We all have different preferences when it comes to how we get our information. Some people are very active on Facebook, but those same people may never read your e-newsletter and perhaps have never even been to your website. If you are creating great content, but limiting its distribution, you may be missing out on new customers or the opportunities to provide that content to existing customers you hope to keep.
By repackaging your content for use across all social media and traditional media platforms, you will reach more people with less work and expand the “shelf life” of the content you create. A little effort in this regard can maximize your marketing, save you time and build your reputation as a valued resource and content provider.
Here’s my strategy. I hope it helps you, especially if – like me – your marketing team consists of just a few people, or even just one really motivated you.
Be Creative Once, then Repackage.
Make the most of the thought, creativity and research you put into that great marketing piece, and repurpose your content to the language, style and audience of each distribution channel appropriate for your company. Don’t let your personal comfort level with the different social media outlets limit your company’s reach. Repackage and distribute to the places your potential customers work and play.
Did you write a great blog post at 3 a.m. this morning? Terrific! Consider sending a powerful or motivating line from it as a tweet, or create an infographic of it for Pinterest or Facebook—or perhaps go wild, edit it for a listening audience and record a podcast. But wait, don’t stop there! Take that audio, add a few PowerPoint or Prezi slides and record it as an online video. Take that great idea you wrote in the middle of the night and amplify it across all available channels—after, of course, you’ve edited the 3 a.m. deliriousness out of it.
Every marketing piece you create is a powerful tool for your company’s sales team. When they are networking and meet a great contact, the best of them will ask, “How can I help you grow your business?” The library of content you’ve created will give them a treasure chest of valuable content they can customize and provide to others. By helping your team provide value first, you are building your company’s network and helping to generate more sales.
If a sales consultant just got a new customer from a referral, call the person who referred your company or consultant, thank them like crazy and ask for a testimonial as to why they referred you in the first place. Now, instead of just a referral (which is great), you also have a testimonial (which is really great). The referral-testimonial-combo is very powerful and can build trust (or at least diminish skepticism) among most shoppers. Make sure your sales team is asking for the testimonial, and consider perks for customers who participate.
When it comes to capturing testimonials, I highly suggest making the effort to get it on video; this is the easiest way to maximize its audience. Once you’ve got the video, in addition to posting to YouTube and your website, extract the audio and include it as part of a podcast or radio commercial.
I’ve been developing a one-minute video series for existing and future customers for distribution on our website, YouTube page and Facebook page. With the recent launch of Twitter’s new free mobile video app, Vine – which allows six-second videos sent over the Twitter platform – I am now editing my content and producing it for an audience I had not originally intended. I’m repackaging to fit the technology and the market that technology appeals to. Also, with Vine, six seconds is plenty of time for a video testimonial from one of your customers. “I love them; they’re the best” clocks in at a whopping three seconds.
Build your company’s library of original branded content in different formats across different channels, and create a foundation for your company that will expand its reach and generate awareness by those who never before realized how much they needed you.
Don’t reinvent the wheel—make the wheel you’ve got roll farther.
Bobby McAfee is the Marketing Director for Crime Prevention Security Systems and Custom Home Entertainment.