Flywheels Ease Content, Social Media Marketing

Content and social media are distinct marketing disciplines with a shared problem. Both must produce engaging material despite limited time and money.

Social media is essential for consistent and quick engagement and brand building. Content marketing is vital for search engine optimization and long-term relationships, leading to repeat sales.

Both are necessary and resource-intensive.

Combining the two into a single workflow can reduce the demands of each.

Deadline Chaos

An ecommerce business might need to post upward of six times daily to establish a following on X and Threads and perhaps four videos on TikTok and Instagram.

Assuming they maintain this schedule every day, the company’s marketers face roughly 140 weekly social media deadlines.

Meanwhile, the team must attract shoppers elsewhere, boost search engine rankings, and develop lasting customer relationships through blog posts, articles, podcasts, videos, and landing pages.

That’s a lot of content.

The most difficult parts are developing content ideas, producing them, and measuring the results.

A Flywheel

A business flywheel is a circular process wherein each step leads to the next.

The concept has been around for decades. Jeff Bezos famously used a flywheel to describe Amazon’s business model. Author Jim Collins wrote a book about the topic, prompting many businesses to adopt it for routine processes.

Applying a flywheel to social media and content marketing, we can focus on three steps:

• Content ideas,
• Content creation,
• Measurement.

To illustrate, let’s develop a flywheel for articles and social media posts. I’ll focus on two of our three steps: content ideas and measurement.

Let’s assume we work for a content-then-commerce business that sells licensed, science-fiction-themed products. The company attracts potential customers to its website via content that contains related products for purchase.

Here are the steps.

1. Publish a post on X

Take a topic idea and compose an X post. Give the post a measurable call to action, such as “Subscribe to email list,” “Request a sample,” or “Leave a comment.” Record the post in a spreadsheet.

Repeat this step six times per day.

Log X posts in a spreadsheet and record their performance. Here the most successful posts were about transporter failures. Click image to enlarge.

2. Measure performance

Seven days after it’s published, measure each post’s results to identify popular topics for humans and X’s algorithm. Add the metric to the spreadsheet.

3. Expand successful X posts into articles

Repurpose top-performing X posts or topics into on-site, long-form articles. Optimize each with organic search keywords.

For example, a successful X post about death in a Star Trek transporter might lead to an article titled “Death and Other Problems with Star Trek’s Transporters.”

Record the articles in the spreadsheet and set a goal for each, such as site traffic or email subscriptions.

The topics of successful X posts are expanded into articles.

4. Measure article performance

Thirty days after publication, track the article’s performance against its goal. The aim is to identify the best performers.

5. Splinter and branch successful articles

For each successful article, identify at least five “splinter” and five “branch” topics. A splinter topic may derive from a sub-heading, while a branch could be a parallel concept.

A splinter topic for the article “Death and Other Problems with Star Trek’s Transporters” could be something like “Star Trek’s Transporters Create an Existential Identity Crisis.” Use each splinter or branch idea for an X post.

This closes the flywheel. We started with an idea, created an X post, and repurposed it into blog articles, which spawned new X posts.

Our example lacks content creation, although the pattern would be similar. We could add the content creation step at “Publish posts on X” and “Expand successful X posts into blog articles.”

The flywheel starts with an idea for an X post and expands it into articles, which spawns new ideas for X posts.

5 Content Marketing Ideas for September 2024

Content marketers need new ideas every month for articles, videos, and podcasts that will keep their websites and social media profiles busy and engaged.

Content marketing is the act of creating, publishing, and promoting content to attract, engage, and retain customers.

Content marketing drives many business objectives, from search engine optimization to social media marketing to brand building. But ideas fuel this kind of marketing, and they can be challenging to come up with.

What follows are five content marketing ideas for September 2024.

National Tailgating Day

National Tailgating Day is celebrated on the first Saturday in September, which in 2024 falls on the 7th.

Luke Lorick, the founder of the Tailgating Challenge, started National Tailgating Day in 2016 and has since focused the event around a love for sports, cooking, and camaraderie.

Tailgating is an American tradition and, therefore, a content marketing opportunity.

