Are You In Control of Your Content Stream?

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Are you in love with social media but find it a little overwhelming sometimes?  As gratifying as it is to meet new people oftentimes it can be a challenge to find the people you are looking for and it can be even more challenging to actually start talking to these people.

Unlike many would suggest having a huge following or fan base is not always the optimal goal for every marketing campaign. In many cases you'd be better off reaching your target segment.

As you can imagine every network online is also filled with mini networks and "in the know" type conversations.

Your goal as a marketer should be to crack the networking barriers that keep you out of the know and away from those "real" thriving communities.

Some of the questions you should begin asking include:

-How to get people talking to you
-How to start conversations that have people itching to respond
-How to find the people who will add the most value to your conversation

Obviously, I won't be cracking the code in this particular post. However, I will share a simple little trick that will get you 100 times closer if you're not doing it already.

---- Why Controlling Your Stream Will Dramatically Improve Performance ---

Imagine you just began a 90 day fitness plan. In order for the plan to work you need to stay clear of any distractions, remain consistent, and continue to fulfil your obligations. Turning this plan into a success depends largely on your resolve and also largely on what you choose to fill your life with.

In the same way your content stream also fills and fuels your marketing. If your stream is filled with random unmanaged content, your marketing will in effect become random and unmanageable. In contrast being in control of your content stream allows you to hone in on social activity that consistently makes a greater impact.

--- Simple Ways To Control Your Online Content Stream ---

Being in control does not require fancy software, an elite marketing course, or a $10,000 consultation fee. It simply means you know how to best utilise the resources that are readily avaiable to you.


1. Go With The Flow:
     
           Content flows like water in the ocean it never really goes against the current. Look for people who focus on the subjects you need to focus on. You can search for them on Google and connect with them through social media.

2. Embrace the Hash Tag:

          Aside from Jimmy Falon's hilarious hashtag parodies hashtags are actually extremely useful when used properly. Google +, Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest allow users to include hashtags in their posts and media. Although the hashtag can be used in many different forms ultimately it helps you find everything in an easy to use catalogued format. Try it out, search for #god or #fashion #b2b, this is probably one of the easiest way to immerse yourself in a very focused content stream

3. Talk to talkers

         The industry calls them very different things from influencers to tastemakers to mommy bloggers to social media gurus and a million other plus names. But the general rule of thumb is to talk to people who are interested in having conversations. It's more productive to send 5 or 10 messages to people who consistently care about what you have to say then to spam 30 - 50 Facebook or LinkedIn groups in hopes of attracting attention.


You know you're going in the right direction with your social media strategy when you don't have to spend 30 minutes searching for something interesting to engage in that is also related to your industry.
You often hear social media mavens and gurus say spending 10 mins a day on social media should be enough time to stay engaged with your audience. Many find that challenging because they're spending all their time looking in the wrong places, doing the wrong things. Realistically, conversations shouldn't be a tiresome task it's all readily available when you know where to look.