Social Startup Success: Quality, Quantity and the Opportunity for Value

While researching recommended ways to kick off your social media’s content strategy, you’re more than likely to see two routes: the first, being a total investment into the flood-like quantity of content, while the second is a focus on the high-end production and quality of the content.

The first suggestion, weighted in favor of quantity, most famously touted by influencer and serial entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuck, relies on the belief that the more content posted, the more opportunity it has to be served on an audience’s timeline. Think of this like the buckshot of content: the broader the spread, the greater the chance of hitting the target - albeit without much power.

The second suggestion, which favors quality, is oftentimes the preferred practice for brands with dedicated personnel and departments to produce such high-quality pieces, like lengthy videos, photography, podcasts, blogs and more. The belief here suggests the higher the quality, the greater the chance an audience wants to consume the content. Contrary to quantity, this is the slug: a high-power piece of content that packs a punch when it delivers.

With the two different paths, it can be a frustrating dance for those new to social and developing an audience.

What constitutes a quality piece of content?

At what point is my quantity starting to look like spam?

How do I know if a strategy is working or when to change strategies?

This is where the quantity/quality argument concludes, because there’s only one variable to truly consider: value.

Value recognizes the opportunity of quantity and the importance of quality. Each piece of content created for your business should be subject to the gut check question: “how will this provide value and strengthen the relationship between my brand and my current/prospective audience?”

How does this look when put to action? Let’s say your small business, a local ice cream parlor, is kicking off their social media presence with a commitment to daily posting. You’ve drummed up some great ideas, including posting short-form videos of your “Flavor of the Week” and How-To walkthroughs showing how you make your most popular treats.

How do those ideas react to our gut check? It provides value by allowing your audience an inside look into your creation process and your product while building the relationship because they know, when repeated, where they can find your “Flavor of the Week.” It’s authentic, it’s original, and it’s engaging.

But you’ve hit a slump a few weeks in. You’ve been dry on social for three days and need to post something, so you throw up a quick photo of an ice cream cone with the post reading, “Come on down for a cool treat, we’ll be tending the counter until 9 p.m. tonight and can’t wait to see you!”

How does that post react to our gut check? Does it provide value and strengthen the relationship between your brand and your audience? In short: no, it doesn’t. It’s inauthentic, it’s salesy, and it doesn’t give your audience much of a reason to interact with the post or your page.

This is where you may start to realize the discretion it takes when relying on the quantity/quality argument. Just because you’re in need of getting content on the timeline, it doesn’t always mean pushing anything onto your page will drive you towards success on social.

Good social media comes from the consideration of who is consuming and why. When value is paramount to your decision making, that’s when you know you’re on the path to a greater presence.

To read more on why value is reliant on relationship building, click here to read our blog, “Community over Competition: What It Means For Your Social Media”.