While there is conflicting data on the economics of football tailgating, some have estimated that 80% of Americans have participated at one time or another in a tailgating event and that collectively, revelers spend about $35 billion annually on tailgating gear, food, and beverages.

Content marketers have several angles for tailgating topics, many of which can be closely associated with the products a business sells.

For example, Venture Heat, which sells coats, jackets, and vests with built-in heaters, published “The Ultimate Guide: Tips for Tailgating Like a Pro,” a short tailgating checklist that included “stay warm” and linked to three of the brand’s heated puffy vests.

Potential articles or podcasts might include:

• “21 Must-Have Tailgating Accessories,”
• “Our Favorite Tailgating Barbeque Recipes of All Time,”
• “The New Mom’s Guide to Tailgating,”
• “A Short History of Tailgating and Eating.”

National Video Games Day

National Video Games Day, celebrated on September 12, 2024, has been observed since 1991. The day honors video games’ history and cultural impact, allowing gamers and enthusiasts to unite and celebrate their passion.

National Video Games Day could be an opportunity for content marketers to express a strong opinion.

Video games are among the most popular forms of entertainment worldwide.

Pop-culture brands could focus on video games in a positive way with game-related buying guides or game culture and how it influences everything from apparel to food.

Or some brands might challenge video game culture.

Tim Stoddart, the owner of Copyblogger, encouraged marketers to “create an enemy” in an X post, saying specifically, “Create an enemy. It can be a type of person, another brand, a tactic, or an opinion. But have a ‘them’ group that you exclude and subtly attack. Most marketers don’t do this. The ones that do earn more.”

Warning. Stoddart’s advice could be dangerous, but wouldn’t that be in keeping with the spirit of the day?

Tim Stoddart, a prominent marketer and owner of Copyblogger, has a dangerous tip.

National CleanUp Day

National CleanUp Day is celebrated on the third Saturday of September. Its purpose is to raise environmental awareness, combat littering, and encourage civil responsibility.

About 2 million people volunteer yearly to pick up litter at local parks, beaches, trails, and other public spaces.

National CleanUp Day is an opportunity to volunteer and show civic pride. It can also inspire content.

For retail content marketers, National CleanUp Day is an opportunity to promote corporate responsibility, publish helpful cleaning tips, or promote products.

For example, in 2023, Electric Bike Co. published a short article announcing National CleanUp Day and encouraging folks to ride an electric bike to their clean-up event.

Similarly, the appliance brand Kenmore published a National CleanUp Day checklist focused on the event’s social aspects and commitment to sustainability.

National Dog Week

September 22 to 28, 2024, is National Dog Week in the United States. Author and dog enthusiast William Lewis Judy started the observance in 1928 to recognize the contributions dogs make to happiness and society.

More than 65 million American households keep one or more dogs.

Retailers and brands in the pet industry have the most obvious connection to National Dog Week. For example, Chewy has published hundreds of articles that could work for this occasion. Here are a few examples.

Pet supply shops are not the only ones that can use the week for content. Two out of three American households have at least one dog, making National Dog Week an opportunity for nearly every content marketer.

To remain faithful to the spirit of the week, develop content that focuses on the contributions dogs make to the industry your products serve.

Publish a Research Report

CVS Health is one example of a brand that uses surveys and research for content marketing.

In September 2024, content marketers can borrow an idea from CVS Health, a brand related to the CVS Pharmacy chain.

The company publishes annual research reports, including The RX Report, The Health Trends Report, and the National Health Project.

For the most part, these reports are based on survey data and published as PDFs.

The research becomes a digital download.

For merchants, a survey-based research project could be an effective way to drive website traffic and brand attention.

Imagine a women’s jeweler known for its classic rings, necklaces, and brooches. This brand’s marketers develop a survey asking ladies about the best Christmas presents they have received. The survey also collects demographic information and product category rankings and identifies the gifts women dislike.

At least five content-related marketing opportunities are associated with the jeweler’s Christmas gift survey.

• When promoting the survey, ask respondents to sign up for email notifications.

• Publish the survey results, again asking folks to sign up for email notifications when they download it.

