We all have them—those periodic major announcements that give us something to really blow our horns about. But what do you talk about in the lull between the “big stuff” like new product launches, key customer wins or industry partnerships? The reality is that, these days, when things go radio silent for too long a stretch of time, it’s easy to live up to the old adage, “out of sight, out of mind.”
What forms does this radio silence take? In addition to too much time without editorial coverage, it can also be a dearth in your postings on social media, a dust-covered blog that hasn’t been updated in weeks (or longer), 
or a span of time where customers and prospects simply aren’t hearing from you. When these things happen, your brand recognition and awareness about your company can really start to backslide.
To augment those major announcements you have a time or two each year, it’s important to generate a secondary, regular flow of interesting content to keep your marketing momentum going in between. Having such content helps ensure you remain top of mind with customers and prospects, and with key influencers like journalists and analysts covering your business sector.
Here’s what to do to get the ball rolling on such content:
– Start by hosting a team brainstorm to identify interesting story ideas, bylined articles, blog and social media content, high-value email content—even things like affordable web video and infographics. Get creative! Your ideas should also leverage industry trends and hot topics, as well as customer pain points, to ensure optimal pick-up and engagement.
– Next, develop a schedule for developing all the decided-up content, including story pitches that can be used with media. Then stick to that schedule to ensure a regular, steady stream of compelling subject matter throughout the year. Be sure to plan your schedule around those “big news” announcements so that you use this secondary content in their wake to keep things going.
– Don’t forget about the all-important content dissemination aspect. Your outreach strategy can include anything from traditional media outlets, to social media channels to email marketing campaigns—even collateral for your use by your sales reps. Your marketing team should brainstorm all the ways to get your content out and develop action points for making it happen.
While such a plan is something your marketing team can certainly do itself, Carabiner does work with many of our clients to develop creative, compelling content that fills in the spaces between their “big stuff.” We refer to this as our StoryTeller™ program, which is an excellent option if you’re short on marketing resources. It can also be made affordable for most any size business, since we can flexibly scale our services up or down based on your budget and the amount and frequency of content you desire.
Could your company use help in creating a regular, secondary flow of content to keep customers, prospects and influencers tuned in during those weeks and months between the “big stuff?” If so, let me know. I’d love to learn more about your business and talk specifically about how we can create a StoryTeller campaign just for you.