Creative Content Strategy vs. Social Media Content Strategy: What’s the Difference?
In the world of digital marketing, the term “content strategy” is often thrown around, but it’s important to understand that not all content strategies are the same. Two common approaches that often get confused are creative content strategy and social media content strategy.
While they might seem similar at first glance, they serve different purposes and play distinct roles in your overall marketing efforts. Understanding the difference between these two strategies can help you create more effective content and "better" achieve your business goals.
What is a Creative Content Strategy?
Creative content strategy is about the big picture. It’s the overarching plan that defines how your brand will communicate with your audience across all channels and touchpoints.
Purpose: The main purpose of a creative content strategy is to establish your brand’s voice, tone and messaging. It’s about storytelling and creating content that resonates with your audience.
Scope: This strategy is broad and encompasses all forms of content, including blogs, videos, podcasts, infographics and more. It’s not limited to a single platform or type of content but instead provides a cohesive vision that guides all your content creation efforts.
Focus: The focus is on making sure all your content aligns with your brand’s core values and objectives. Regardless of where the content is published, it's about consistent messaging. A creative content strategy ensures that your content tells a story that connects with your audience emotionally.
Example: Imagine a brand launching a campaign that spans across multiple platforms, such as blogs, videos, and podcasts, all centered around a unified theme like sustainability. The creative content strategy would define the key messages, the tone of voice, and the narrative that ties all these pieces together.
What is a Social Media Content Strategy?
Social media content strategies, on the other hand, are more specific and focused. It’s the plan that outlines how your content will be created and shared on social media platforms.
Purpose: The primary goal of a social media content strategy is to engage with your audience on social platforms, increase your reach, and drive specific actions, such as likes, shares, comments, or clicks.
Scope: This strategy is narrower, focusing specifically on content that will be published on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and others. It includes posts, stories, reels and any other content tailored for social media consumption.
Focus: The focus is on optimising content for each social platform. This means understanding the algorithms, tailoring content to fit the platform’s format and audience, and making sure your content is shareable and interactive. It’s also about timing and frequency – knowing when to post and how often to maintain engagement.
Example: Consider a brand that runs an Instagram campaign focused on user-generated content. The social media content strategy would detail the types of posts, hashtags, engagement tactics and posting schedule needed to make this campaign successful on Instagram.
Key Differences Between the Two
Understanding the differences between these two strategies is crucial for maximising your marketing efforts:
Scope and Scale: A creative content strategy is broad and holistic, guiding all content creation across different channels. In contrast, a social media content strategy is more focused, dealing specifically with content for social platforms.
Objective: The objective of a creative content strategy is to build a consistent brand narrative that connects with your audience. A social media content strategy, however, is about engaging your audience on specific platforms to drive “measurable actions” like engagement and conversions.
Implementation: A creative content strategy is foundational and long-term, influencing all your content marketing efforts. A social media content strategy is tactical, adapting to the fast-paced nature of social media and the specific requirements of each platform.
Metrics: Success in a creative content strategy is often measured by brand awareness, audience perception and overall content consistency. In contrast, the success of a social media content strategy is measured by metrics like likes, shares, comments, reach and conversions specific to social platforms.
Why You Need Both
Both strategies are essential components of a successful digital marketing plan:
Complementary Roles: Your creative content strategy is there to ensure your brand message is consistent across all channels. Meanwhile, your social media content strategy is needed to make sure your messaging is effectively communicated and tailored for the social media platforms where your audience spends time.
Synergy: When these strategies are aligned, they amplify and support each other. Your creative content provides the fuel for your social media efforts, while your social media strategy ensures that your content reaches AND engages your target audience effectively.
Conclusion
Although a creative content strategy and a social media content strategy are different, both are crucial to your marketing success. In order to build an engaging and growing audience on social media, you need to understand and incorporate both strategies.
