Content Automation
Do you ever find yourself letting great content fall through the cracks? Either your imposter syndrome keeps you from posting or you just plum forgot about those amazing photos and graphics you curated. As a result, you end up feeling frustrated at all the hard work gone to waste and the lack of consistency on your blog and social channels. You know you have the ability to create amazing content, but something’s keeping it from getting out there. When it comes to achieving work life balance or taking a personal day every now and again, you wonder how you'll ever find the time when you’re struggling to handle your workload now. The answer to the majority of your problems: content automation.
What is Content Automation?
Content automation refers to the tools and systems used to help content creators automate their content cycle. This can be apps or other software that takes the redundancy out of content creation. When it comes to content automation, it’s not only about generating content. Content automation also helps repurpose old content, organize content, while curating new pieces of content for your social media platforms. According to Agility, 76% of content marketing teams have less than three people. When you take into consideration that we live in a society that’s constantly demanding new content daily, the workload can be staggering. Content automation won’t only preserve your content, but it will preserve the work ethic of your team as well.
Before We Get Started
Before automating your content it’s important to set expectations and make a plan. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
What are your content pillars (pillars: the main focus of your content)?
What do you want your content to achieve (gain clients, push sales, etc.)
Look back at the content you’ve created before. Take note of what worked well and what didn’t. Analyze the posts that worked well. What do you think makes them successful? How can you replicate that for the content you’re scheduling for the future? Keeping questions like these front of mind will help your clients or business grow and connect your audience with content that has a purpose.
Don’t forget to repurpose old content that you’ve published or created in the past! That awesome blog post you wrote can live in several places at once. You can use the content from long forum items like blog posts to create youtube videos, Instagram posts, social stories, and even infographics. This can help you get started with content to schedule and automate today! Still not convinced? Here are some benefits of content automation.
The Benefits of Content Automation
Saves Time: Content automation saves an immense amount of time and can also grow your business with minimum effort. In fact, researchers say 74% of people who automate their content have noticed having more free time to put toward other tasks. Tools can help with scheduling, publishing, and even handling notifications.
Improves Sales and Generates Leads: Automating your content can bring in three times as many leads and costs 62% less than traditional marketing strategies. Being able to set up specific targeted social campaigns can help better align your audience’s buyer journey.
Lowers Staffing Expenses: Remember when we said most marketing teams are made up of three members? According to Elink, one person equipped with content automation tools can compete with 50 people. Imagine empowering your team to crush their workload, leading them to create content that’s more personal and effective.
Streamlines Your Workflow: When you automate a task it helps the rest of your workday go a little smoother. Content automation takes the redundancy out of content creation. Removing the mundane aspects of the content cycle can help you or your team focus on completing tasks that will further boost sales and connect with future clients.
Inspires Creativity: When your time isn’t taken up with content scheduling and publishing, you’re able to focus on creating content that matters.
Improves Consistency: We all know that consistency is key. We want our brands to grow from day to day, month to month, and year to year. One thing that will make you stand out from competitors and other brands is consistency. Showing up for your audience consistently will almost guarantee that they will show up for you.
Helps with Tracking and Analysis: When you automate your content you’re able to look back and further understand the content that your audience loves to see from you. Looking back at your analytics will help you streamline hashtag choices and choose the best times to post as well.
Boosts Efficiency: Automating tasks help you become efficient at other parts of your business that need your attention. When you trust that the amazing content you’ve created is being seen by the right people, you can be efficient in other areas that need your attention.
Creates a Scalable Process: You might start with scheduling your social posts and then your blog posts. Next thing you know, you and your team are sending amazing emails out to all of your clients and your audience is loving your content like never before. Content automation is a scalable marketing strategy that brings in major results.
Are you looking for tools to help you with content automation? Here are some of our favorites:
Later
Mailchimp
Preview
Hootsuite
Buffer
If you’re looking for more time and feel a stress-free OOTO on the horizon then content automation is right for you! As content creators, we must do our best to preserve our creativity. Using tools or strategies that help us put more time towards the things that improve our craft should be our main priority. If you haven’t started using content automation tools, what’s stopping you? If you have, how has it helped your or your client’s business?
Always In Your Corner,
The Content Queens
