I’ve heard content marketing described as the treadmill that languishes in the corner of your flat with dirty laundry hanging on it serving as a constant reminder that you’re procrastinating a highly important activity. You know you should get on it, and you sometimes bring yourself to do it, but ultimately it falls to the wayside in the face of more pressing matters.
That said, it can’t, and shouldn’t, be seen as a secondary or tertiary part of your overall strategy. It is absolutely core to the way your brand is being seen across the web and beyond. It just might be happening in a slightly more subtle, but no less impactful, way compared with some of the things jumping to the top of your inbox.
Content marketing is, in a nutshell, the delicate delivery of your message in the online world. I say it’s delicate because content marketers are walking a fine line of getting their brand’s message across whilst ensuring they’re not being too salesy, because nothing turns an online consumer off more than a direct sales pitch. On the other hand, listing content can be more directly salesy because, hey, if you’re on a site full of listings, you’ve pretty much raised your hand to say that you’re ready to be sold to.
So here are some tips to keep you on track when you’re building your content and listings strategy...
1. Determine where your audience lives online
It might not make sense to put yourself on every single platform that’s out there. You need to be strategic about where your audience spends their time. It’s good to think about your audience as concentric circles of specificity. Start with the highly targeted platforms where your audience is focused, and you can add increasingly general platforms outward.
2. Don’t start more than you can finish
If you only have the capacity to list on one listing platform and run one social media account, don’t sign up for all of them just for the sake of it. Be realistic about what you can manage on an ongoing basis. There’s nothing worse than contacting a listing that’s no longer available or clicking on a Twitter icon on the footer of a website just to see it hasn’t been updated since 2016.
3. Spend the money on imagery
The one thing that’s ubiquitous across every sector and nearly every platform is that imagery is crucial. Think about all the time and money you’ve spent on your product. Do you really want to cut corners on what is often the first introduction to your potential customers when they have a fickle scroll pad at their disposal? It’s not the time, trust me.
4. Control your narrative
Remember that your content doesn’t all originate with you. Ensure that you know of all the places where your brand is mentioned online, including review sites, directories, and publications. And, wherever the opportunity arises, get involved. It’s important to be responsive, empathetic, and create a consistent voice across platforms that you’ve chosen to list on and those that you haven’t.
5. Set aside time in your calendar to update your content
If you have the budget for a dedicated content resource, then great. But, if you don’t, then block out time in your calendar to make regular updates. Even if it ends up getting pushed back for another meeting, which I would advise against of course, you’ll still be reminded that you need to do it—and sometimes that’s the push you need.
The important thing to remember is that content isn’t an afterthought. Your customers are accessing your content whether you’re originating it or not which means that content needs to be an ongoing part of your overall marketing strategy. The good news is that for flex operators, there is no more relevant place to start than Instantoffices.com to reach a highly targeted audience.
Kiyoko has over 12 years of experience in listings and content. She formerly served as EVP at North America’s largest listing portal for new construction homes which was acquired in 2021 by the largest provider of data to home builders in the US. Kiyoko was also an active member of the Urban Land Institute chapters in New York and Los Angeles, though she originally hails from Toronto. Kiyoko now leads the content and listings team at The Instant Group.
