In the bustling world of content marketing, navigating the path from ideas to production can often feel overwhelming. Fear not! Inspired by the wisdom shared by renowned speaker Melanie Deziel,when Frankie and Lex attended Social Media Marketing World, let’s embark on a journey to demystify this process and equip ourselves with the tools to streamline our content marketing endeavors.

Identifying Common Bottlenecks:

Melanie Deziel’s discourse shed light on several common bottlenecks that hinder the seamless transition from conception to execution in content marketing. These bottlenecks encompassed areas such as the need for meticulous edits aligned with brand voice guidelines, the significance of streamlined approvals through comprehensive guidelines and workflows, the importance of consistency in output, and the challenge of managing budgets and deadlines effectively. If these are all hitting close to home and may be an area your company needs to work on, that’s okay. Realizing you’re not where you want to be is the first step. 

Operational Solutions:

To address these bottlenecks effectively, Deziel outlined a comprehensive set of operational solutions. These solutions encompassed the development of brand voice guides and standard briefs, the implementation of efficient approval workflows, the creation of FAQs and checklists to ensure consistent output, and the establishment of clear budgeting frameworks. Additionally, she emphasized the importance of timelines, templates, and documentation to enhance organizational efficiency and mitigate potential challenges.

For example, at any company, especially at Valiant 3 Communications, we have three tiers to our business: events, social media marketing, and non-profit management. We have workflows in place pertaining to each one specifically. Even further, we have a workflow and timeline in place for each event we do. Each event has a different process involved so we have to make sure we have processes in place so we know how to handle for example a celebrity golf outing vs. a symposium. 

Fueling Idea Generation:

At the heart of Deziel’s framework lies a robust system for generating content ideas. She advocated for a structured approach that involves brainstorming around ten distinct focuses, ranging from profiling individuals to exploring historical contexts and analyzing data trends. Moreover, she emphasized the importance of diversifying content formats, spanning from articles and blogs to infographics, videos, and quizzes, to cater to diverse audience preferences and maximize engagement.

As always, choose formats that are best suited to the social platforms they’ll be posted on to get the most out of your content. To me the most difficult part is coming up with different focus points. Some were mentioned above but here are the 10 that should help get your creative juices flowing:

1. People (who they are, features)
2. Basics (key themes, intro to your product/service)
3. Details (go in-depth)
4. History (background, how the brand started)
5. Processes (teaching or educational)
6. Curation (links or resources, activate influencers)
7. Data (study or a trend)
8. Product (about your product/service)
9. Opinion (a review, testimonial) 
10. Example (a case study, a success story)

Maximizing Content Potential:

Furthermore, Deziel emphasized the significance of repurposing content to extend its lifespan and reach. Whether through repackaging existing copy, extracting key excerpts, updating content to remain evergreen, or curating resources to augment value, the potential for content multiplication is vast. By leveraging factors such as timing, demographics, and location, content marketers can amplify their impact and resonate with their target audience on a deeper level.

Most importantly, it is OKAY to do this. Repurposing content is genius and gives you time back in your day. If concepts do well, why wouldn’t you find a new way to express the same message? Doing this could also reach a different audience than you could’ve before. A reel is a great example of this. If you had a swipe post that was super informative but some people just don’t take the time to read content this way or don’t digest it as well, the visual appeal may be just the strategy you need. 

Conclusion:

In essence, Melanie Deziel’s insights offer a roadmap for content marketers seeking to navigate the complex terrain from ideation to execution with finesse and efficiency. By addressing common bottlenecks, fueling idea generation, and maximizing content potential, organizations can embark on a transformative journey towards achieving their content marketing objectives. As we embrace these principles and integrate them into our practices, let us embark on a path of creativity, innovation, and sustainable growth in the realm of content marketing.

The ideas you can create with these focuses and formats are ENDLESS.