Chapter 8: Content

Summary  •  Outline  •  Study Questions  •  Flashcards  •  Quiz

"This postcard from the edge of reason came to feel like a developmental milestone, an instant of self-consciousness in which it became clear that I was undergoing a transformation. I was being freshly coded with certain expectations of the world, one of which seemed to be an unflagging belief in the responsiveness of others and which never seemed to learn from its disappointments. Digital technology was reshaping my responses, collaborating with my instincts, creating in me, its subject, all kinds of new sensitivities." – Laurence Scott

Chapter Summary

Content decisions boil down to three basic, interconnected questions: What are my content options? Who generates the content? How do I select the right content?

Content options have two distinct dimensions: form and type. Form options address, “Is the content primarily in the form of a picture, text, video or graphic?” Type of content options address what is the nature of what actually gets posted on social media sites. Categories include such items as: news & information, events, calls to action, amusements and commentaries.

You can create your own content (internally-produced), draw content from other sources that you re-purpose, (curated), create content with your followers’ input (co-created), or rely on your fans to develop content without any prompting (user-generated).

Effective social media managers select the right content by abiding by the following principles: a) the content is aligned with the coordinates, b) sensitive to the audiences, c) compatible with the channels, d) properly apportioned among categories, and e) routinely monitored.

Chapter Outline

  • What Are My Content Options?
  • Who Generates the Content?
    • Internally-produced content
    • Curated content
    • Co-created content
    • User-generated content
  • How do I Select the Right Content?
    • Coordinate aligned
    • Audience sensitive
    • Channel compatible
    • Category apportioned
    • Feedback driven
  • Conclusion

Chapter Deep Dive Study Questions

These exercises are designed to enhance your understanding of the chapter’s key ideas, principles and approaches.

#1
Rank order the principles in Figure 8.1 from least difficult to consistently follow (1) to most difficult (5). Provide your rationale.

#2
Find three recent examples of poor social media content decisions. Discuss which principles each decision violated.

#3
Construct a grid where the horizontal axis lists 5 social media platforms you are most familiar with. On the vertical axis, identify types of content categories. a) Using the grid, place a check by the social media platforms that seem most compatible with the content category. b) Place an X by those channels that are least compatible with the content category. c) Provide your rationale for your choices.

Chapter Flashcards

[qdeck] [q] Co-created Content
[a] Content created with your followers' or customers' input.
[q] Curated Content
[a] Content that is drawn from other sources that the social media strategist re-purposes.
[q] Form Categories
[a] The options for transmitting content on social media sites. The options include a picture, text, video or graphic.
[q] Type Categories
[a] The options for the kind of content that gets posted on social media sites. Examples include content featuring news and information, events, calls to action and inspiration.
[q] User-generated Content
[a] Content that fans develop. This may include a clever or funny use of a product that catches the eye of social media managers.
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Chapter Quiz

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