, sit back and wait for your readership to magically appear. If we could do that the SEO industry would die overnight. Whether you’re selling web design in PA or vintage clothing in New York, you need to promote your content to build a following, and to promote your content, you need to know your audience.
Know Your Audience
Knowing your target audience is a basic tenet of marketing. Presumably you know who you’re marketing to (if not, find out quickly). But do you know where they are online? Are they Facebook fanatics or Pinterest purists? Do they Tweet, or are they more likely to be found on YouTube?
Where your audience exists determines not only where your content needs to go, but what form it needs to take. A 10-page white paper on your industry may be just what a LinkedIn audience wants to see. A Pinterest user wants that same information in an easy-to-digest infographic, while a Facebook user may respond better to the same content broken down into a series of posts.
Know Your Allies . . . and Your Enemies
Kingdoms have long risen and fallen on the strengths (or weaknesses) of their allies. When promoting your content kingdom, which allies can you count on? Do you have partners whose own consumers could benefit from your content? Which publications, news sites and bloggers would be interested in what you have to say (and more importantly, are willing to give you the opportunity to say it)?
At the same time, keep a close eye on your competitor’s content. How are they disseminating their content to their customers? Are they covering content you’re missing, and if so can you one-up them in that area? Are they publishing erroneous information, and if so, can you prove them wrong? An online debate with a competitor provides the opportunity to score points over your rival and possibly steal some of their customers, as long as you remain civil, respectful and accurate during the discussion.
So yes, content remains king, but a king needs a kingdom.
