Okay. You’ve got yourself a website and you’re active on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. All online tools are ready to inform potential clients and other visitors and to get the conversation started. But what are you going to talk about? Content management isn’t rocket science. Last week we discussed the matter with web editors from the Dutch government. Below are the three key take-aways from that presentation.
Basically, we had three pieces of advice for the participants who wanted to know more about clever website management: content calendar, content calendar and content calendar. This will be your main tool to focus on maintaining all online and offline channels.
These are the three golden rules:
- Make a content calendar
There is no need for an expensive tool or fancy document. An Excel sheet works fine. Your content calendar should contain, at the very least, the topic of discussion, who is responsible for publishing the content online and a concrete time. Apart from that you can add whatever you like. For example, if the post requires you to adapt the static content on your website, you should consider posting a news release or banner on the homepage, sharing an update on Facebook or Twitter, using hashtags or tagging partners and friends, what kind of images would suit the content, and so on, and so on. - Fill up the content calendar
No need to be afraid you will get caught staring blankly at an empty document on your screen. Start by browsing relevant (trade) media and look for trending topics. Then find a way to link them to your business, products or client issues. Put on your content glasses whenever joining a business meeting and ask if the subjects discussed are suitable as a post on the website or on social media. Check what your business partners are doing and if these actions could perhaps be interesting for your audience as well. Get inspired by signals from your target audience (from research, statistics, online comments or e-mails). When you do this on a daily basis, it will soon become a routine and managing your communication channels will feel natural. - Use the content calendar
Make sure you monitor the actions on your content calendar every day and complement, scratch and revise it accordingly. Your calendar should be a living document that can easily be shared with colleagues and others. This way planning your on- and offline activities and keeping your site and social media up to date will be a breeze. Moreover, you will be inspired to continuously create a perfect mix of channels to enhance your message.