As you consider some ways to implement “spring cleaning” into your firm’s marketing communications program, you might zero in on how to get the most mileage out of the content you generate. There are many tried-and-true tactics that marketers can use to stretch the impact of earned media and thought-leadership content. Below are some ideas that may get overlooked or slip through the cracks of busy schedules.
Promote through social media:
Ensure that your social media and content marketing strategies are aligned. After publishing your blog, a reflexive marketing move for most is to post attention-grabbing social media (example below). However, many people are unsure about what frequency and style to use. Our recommendation? Don’t show all of your cards at once. Tease the content you’re promoting, and keep copy short and pithy. Social media is a great platform to engage with industry peers, but your message can quickly be drowned out by similar content if it’s not promoted properly. Be sure to include hashtags that incorporate your firm into the larger conversation.
In the weeks that follow, schedule a flurry of “In-Case-You-Missed-It” social posts and have your advisers share posts with their networks as well. The wider the net you cast, the greater the results.
Secure a byline opportunity:
Work with your PR team to secure a byline opportunity in a top-tier industry publication (example below). If you’ve already penned a thought-leadership piece for the firm blog, a byline allows you to reposition the post from a slightly different angle and reach a different audience. Whether you’re reaching industry peers or Main Street investors, the benefits here are robust. Not only do bylines position you as a thought leader in the space, but they put you in front of a much larger, targeted audience and can spark conversations with prospects.
Consider a video or podcast series:
Boil down key points from your post into a professional-grade video (example below) or podcast. Many marketers are turning to podcasts and videos to reach professionals looking to maximize their understanding of a topic while minimizing actual time spent consuming it. Conciseness and adopting a conversational tone are key here. Additionally, video can be leveraged in conversations with producers to show that you have the on-camera skills to deliver an engaging, informative broadcast appearance.
Showcase content via an infographic:
The adage “A picture is worth a thousand words” comes to mind here. Designing a clean, simple infographic that visually highlights the information presented in your blog post will give your content room to run (example below). Masterful Photoshop and InDesign skills, while helpful, are not necessary. A stock photo with accompanying text or graphics designed in Word should do the trick. Once developed, disseminate the infographic through all channels in which your clients receive firm updates. Whether the platform is social media, a firm newsletter or quarterly update, visual content garners three times more traffic than text-based information. Infographics, easy on the eyes and easily shared, will give your content greater reach.
When publishing a blog post, the conversation shouldn’t end once you hit the upload button. Secure your position as a thought leader within the RIA space by remembering the three R’s of content creation: reuse, recycle and repurpose.