As a business owner, you probably understand the importance of producing content. You’ve certainly read all the articles about content marketing and its impact on the consumer, and you know that, in order to succeed in today’s world, your business has to develop its own branded blog posts, tweets, videos, Instagram stories, Facebook updates, and the like.
You may know that content is critical for reaching out to consumers and leading them through the sales funnel—but do your team members know it?
See, here’s the thing about content: If you try to sustain it all on your own, you’re going to be overwhelmed—and the content may turn out to be one-sided, too. But if you can involve your team, not only will that better distribute the content burden, but it will also help to engage them in the vision of the company.
Creating a Content Culture
The question is, how do you create a company culture that fosters a love of content? I’ve got a few tips for you.
Let everyone know what story you’re telling. Content marketing is ultimately about telling the story of your brand, and it’s important that everyone is on the same page about what exactly that story is. Sit down with your team to discuss the company’s ultimate values, vision, and image. Distribute written documents that specify your formal mission statement, what makes the company distinctive, and other key “talking points.”
Encourage open discussion and brainstorming. You may have one person who’s appointed as your head of marketing, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room to get everyone together to ask for suggestions, potential blog topics, questions they’d like to see addressed, etc. Indeed, your sales staff members may have some great examples of consumer inquiries that your content could do a better job of addressing. Make sure everyone’s opinions are included.
Let everyone play a role in content development. Not everyone on your team is going to be skilled in blog writing, but maybe someone can submit some cool Instagram photos, take some behind-the-scenes videos, or simply furnish some topic suggestions. Make sure everyone feels like they have a role in the content process.
Foster collaboration. Ask your designated content creators to work with others in developing topics and ideas; rather than having all content creation done in a silo, make sure it’s something the whole team is aware of.
Content culture doesn’t just happen on its own—but with the right approach, it’s something you can bring to your company dynamic. Learn more about shaping company culture by checking out the ACES page.