• Send a press release with the survey findings and a link to the survey for journalists to share. The hope is that it will be mentioned in Christmas buying guides.

• Use individual data points for social media posts that link to the research report or the buying guide.

Content Mapping for Customer Journeys

Content mapping is a marketing technique that matches messages to meaningful stages in a shopper’s online buying journey.

The technique requires understanding shoppers’ motivations throughout the purchase process. Marketers can use this knowledge to create relevant, value-packed content to attract, engage, and retain shoppers.

Getting Started

An ecommerce content map starts with completing three tasks.

• Know the customers. At each phase of a buying journey, what is a customer’s motivation?
• Know the products. What value do the products deliver to shoppers? What differentiates the items sold or the store itself?
• Catalog content. What content has the business already produced? How does that content align with shoppers’ buying journeys and the products’ value?

A Buying Journey

While each task is important and nuanced, let’s focus this article on knowing the customers — their journeys from consideration to post-purchase.

A few models help us understand how a consumer becomes familiar with a brand or product and eventually makes a purchase. One that works well for content mapping is McKinsey & Company’s Customer Decision Journey framework, which has four buying phases.

• Initial consideration. A person has a need and begins looking for a product.
• Active evaluation. The person gathers information and compares options.
• Closure. Satisfied with the evaluation, the person makes a purchase.
• Post-purchase. The customer experiences the product and forms an opinion on future buys.

A merchant’s marketing team should interview customers and prospects to understand what motivated them at each phase. The goal is identifying what content would help move the shopper toward an eventual purchase.

A content map requires understanding the particulars of a buyer’s journey, such as why someone who moved to Arizona from Mississippi might need skin cream.

Consider a practical example. Margo moved from humid and moist Mississippi to arid Arizona because of a new job.

She soon noticed that her elbows, heels, and knuckles had dried out, cracked, and started to itch. The water-based lotion she had used for decades did nothing to help. She needed something better. Margo has entered the initial consideration phase.

Margo searches Google as she actively evaluates her dry skin options. She learns that creams have relatively more oil than lotions and thus work better in arid climates.

During the active evaluation phase, Margo found a video demonstrating how lotion dried out a chamois cloth. The video was brilliant content marketing from a direct-to-consumer cream brand. Margo enters the closure phase and is ready to purchase from the shop that produced the helpful video.

When the new tub of cream arrives, Margo experiences its regenerative capabilities. She is in the post-purchase phase. The cream met her expectations. She will likely purchase from that shop again and be open to additional recommendations.

Content Mapping

Armed with an example, a content marketer can compare and associate the value of the company’s products, its existing content, and what motivated the shopper at each phase.

The marketer will identify and fill content gaps and develop a comprehensive story that engages a shopper like Margo throughout her buying journey. This is content mapping.

The specifics of how a marketing team executes the content map will differ from one merchant to another. Nonetheless, there is a common structure.

Let’s continue the example of a business selling skin creams and use Margo’s story to represent customers with similar motivations.

Initial consideration

• Margo’s motivation. Find a solution for her dry and itchy skin.
• Merchant’s marketing objective. Make Margo aware of the brand and educate her about possible solutions.
• Types of content. Blog posts about moving to Arizona and dry skin care. YouTube videos about the same, engaging social media content, and easy-to-understand infographics about why certain products are effective in dry climates.

Active evaluation

• Margo’s motivation. Understand which products are most effective for her needs.
• Merchant’s marketing objective. Provide comprehensive information that addresses her questions and helps compare options.
• Types of content. Detailed guides comparing creams and lotions and persuasive video demonstrations, such as the chamois cloth example, will help Margo understand her dry skin and the products that can help. This phase is also a good time to employ customer testimonials to build trust.

Closure

• Margo’s motivation. Ready to purchase a product that promises better results than her lotion.
• Merchant’s marketing objective. Make the purchase process easy and reassuring, emphasizing the product’s quality.
• Types of content. Product pages featuring detailed descriptions and reviews, clear FAQs addressing common concerns, and more social proof to encourage purchase.

