Social Media Content Marketing (SMCM) is the intersection where content marketing and social media converge. Social media has dramatically changed the relationship between brands and consumers, it has put the consumer in the driving seat. This connected world has empowered consumers to influence the branding and marketing strategies of multi-billion dollar companies. A connected consumer base is a blessing for those who realize its importance and a curse for those who don’t. Consumers are now aware of the impact they can have on large corporations by simply writing reviews and feedback. Similarly, organizations have also realized the impact that a single tweet or comment can have on their brand image. Consumer feedback and reviews have become major contributing factors while planning a marketing strategy, thanks to social media.

Source: crazyegg.com

Word of Mouth: People trust the word of their peers more than a statement made by a brand, no matter how powerful that statement is. Therefore, keeping current customers satisfied and happy, is more valuable than acquiring new ones. Reviews by satisfied customers can have more impact than a million-dollar advertising campaign. Word of mouth in terms of social media is the feedback and reviews which can make or break a brand. A recent study has revealed that an average person spends more than half an hour per day on social media platforms. Therefore it has become imperative that social media strategies be a part of overall marketing goals.

Content Marketing and Social Media: Content is king, no doubt about that, but in a fast paced world people don’t really have the time to consume content the way it is intended to. Social media compliments content marketing through the use of images, shared content and reviews. Images grab more attention than text; shared content is trustworthy, and reviews are an instant insight into a product or service. Marketing endeavors can be amplified to a large extent by social signals. A share on any social media platform is a clear reflection of trust. People don’t share posts they are skeptical about, as it is a reflection of their personalities. Social media users have the power to promote a brand by sharing, writing reviews and providing feedback. This, in turn, creates awareness about the brand, which eventually results in more conversions.

Social media marketing cannot function well without content and content will not have the intended impact if it does not reach the target audience.

Blogs: A part of Social Media

Source: Hubspot

A few years ago, blogs and social media were considered two different mediums of information where one had no impact on the other. The simple truth is both these are forms of promoting content, and they complement each other. Blogs are social media. The trick is to use a blog to enrich your social media with long-form posts, and to use social media to promote your blog.

Social media content marketing (SMCM) plays a paramount role in brand health. It is the medium for consumers to access information about brands. Social media platforms engage consumers and build active interaction among them. Hence, it is crucial for companies to have valuable content and to have a precise social media campaign to increase traffic to their pages, provide customers with information they are looking for, convert visitors into customers and to make sure customers become their brand ambassadors.