We often hear about the importance of timing in content marketing and public relations. I’d like to include pacing as something just as important. As a runner, I think about pacing a lot especially when I’m in training for a race. The idea of running for a marathon can be scary, but I understand the importance of training. Because of my weekly schedule and the very cold weather this time of year, I don’t have a lot of time to spend running, so I have to be efficient with my training. Pacing is part of that. Good pacing in a race can make the difference between bonking halfway through or finishing strong with a personal best. You can use this same principle in managing your marketing and public relations content throughout the year
Efficient communication
Pacing in your content strategy can result in more effective and more consistent communication with your audience. Pacing yourself can mean organizing your content calendar and in relation to content flow. It’s said that in marketing and public relations, timing is everything. For example, by sprinkling your social media content in posts throughout the week and focusing on when your audience is most active, you as an organization are showing that you are actively engaged and consist in communicating with your followers.
Content planning
It can be difficult to plan and balance all of your content output. Between media releases, blog posts, videos, tweets, pins, podcasts, and images there is a lot of media to be put out on a monthly basis. When taking on a new project or adding a new tool to your work flow, it is natural to be excited and take on too much too soon. The problem with that is putting out 15 tweets one week and two the next and then five the week after can make your team seem inconsistent and not serious about your communication. Controlling your content outflow in a consistent and organized way can help.
Tools are friends
As I became more serious in my running, it was natural that I started using more tools (GPS watch and running web app) to help keep track of my training routes, running speed and timing. Now I know that to run, I really don’t need these extra tools. You put your sneakers on and go right? Runners do that everyday. But using these extra tools and a training plan helps keep me on track so I always know where I am in the overall arc of the year. The extra tools also help me move forward, and motivate me to set new goals when I review my data.
Let’s face it, a new communication tool or application being released every day can be overwhelming. I don’t want you to feel dread when adding another tool to your social media work flow. I want you to feel excited to find another way to pace your communications with your audience. Once you have an editorial calendar that has organized your content delivery into a consistent schedule, occasionally experimenting with a new tool will not be overwhelming.
Don’t forget to fuel
Proper fueling is always important when running your race. You need to take in enough energy to keep you strong and moving until the very end.
Having a well thought out content schedule and social media plan can alleviate any pressure or anxiety about when to post content, but you’ll need engaging content. Integrating your own original content with shareable found content in your social media marketing plan, allows your team to smoothly stay on track with consistent posting. Of course, you’ll need content to share and that’s where content curation comes in to play. There are many online tools that are available to help you gather interesting articles or information for your audience and followers. Tools like Feedly or Hootsuite can help you gather interesting articles and links from blogs, websites or important social media streams that your audience will find interesting and help you stay on message.
How to Pace your Content? Stay on message
We all want to be timely in our posting, and the nature of social media is to react immediately to any interesting news or events. Don’t let outside influences dictate your pace. It’s great to react in a timely manner to events happening in the moment, but you should always stay in control of communication and make sure your message reflects your overall mission. Marketing is about communicating your message and moving forward step by step through your yearly goals and campaigns. Sometimes we may want to rush ahead and run at the front of the pack, but proper pacing will always get you to the finish line.
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