Post-purchase

• Margo’s motivation. Experience the cream’s promised results and consider future purchases.
• Merchant’s marketing objective. Ensure Margo is satisfied, encourage repeat business, and foster brand loyalty.
• Types of content. Follow-up emails providing usage tips and additional product recommendations, invitations to join a loyalty program, how-to guides to maximize product benefits, and surveys to collect feedback for continuous improvement.

Suggesting a blog post or video about dry skin in Arizona for the initial consideration phase is very different from writing or producing it. But creating is beyond the purpose of a map aligning content with the buyer’s journey. Creating is where content marketing comes in.

5 Content Marketing Ideas for August 2024

Content marketers seeking article or video ideas in August 2024 can commemorate the National Basketball Association and Alfred Hitchcock or recognize parents, celebrants, and challenge seekers.

Content marketing is the act of creating, publishing, and promoting content to attract, engage, and retain customers. It works because articles, videos, or podcasts are a low-risk way for shoppers to engage with a business and, in turn, create a sense of reciprocity that leads them to purchase.

The only trouble is that marketers require a steady stream of topics. Fortunately, what follows are five content marketing ideas your company can use in August 2024.

NBA Turns 75

The NBA is celebrating its 75th anniversary in August 2024.

The National Basketball Association turns 75 on August 3, 2024, creating an opportunity for content marketers to connect one of America’s most popular sports to their brands and products.

Invented in 1891 at Springfield College in Massachusetts, basketball quickly gained popularity, so much so that by 1946 two rival leagues had emerged: the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America.

After a few teams — including the forerunner to the Lakers — left the NBL for the BAA in 1948, merger talks began. The result was the NBA, launched in August 1949 by combining the 17 teams from the two leagues.

Content marketers at ecommerce shops, physical-store chains, and direct-to-consumer brands could write about the history of the NBA, basketball as a sport, or “hoops” culture.

For example, the DTC brand TruHeight makes nutritional gummies and capsules, protein shakes, sleep aids, and other products aimed at healthy growth and development in teens and children. The brand could extend its mission by publishing a series of articles about basketball’s fitness benefits.

Happy Birthday, Alfred Hitchcock

Master director Alfred Hitchcock was born in August 1899.

Born on August 13, 1899, in London, England, Alfred Hitchcock would become one of the film industry’s most celebrated directors. The “Master of Suspense” was best known for the “Rear Window” (1954), “Vertigo” (1958), and “Psycho” (1960).

Celebrating Hitchcock’s birthday via content marketing could help stores with products related to the film or entertainment industry. But other online merchants might benefit, too.

An apparel brand could focus on fashion in Hitchcock’s movies. A home decor shop could address their set designs, and a pet supply company could release a modern critique of “The Birds” (1963).

Parent-focused Back-to-school

How about a back-to-school sale for parents?

The back-to-school shopping season is among the retail industry’s high holidays. Parents buy everything from pencils and pants to computers and cars for their kindergarten to college-aged students.

Unfortunately for merchants, most of those purchases will come at discounted prices. According to the National Retail Federation, roughly 68% of back-to-school shoppers in 2024 will purchase on-sale items.

An alternative approach could be to target “back-to-school” content at parents. Here are some example article titles.

• Sporting goods store: “Fitness Routines for Parents with School-aged Kids”
• Shop selling organizers: “25 Decluttering Tips while the Kids Are in School”
• Kitchen gadget shop: “Meal Prep Hacks for Busy Parents”

Labor Day Planning Guides

Williams-Sonoma uses recipes to promote Labor Day.

Content marketing is especially effective when it is useful or helpful. A business builds connections with shoppers when it helps them learn a skill or overcome a problem.

Labor Day falls on Monday — September 2 in 2024. Many consumers will enjoy the long weekend by camping, taking a road trip, or hosting a party.

Marketers can offer helpful content that improves, simplifies, or organizes those experiences — while connecting with products available for purchase.

For example, Williams-Sonoma published a recipe set called “A Labor Day Cookout to Remember.” The recipes describe a three-course meal with bruschetta, grilled chicken, and blueberry-lavender cheesecake for dessert.

Most of the individual recipes recommend William-Sonoma products, such as a food thermometer for grilling and a set of stackable bowls.

Issue a Challenge

Take a play from the fitness industry’s book and issue a challenge in August.

