Difference between social media strategy and content marketing strategy
While a strategy for social media and content marketing can be much of the same, there are elements that need to be considered when formulating a social media strategy and a content marketing strategy! There is a difference.
Social media calls on both the sales and marketing parts of your business.
So, what does this look like for your content? Well, come with us as we explore the differences between a social media strategy and a content marketing strategy!
What is social media?
Let’s take a look back at the basics, what is social media? In plain terms, social media is a certain online technology that pushes the sharing of ideas, photos, videos, and other kinds of information to the world.
Social media includes platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, Snapchat, and more!
The key word in social media is SOCIAL, the whole reason behind social media is so you can engage and connect with your audience, it isn’t just about producing content!
This is important to remember if you are a business owner or create content for your business.
What is content marketing?
It doesn't have to be hard. Content Marketing works like this, it is creating content (buzzword) to market your business. It is a marketing strategy!! Just like SEO, online advertising, and funnel building, content marketing is a strategy (and actually uses a lot of those other marketing elements).
AND to be fair, most marketing strategies don’t work if you don’t have the content to provide your audience!
What is it?? Content Marketing is a type of marketing that involves creating and sharing online content (including videos, blogs, and social media posts - just to name a few) that aims to create connection, awareness and of course, sales for a business.
What are sales and marketing?
To understand the difference between social media strategy and content marketing strategy, you also need to understand how sales and marketing work.
Sales and marketing go hand in hand BUT do you know how they differ?
In social media there are two parts overall we need to know:
Marketing is all about awareness. It is promoting what you want to sell to make people aware of the offer, it is the content for the product/service.
Sales are the engagement, community management, and activities leading up to the selling of the product or service you are providing.
When you are focusing on each of these things in your business, it's important to try and think "Okay right now I'm in selling mode" or "I need to be thinking with my marketing brain while writing this".
Why is this important? Well, especially if you're a solo entrepreneur this can really help divide your tone and make sure you are using the correct words. We want to make sure we are getting the exact information and tone across that you want!
To read more in-depth about the difference between sales and marketing and how they can work for your business, check out this HubSpot blog here where they give some great advice!
What are the differences between social media strategy and content marketing strategy?
Social media strategies and content marketing strategies are both essential parts of business and content creation. While they are two separate things, they actually work together and intertwine as well!
These two types of strategies show that there is more to social media than just producing content. Creating content and social media is one part of your content marketing strategy, but there are so many elements that actually make it up, things like selling and community management are big parts as well.
Content marketing, however, is using content to promote your business, whether this is through podcasts, blogs, emails, freebies, or videos, it is there to help you get content out with purpose and strategy.
To break it down a bit more, here are the key factors of each type of both social media and content marketing so you can spot the difference!
Social media strategy
Creating content on your profile
Nurturing your audience with 2-way conversation
Message sales prospects
Engagement
Content marketing strategy
Long and short-form content
Includes lead magnets
For education and value
All about sharing who you are and what you know
These two marketing strategies work together as well! You can combine them by repurposing content between social media and other platforms as well, this is a great way to create more touch points and consistency for your business.
What are the differences between social media marketing and content marketing marketing?
Looking to invest in either social media marketing or content marketing? What is the difference? This is outlined in detail in this podcast “What is the difference between investing in social media and content marketing?”.
Content marketing functions as a calculated strategy, while social media marketing operates as a conduit for direct engagement with consumers.
Content marketing provides insights into promoting your brand across diverse platforms, while social media offers a platform for executing those strategies. Moreover, social media facilitates interactions with clients and prospects, whereas content marketing focuses on sharing valuable insights and ideas.
Content Marketing Targets the Marketing Funnel: Effective content marketing strategies navigate prospects through the marketing funnel while reinforcing client relationships. These strategies may involve employing gated “freebies” to generate leads, executing targeted email campaigns to nurture leads, and offering high-quality webinars to fortify existing customer connections and establish thought leadership - while also using social media.
Social Media Concentrates on Engagement with Customers & Prospects: Social media's primary function lies in fostering communication between brands and their target audiences. By sharing information on social media platforms, brands ignite activity and discussions surrounding their offerings. This engagement fosters curiosity and motivates individuals to seek further information. Many organisations utilise social channels not only for customer service but also for direct communication with clients and gathering feedback on products, thereby eliminating the necessity for face-to-face interactions in traditional brick-and-mortar settings. Thus, social media serves as an open forum for direct exchanges with customers, enhancing brand-consumer relationships.
Should I focus on social media or content marketing?
Look at where you focus in right now in your business as a whole. For certain campaigns it might make more sense to work with social media more than other content marketing channels.
Here are some questions to ask yourself to know what you should invest in (whether time or money):
1. What are my business goals in the next 12 months to 5 years and what will help me get there?
2. Where do my leads come from?
3. Where do I like to spend my time?
4. Where do I not link to spend my time? (outsource this)
Who should I outsource to? A content marketer or a social media marketer?
We recommend outsourcing work to a content marketer. They can do the work of a social media marketer while also giving you a holistic approach to your marketing with a detailed strategy.
If however, you are looking for sales prospects, you might want to hire a sales consultant who specialises in social media. But for marketing, we suggest a content marketer.
I need help to:
Learn how to tell my unique story online
Start with content marketing strategy
Find out the content channel I should use
Not sure what I need. Can we please chat?
Final thoughts
Your social media strategy and content marketing strategy are about SO much more than just the content that you post, these two elements work best together when the entire platform is considered.
When you are planning content for the next quarter or even just the next month, make sure you are considering how you are going to engage and connect with people, repurposing across different channels, commenting, and sharing insights. There is a whole world of content and marketing waiting to be unlocked!
If you are looking for more guidance around this, make sure to check out the Content Queen content marketing strategy template!
It is a simple-to-use tool that allows you to document the process of where you will show up and when plus more guidance on how to structure a week of content!
Click the big button below now to check it out (plus, it’s FREE)!