The majority of businesses recognise the importance of keeping their website and social media channels busy.

Spend just half an hour looking at a snap shot of businesses online and you will see a veritable smorgasbord – some do it well, some do it okay and, most, do it pretty badly.

That’s because it’s not easy continually coming up with original and relevant content that ‘sells’ your business or brand in a smart and engaging way.

Great content generation needs planning. The best companies will have a content schedule with deadlines for the delivery and posting of new content. They’ll also be flexible enough to be able to build in additional items if opportunities arise.

Content can take many forms from blogs, case studies and e-shots to thought leadership articles, white papers and eye-catching infographics.

We are also commissioning an increasing number of videos for our clients who are looking for a blend of the written word and powerful film content.

Clients are often concerned about the amount of time they will need to give to the content generating process.

The answer is that time is required. After all, it’s your business, not ours. You live and breathe it every day. You are creating the products and services and going out to sell them to your various markets.

But the beauty of a good content partner is that the time-consuming bit, namely the drafting of the articles, is taken off your desk and on to ours.

In the case of a couple of clients, they each have around a dozen different business leaders who are responsible for engaging with us to discuss ideas for potential blogs, case studies and longer form articles.

In a typical month, this might necessitate a half hour phone call with some or all of the group, after which we will be drafting the content for the client to then sign off.

It’s exactly how good content generation should work. And it gets results.

The client gets regular brand exposure with intelligent content that informs as well as sells. Key individuals within an organisation get good personal profile to help them start or develop conversations with potential customers.

Great content is powerful and does not have to be the preserve of bigger companies. Done well, a smart content plan can help newer, challenger brands, who don’t have the same advertising budgets as some of their larger competitors, punch well above their weight.

There have never been so many different channels to share great content. Add to this the re-emergence of more traditional forms of media, such as beautifully produced magazines, which are being used by a growing number of businesses as a distinct point of difference from all the online noise.

If you’d like to find out more about MASON content packages for businesses, please give me a call on 07903 237008 or email me – nick@masonmedia.co.uk