In 2019, entrepreneur and podcaster Andy Frisella challenged his audience to participate in a “transformative mental toughness program” called the “Hard 75 Challenge.”

Over 75 days, participants obey a set of rules without exceptions or compromises. This includes a daily regimen of two 45-minute workouts, a strict diet, drinking a gallon of water, and reading at least 10 pages of a motivational book.

In August 2024, content marketers can borrow Frisella’s idea and challenge customers on topics related to businesses’ products or services. Here are some example challenges.

• Sustainable living for retailers selling recycled products or eco-friendly items.
• Backyard makeover for shops focused on plants, gardening supplies, power tools, and outdoor furniture.
• Healthy cooking for stores offering kitchen equipment or food box subscriptions.

The challenges could be contests, too, with participants generating social media posts for additional exposure.

5 Content Marketing Ideas for July 2024

This July offers plenty of content topics thanks to Independence Day and the Summer Olympics in Paris. But even less apparent ideas — must-have items, humor, giveaways, junk food — can make for compelling content.

Content marketing involves creating, publishing, and promoting articles, videos, and podcasts to attract, engage, and retain customers. It is crucial for search engine optimization, social media marketing, and more.

Unfortunately, coming up with new content topics month in and month out can be a task. What follows are five ideas for July 2024.

Summer Product Tutorials

In many ways, July in the Northern Hemisphere is summer itself.

Celebrations such as U.S. Independence Day on July 4, with picnics, parades, fireworks displays, and community events, make us all feel like summer has arrived.

The weather calls us outdoors, making July an excellent time to publish summer product tutorials, showing shoppers how to use your business’s items to work or play in the sun.

The Home Depot sells products to build raised garden beds, as explained in this tutorial.

Consider The Home Depot. The company’s ecommerce site has a do-it-yourself project section, complete with video tutorials explaining a project and the products. Examples include the building of garden beds, playground equipment, and more.

This concept could work for many products.

Must-have Items

Not every product needs a tutorial. Knowing how to use Velcro from The Home Depot in a garden project might be helpful, but instructions are not required for everyday items.

Mr. Porter addresses why its sneakers are a must-have.

Take shoes, for example. Content marketers could try a “must-have” article or video, such as the article from clothier Mr. Porter, “5 Must-Have Sneakers For Stepping Out In Style This Summer.”

A must-have article puts an editorial spin on product recommendations. The Mr. Porter article starts with a brief introduction, making the case for summertime sneakers.

“Summer dressing is all about fun and experimentation. It’s about trying new things and breaking out of the style comfort zone we’ve been stuck in through winter.”

Each of the five recommendations includes vivid descriptions and photography, emphasizing the shoe’s design elements and versatility. That’s critical, given that the prices are upwards of $990 a pair.

Must-have content is useful for organic search rankings, social media posts, and email newsletters.

Here are hypothetical examples:

• “10 Must-have Tools for the Perfect BBQ,”
• “5 Must-have Hats for Summer Sun,”
• “10 Must-have Dresses for Stylish Summer Soirees.”

International Joke Day

July 1, 2024, is International Joke Day. This pseudo-holiday reminds us to celebrate humor and laughter. It encourages folks to share jokes, puns, and funny stories with friends, family, and even strangers.

Tell a few jokes on July 1.

Jokes are prime, entertainment-focused content marketing. Consider assembling jokes endemic to your industry or products. Then publish them in a blog post, newsletters, and social media.

Jokes are an exception to avoiding AI-generated content. Here are five ChatGPT-produced jokes (with minor edits) for this article.

• In our store, we sell emotions — mainly frustration and impatience.
• I tried to buy a camouflage shirt online but couldn’t find it.
• I ordered a chicken and an egg from Amazon. I’ll let you know which comes first.
• I bought a belt online. It was a waist of money.
• Why don’t online shoppers get lost? They follow their carts.

National Give Something Away Day

The goal of ecommerce content marketing is to sell products. But too much selling can be counterproductive. An exception could be National Give Something Away Day on July 15, 2024, when marketers can combine charity giving with a sales promotion.

