A quality search engine optimization campaign these days must include social media. Social media is becoming more and more mainstream and is becoming a more and more popular place for individuals to get information as they make decisions about a variety of issues. So if you’re not using social media as a search engine optimization tool already, you should consider making it part of your SEO campaign as soon as possible. But before you jump right in, remember that you would never walk right up to a group of people you don’t know and just butt in to their conversation.
Likewise, you would never join a social media site and start talking about your product or service to a group of people who have already built relationships with one another and have no idea who you are. So start slowly. Lurk for awhile and then introduce yourself. Add relevant and helpful comments that have nothing to do with your product or service. Once your community trusts you, it’s time to start adding some content. But what kind of content, you ask? Here are 5 keys to good content for social media sites.
1. Personal stories. Personal stories are great because they make you seem more human and therefore more trustworthy. And people are more likely to purchase a product or service from someone they know than from a complete stranger. Just make sure the storytelling you do is appropriate. Don’t share too much personal information that may make others feel uncomfortable, and don’t tell stores that are nothing more than bragging. Tell stories that are relevant, interesting, and useful.
2. Interviews. Interviews are great tools for social media sites. Interview an expert in your field, someone whose advice your community would value. If you’re new to your industry and don’t have anyone to interview, consider someone with whom you already have a relationship who could offer valuable information regardless of whether or not he or she is well known. Good information is good information, no matter where it comes from.
3. Expert Advice. If you yourself have good information or tips to share, turn that into content. You’ve probably learned some good lessons or gleaned valuable wisdom during your years in business, so share what you’ve learned. Again, be careful when touting yourself as the expert. Your online community doesn’t want to hear about you incessantly, so make sure that you offer expert advice, not information that centers on you and your brilliance or success.
4. Controversy. If you have thick skin and don’t mind making waves, consider creating content that will get your community debating. This should never be personal, nor should you ever encourage personal attacks. The point is simply to bring up something potentially controversial, take a side, and invite the input of others regarding that topic. Controversy for the sake of controversy isn’t necessarily helpful, but good controversy can make everyone in the online community consider their positions and think critically about alternative ideas. And that strengthens each individual as well as the community as a whole.
Other keys to good content include giving your content an attention grabbing headline, and then making sure your content delivers on whatever your headline has promise. Good images help break up the text and make your content more visually appealing to your visitors. And if you’ve taken the time to include good images, you give your community more reason to think that you’ve spent some time preparing your content instead of just throwing it together at the last minute. Give your content more credibility by quoting outside sources and citing your references.
If search engine optimization is important to you, be sure that you’re using social media sites to their fullest potential to increase your search engine ranking and drive traffic to your website.
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