Madison Utendahl: Brand Storytelling that Builds Community

August 19 & 20: Built to Last Audio Conference from Buffer and Wistia

Speaker: Madison Utendahl, founder of Utendahl Creative

Links:

• Utendahl Creative

Saves and shares are the metrics to measure

Over the last couple of years, the metrics we should be using to measure success have shifted from likes and followers to saves and shares.

When someone saves or shares your content it means it's resonating with them. A save means someone has found value in your content and it's something they want to reference and go back to. And if someone shares a post it’s a public declaration to show they feel aligned with your brand.

So if your metrics for success are saves and shares, you’ll be able to build a very engaged and loyal social media audience.

Keep your story moving forward

You should look at every quarter almost like a season of a TV show for your brand. Across seasons (or quarters) some content will stay the same, and the overarching vision/story will remain. But in order to stay captivating and interesting to your audience, there has to be a new storyline, new characters, new ideas and new creative.

When assessing your content strategy, ask yourself questions like: What is happening in Q1? And how does that play into Q2? What is the evolution of this character or this creative? To keep your audience hooked, your strategy needs to be constantly evolving.

Plan ahead and use content templates

If you want to consistently deliver high-quality, engaging content to your audience try to calendarize your content plan your posts one or two weeks ahead if possible. That might seem overwhelming, but having a brand book and content templates will help you a great deal.

A brand book sets guardrails for copy and creative, so that no matter who is managing your accounts, there is consistency and aesthetic. Have a list of words that are on brand or off brand, and example posts that fit with your brand as well as others that don’t.

And when it comes to producing content, templates can be your best friend. Templates offer a way to systematize your creative, so you don’t have to start from scratch with every post.