Why content is King

Have you noticed a drop in Facebook likes or a decrease in the number of times you have been @mentioned on Twitter? The ever-evolving social media phenomenon is becoming a competitive market and only those that create winning campaigns and provide appealing content will prevail.

Facebook’s recent changes to its platform include a tough algorithm which makes only the most engaging content appear in users’ Timeline’s and decreases the prominence of those which are not. This means that if posts or images are not commented on, liked or shared they may go completely unnoticed to those fans you’ve managed to conjure up over time.

Brands and businesses using social media must therefore place renewed emphasis on engaging content. User experience should now be a top priority in any social media strategy. Messages shouldn’t be broadcast to the masses, postings should instead be personal and give fans and followers an incentive to interact.

 A great example of a piece of content gaining quick success was demonstrated across the Preston Guild’s social media channels. Last night, thousands of people in and around the city of Preston could see the global rainbow – a laser made up of the seven colours of the rainbow. The laser switch-on marked the start of the Cultural Olympiad ahead of the 2012 Games across the UK. However the Guild communications team used it to simply get people talking. Information on the global rainbow in Preston was broadcast through both Facebook and Twitter and people were asked to send in their photos and comments to show the sheer reach of the beams of light. This took the ‘talking about’ number on the Facebook page to 267 and created hundreds of tweets. It also helped to make #Globalrainbow a trending topic on Twitter.

Social media has fundamentally changed the language we use to communicate with each other. It’s time to ensure your output online allows you to really engage with your audience, rather than fall on deaf ears. Remember communication is a two-way thing and like in all media, good content prompts reaction.