Often, the task of producing digital content falls to the Community Manager, a figure who, although he is an expert in managing the social interaction between the company and users, will not necessarily have the knowledge, time and resources necessary to face this situation 100%. work. Depending on the size of the project and magnitude of the digital equipment, we can take into account different possibilities for organize ourselves and create the quality content that the user requires. At this point it will be necessary to assess the dedication times, the budget based on results and the tools that can facilitate this task. Next, we are going to break down each of these factors and propose different options to consider to optimize your content strategy.
Factors to take into account in the production of digital content
When we are not subject matter experts
Let’s face it, we can’t be experts at everything. And yet, to position itself through content, a brand must be an expert in the field. For example, if we are the Community Manager or part of the digital team that manages a construction material supply company but our knowledge is limited to the world of online marketing, it will be really difficult for us to connect with the target audience that will be made up of companies construction and architecture professionals.
In this situation, we can consider several options:
- Search for communication talent in the company itself. For this we will ask for help from other departments and we will review the different profiles and curricula that make up each team. If we have a human resources department, we can partner with them to help us in the search. You never know, but sometimes you are lucky and we can find among the product designers, sales representatives, architects and engineers that are part of the staff, someone with special communication skills who can add value in the creation of content. Obviously it will be important to have the activity to your liking and the approval of your superiors. In addition, we cannot expect this person to control the digital content production tools, so his work will probably need a support team that filters and optimizes everything.
- Search for talent abroad. The web is full of expert bloggers in various fields, some of whom have made the Internet their way of life. Many of them, in addition to living from advertising, offer services such as the production of digital content. If you find one according to the philosophy of the company, it can become your best asset to create quality content and have a brand ambassador with positioning in the network.
When content production is not our forte or we don’t have time and/or resources
One of the biggest mistakes that is usually made in content production is to believe that you are capable of anything. Of course, “being pushed forward” is a highly valued characteristic in the digital world, but it is important that we know where our limits are. New formats and ideas can continually emerge, or come to us, propose them, and then realize that we don’t have the knowledge, time or resources to implement them.
It is clear that nowadays mounting a video is a simple task, however, if we do not have a good camera and lighting equipment to take pictures or record images, our work may be considered mediocre by users. Making a GIF, designing a vector image, retouching a photograph, or even writing a complete post that provides information while being attractive to users, and in turn, to search engines (do you know about SEO?), are tasks that, although they can learn and assume, they are not always so easy to start up without knowledge. In addition, it is important to take into account the time that it will take us to make these materials, which will be double or more if we are new to the matter.
In this situation, our best recommendation is trust other professionals. There are more and more agencies, former journalists and authentic experts in the production of digital content that can take on this task. And even consultants or specialized content producers. Some professionals that I recommend signing are:
- A good designer/illustrator familiar with digital formats.
- A good photographer.
- An SEO consultant.
- An editor and/or proofreader who also knows about SEO.
- A video expert.
Optimizing the content strategy
The balance between investment in content production and the results obtained
It is clear that the user expects a certain level of quality in our content depending on the brand in question and the level of client. However, that does not mean that the videos should be the result of big blockbusters (such as those of Hollywood) far from it, or that the designs should be made exclusively by an expert professional.
It is necessary assess the relationship between the investment of time and money in the production of digital content and the results that are going to be obtained. And for this, the immediacy factor is essential to come into play. Content today tends to work better in relation to the moment and instantaneousness in which it is shared, rather than the quality with which it was produced.
For example, if we locate a trend on Twitter and quickly (with a minimum of quality) make a meme or GIF on the subject, it is possible that we will achieve high virality and engagement. However, if we ask our designer to do the task for us, we will most likely not publish it until some time later and find that the trend has already faded into the background.
In conclusion, we do not need to invest too much in content production, but we do have fast and efficient professionals who can help us generate content with a good relationship between quality and engagement. Find your balance!
Tools that facilitate the production of digital content
As we have seen, time is essential and for this reason some tools that allow us to quickly generate content are very helpful, such as:
- Canva: really easy and intuitive online graphic design program with default templates for social media content.
- Pickmonkey: online photo editor with filters and also the possibility of making designs and collages.
- FotoJet: editing a photo, creating a collage or a design are the possibilities offered by this online design program.
- Infogram: creation of infographics and interactive online maps.
- Piktochart – Infographic creation with tons of base templates to choose from.
- Thinglink: create interactive graphics with videos, images, links…
- PlaceIt.net: create images within mobile screens, computers…
- Haiku Cover: make attractive presentations.
- Landing Optimizer: generation of landing pages.
- ChartBlocks: online chart creation.
- Meme Generator: generation of memes with your phrases and images.
- Thinglink: tool to convert images into an interactive graphic.
- Powtoon: video and presentation creator with templates focused on websites, product demos, explanatory videos or social videos.
- Videolean: video creator with professional templates that you can customize with your own content.
- Screenflow: to make screen recordings and do a complete editing of the video from the same application.
I also recommend you review our Glossary with more than 100 tools that every Community Manager should know. There you will find many more references!
I hope these ideas help you optimize your production of digital content, an element that is not always given all the importance it requires despite being essential in the vast majority of digital strategies. Remember, the content is the King!, so you have to give it all the attention it deserves.