Use National Give Something Away Day for charitable giving.

Here is the idea.

• Identify a charity that makes sense for your business.
• Connect with the charity for a sales-based contribution, such as 5% of revenue on July 15.
• Interview folks at the charity about their work and impact.
• Produce an article, video, or podcast of the interview.
• Run ads and public-relations campaigns to promote the event.

Junk Food Day

Content can promote junk food or discourage it.

National Junk Food Day on July 21, 2024, allows content marketers to praise the fun of junk food or the opposite, healthy eating.

Content about healthy eating and lifestyles could include:

• Power equipment retailer’s newsletter: “Healthy Lunchbox Tips for Construction Pros.”
• Kitchen shop’s blog: “From Junk to Joy: Transform Meals with Healthy Ingredients.”
• Apparel brand’s podcast: “Dress for Success: 10 Nutritious Tips for a Busy Lifestyle.”

Conversely, content marketing could praise the temporary enjoyment of junk food. Here are more examples.

• Power equipment retailer: “Break Time Bliss. 35 Junk Food Picks for Hardworking Builders.”
• Kitchen shop’s blog: “15 Forbidden Meals for National Junk Food Day.”
• Apparel brand’s podcast: “Stylish Snacks for National Junk Food Day.”

Q&A: Joe Pulizzi, Content Entrepreneur

Joe Pulizzi is the author of seven books on content marketing, host of two podcasts, and a popular speaker. He’s the founder of multiple content-marketing businesses, including The Tilt (website, newsletter, publishing services) and the annual Content Entrepreneur Expo.

His latest book, “The Content Entrepreneur,” is a 40-chapter guide from 33 seasoned content marketers. Topics include choosing a content niche, technology and platforms, audience-building, revenue channels, and long-term growth. The book is available in hardcover ($45), paperback ($25), and as an ebook ($10).

I asked Pulizzi about the book, the industry, authorship, and more.

Practical Ecommerce: What’s a content entrepreneur?

Joe Pulizzi: A content entrepreneur is a mini media company. This means first building an audience that knows, likes, and trusts you. What are the members’ pain points? What keeps them up at night? If you solve their challenges consistently, you’ll be a content entrepreneur in no time. Produce a compelling newsletter, podcast, or YouTube show. Then monetize.

It’s different from launching a product — the content is the product, but you can’t make money until you build the right audience.

An entrepreneur’s life has crazy ups and downs — tremendous successes and incredible failures on the same day.

Joe Pulizzi, publisher of “The Content Entrepreneur”

PEC: Why publish “The Content Entrepreneur“?

Pulizzi: My VIP group from Content Entrepreneur Expo wanted to collaborate on a project. We believed a resource was needed for content entrepreneurs. We met at CEX 2023 and assembled 33 authors to create the book, which we launched before CEX 2024 in early May.

Collaboration among 33 contributors is incredibly difficult. I wouldn’t recommend it. Luckily, we have a group of content pros who know their areas well. Most are authors in their own right. A fantastic editorial and project management team through Tilt Publishing made it happen.

PEC: You’ve now published seven books since 2008 on content marketing.

Pulizzi: The book business has changed. Most authors assume they must publish and sell through external channels. That’s no longer the case.

Affordable technology can create amazing book experiences without a traditional publisher and sell directly from authors’ websites. Why create an audience and send members elsewhere to buy the book? It makes no sense.

I created Tilt Publishing to help authors create excellent books and then sell them directly to subscribers, fans, and followers. It’s essential for long-term success.

Tilt Publishing is a hybrid — not a traditional publisher but not a vanity (custom) press, either. We assist with the backend editing, design, and distribution. Authors no longer need publishers for credibility.

Yet books remain vital. The data doesn’t lie. In 2023, almost 1 billion books were sold worldwide.

A nonfiction book is a content entrepreneur’s mission statement. What do I stand for? What do I believe?

PEC: What’s the future of content marketing?

Pulizzi: Innovative companies will continue focusing on building or buying their own audiences. Ads will never go away. They serve a purpose and still work. But why rent when you can own? To own, you need to tell a compelling story. If you do it well, you can dominate your industry. It’s not a bad place.