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August 26, 2019 Content Chat Recap: Open Mic

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#ContentChat was an open mic this week, where we addressed questions from the community. Check out the recap below, which covers tips for handling bullies on social media, how to source user-generated content, ways to find great regional events, and more! If you have any advice to share, reply to the tweets or comment below.

Q1: Someone is bullying my client on social media, how should I approach this situation?

First, into the individual and see if they have some connection with the company. If they do, there may be other means of communicating with them outside social media.

Assuming the individual has relationship with the company, respond once if necessary and then ignore their comments moving forward.

You could analyze their followers using an online tool (such as Followerwonk or Sparktoro) to see if they may be a bot and to gauge how influential they may be. This is often not needed, but could be worth exploring for additional information on the matter. Note: not all online tools are created equal, and take any information with a grain of salt unless you understand the full scope of how it pulls information.

Q2: How do I create content that is both relevant to our product and engaging for our audience?

Point your users to other content they may find relevant. Use a CTA, link to at least 3 relevant posts in each of your blogs (as anchor text), and consider having a widget that suggests related content. Test the messaging or combination of these to find what resonates best with your audience.

Q3: I know how to make the most out of attending a conference, but how can I find the best regional events to attend?

Some places to look include Eventbrite, Meetup, and All Events in City (depending on your region). Also, ask your colleagues and peers for their picks.

Q4: User-generated content can be tricky. How do you identify influencers, how do you entice customers to create user-generated content, and how do you collect UGC?

We did a primer on UGC that covers many of the essentials, and the community shared other tips today. First, create a custom hashtag for UGC so it is easy to find. Engage with this content and feature it on your page to encourage more people to post.

Promote the hashtag wherever you can: email signatures, in your social media bios, on your social media stories, in your content, and in any additional comms assets that make sense (brochures, pamphlets, website).

Sigstr is an email signature marketing tool that can help if you choose that path.

Provide an incentive for users to engage with your brand. If budgets are tight, you do not need to default to freebies—any small token of appreciation will do. Some options to consider include: sample products, t-shirts or other branded (and useful) items, exclusive content, or some addition to their experience (i.e. a travel company could offer a free meal to select users during their next vacation if they book through the company).

Influencers can help the success of your UGC endeavors. Consider BuzzSumo, Brand24, Crowdfire, and/or HypeAuditor to find influencers and keep an eye on who is engaging with your brand. Or, look at relevant conference speaker lists for ideas.

Q5: How can I get my audience to share feedback on my content?

On social media, consider amplifying your article with a CTA that encourages folks to share how they put the content to use. This strategy is not as successful as it once was, but can still be valuable. If someone shares your post, reach out and ask them to share feedback on the piece. For a more general approach, share a survey with website visitors or subscribers.

Q6: If I’m starting a user community from scratch, what are the top tasks to tackle first?

First orders of business: Determine the purpose of your community/the value you can provide, where your community should exist, and what your community members need.

If need help sustaining your community, check out our chat recap on the topic.

About Alek Irvin

Alek Irvin is a content marketing professional with a rich history in social media management, executive thought leadership development, and media relations. As a consultant at Erika Heald Marketing Consulting, he creates human-focused content and thought leadership platforms that help brand leaders connect and engage with their communities. Alek has worked with a range of startups and Fortune 500 companies across the B2B technology and consumer spaces, including IBM, Dell Technologies, Hitch Works, Emtrain, Integrate, and Frameable. Connect with him on Twitter @AlekIrvin.

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