Rebranding a Brander: What needs to change?

I don't know why it's taken me so long to have this epiphany, but I guess you can't choose when you have an "ah ha" moment. If you could control that, I'd be at the epiphany store daily.

Here's what's been missing from my business:

I started focusing on social media marketing with a side of content, which is totally backwards. Our mission to keep companies active on their social media platforms 5 days a week is great...but if the content stinks then what's the point?

I've spent a good, long while feeling frustrated with people who don't seem to care about what they're putting out into the world...and yet want their marketing to be a success. But I think the way I've been going about it is all wrong. We advertise as a social media marketing company when, really, success lies in the content.

The social media comes later.

I've talked about my experience gaining a following of thousands on my Widow Chick page. But here's the thing: while the following is in social media, the reason they're there is BECAUSE OF THE CONTENT.

If I just posted white-paper content about grief or graphics from other pages...why would anyone care? Instead what I did was establish a following because I had something to say that no one else was saying. And then I promoted it on social media.

Here's the thing. So many people say they don't understand social media and I get that - half the time I don't either and I'm in the business. Algorithms change, trends change, seasons change. But, honestly, none of that matters if what you're putting out there is worthwhile. After all, through all of the Facebook changes, the Widow Chick page hasn't really taken that big of a hit. That's because when I post something, it's original and something that the people on that page need.

I'm going to give you an example of creating great content that just happened in the last couple of weeks.

On a walk I had an idea for a Facebook group. I knew it was a good idea and I knew I could create meaningful content to back it up. Now, sometimes Facebook groups can be hard to get started because they're closed. You have to invite people and all that stuff. In fact, I've hesitated to create one because in order to do it and have it be successful...you have to say something.

But, again, I knew this was a good idea and I had lots of thoughts on the subject. So, Monday morning I got home from my walk, wrote a blog about what I was doing, created a group and wrote in the description what it was about. I even wrote a few extra posts to schedule and space out over the next few days to make sure I had enough content right off the bat to get it going.

By Friday there were over 200 extremely active people in the group.

Now, if I'd started the group with nothing but content and ideas from outside sources...no one would have cared. The idea wouldn't have been original and no one wants clutter in their newsfeed.

Why am I telling you this?