Social Content Sweetspot

Description

The purpose of a Social Content Sweetspot framework is to identify the core topics that a brand will engage in via social media. Often, marketing teams struggle to establish editorial guardrails and chase topics that appears to be trending. The result is that the brand does not have a clear or coherent identity in social media, which confuses and ultimately turns off audiences. The Social Content Sweetspot framework helps marketing teams identify those topics that align with the interests of the community and the positioning of the brand. Completing the framework also forces marketers to identify those topics that competitors are focused on and should be avoided in order to stand out.

‍Question

What are the core topics we will engage in within social media?

Steps

Consider your brand, and identify the conversations that you want to have with your customers. These are topics that put your brand in a positive light and can lead to positive outcomes (e.g., benefits). List in the Motivation quadrant.
Identify the conversations that your brand can credibly lead. These are topics relating to your experience or area of expertise (e.g., commitment to a cause). List in the Authority quadrant.
Consider your target community, and identify their common passion points in social media. These are topics that consistently drive outsized levels of engagement (e.g., how-to content). List in the Attraction quadrant.
Identify the types of conversations that your target community avoids posting about in social media. These topics may be too personal or risky to engage in (e.g., health conditions). List in the Disclosure quadrant.
Once completed, explore the connections between the quadrants and identify potential topics that align the brand and the community. Prioritize those that competitors are not focusing on. List in the Content Sweetspot.

Considerations

Stress test your Sweetspot to ensure that it is fertile enough to inspire new content ideas for social media.
Ensure that your Sweetspot is not so broad that it your content risks feeling disconnected to your community.
Review the last 6 months of trending topics to see if your brand could have engaged with cultural opportunities.