Driven by Content Part 2: Content & Community [VIDEO]

Social media has changed the way that businesses can communicate with customers, prospects, employees, media and other important audiences.

While many understand the benefits of producing captivating content pieces for their website and blog, without the community building activities and distribution channels of social media, the content will not travel far beyond the place it is published on the web.  

In Part 2 of Driven by Content, PR 20/20 Inbound Marketing Manager Laurel Miltner discusses the role of social media and community building in content marketing.

Part 2: Content & Community

The State of Web Content

In modern times, you don’t have to be an editor or a professional writer to publish content; anyone with an Internet connection, and a blog platform or social media profile, can be a publisher.

This shift in publishing power has caused a flood of online information and content. To cut through the clutter, online publishers must produce quality content that speaks directly to target audiences, and have the ability to share content in the places where their audiences congregate online.   

Enter Social Media

Social media has enabled businesses to reach audiences online, providing additional platforms for content to be consumed and shared beyond websites and blogs. On-page SEO only goes so far; it’s social networks that are your biggest asset in sharing content. Social media can help businesses differentiate themselves through content, build trust and nurture leads.

What’s the ROI?

The question many companies ask when considering getting started in social media is: What's the ROI? While it is possible for businesses to tie social media to financial goals, social media also has the potential to influence your brand awareness and can be a risk management tool for your company. And, in today’s social world, the better question is, what is the ROI of doing nothing, and letting the competition take the leadership position your organization seeks.

For questions or more information about content and community, you can reach Laurel direct at laurel@pr2020.com, or connect with her on Twitter at @laurelmackenzie.

Resources:

Here are some resources referenced in the video to learn more about social media and its role in content marketing:

2010 Forrester Report Summary Post: The ROI Of Social Media Marketing: More Than Dollars And Cents

Blogs:

• PR 20/20 social media blog posts & Demanding Quality in a Flood of Fast-Food Content
• HubSpot Internet Marketing Blog
• Mashable
• I Scream Social
• {grow}

Books:

• Trust Agents
• Groundswell
• World Wide Rave
• Inbound Marketing

Navigating the Driven by Content Series

Part 1: PR 20/20 Assistant Vice President Christina Capadona-Schmitz covers “What is Content Marketing?” and why it matters to today’s organizations (3:44).

Part 2: PR 20/20 Inbound Marketing Manager Laurel Miltner discusses online publishing and the idea of content & community, the role of social media in content marketing (8:55).

Part 3: Keith Moehring, who leads PR 20/20's search engine optimization efforts, talks about websites, content management systems, online publishing tools and how SEO can impact content marketing (8:42).

Part 4: PR 20/20 President Paul Roetzer shares the importance of your brand in content marketing, how content marketing is connected to PR and who you should trust to tell your story through content (7:06).

Part 5: PR 20/20 Content Services Manager Christy Barksdale ties it together, in planning your publishing strategy, giving your content legs on the web and furthering your leadership position through content curation (5:43).

Laurel Miltner is a consultant at PR 20/20, a Cleveland-based inbound marketing agency and PR firm. Follow Laurel on Twitter @laurelmackenzie, or connect on Facebook at Facebook.com/laurelmiltner.

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