348: Social commentary style content, should I try it?

Always chasing content ideas, and none of them feel like you? There’s a style of content that might take the pressure off, because you don’t have to start from a blank page.

I’m unpacking social commentary: what it is, why it works, and whether it’s right for your business. I’m also sharing how I use it with a client right now, plus the questions I ask before jumping on anything. You’ll know by the end whether to give it a go.

If you LOVED this episode, make sure you share this on your Instagram stories and tag us @contentqueenmariah.

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KEY EPISODE TAKEAWAYS 👇

✨ Social commentary is responding, reacting or adding your take to something already happening, through the lens of your expertise

✨ It works for building credibility, not for being controversial or hopping on every trend

✨ Ideas are everywhere. News, pop culture, books, podcasts, articles, buzzwords and other people’s videos

✨ Reactive doesn’t have to mean hamster wheel. With a strategy and a mostly scheduled content plan, you can slot a post in or swap one out

SHOW RESOURCES 👇

If you like this episode, don't forget to share it to your Instagram stories and tag me⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @contentqueenmariah⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Other than that, enjoy - chat next week 💕

PODCAST TRANSCRIPTION

Mariah: [00:00:00] This is episode 348, and I'm talking all about social commentary content and is it something you could try? Welcome to the Content Queen podcast. I'm your host, Mariah, entrepreneur, storyteller, digital nomad, creative content boot camp, and founder of Content Queen, with over 10 years experience in marketing.

This podcast is here to help you create your ideal content marketing strategy by blending storytelling and strategy. So, let's get into it. Hello, gang. All right, question, social commentary. This is a style of content. Is it something that, as a business owner, I could try? That's what I wanna unpack today and really go through the fact that we're always trying to chase content ideas, find things that we could create to market our business, and often we do it from a place of it not feeling authentic.

And I know I'm really conscious of information overload, but if this is something that resonates with you, it might be a really easy way for you to create content, create a plan, and build from [00:01:00] there, and create connection online. So you may have remembered a few episodes ago, and I'll link it in the show notes, where I did a whole episode on comments being content, and I got this from, uh, a guy that had commented on a video, and that comment alone had so many likes and- He was a therapist, so it was kind of where I was like, you know, not recommending him, but then knew about his business, and then I knew he'd gained followers, 'cause he looked like he'd had a spike of followers considering he didn't post that much content.

And this is making a comment, like social commentary. Now, if you wanna learn about content through comments, the comments section, you can go back and listen to that episode. But what I'm talking about today is, yeah, creating that commentary. You know, adding commentary to something that's already happening.

So I'm gonna go through a little who, what, when, where, and why in this episode, and by the end of it, hopefully it'll help you determine whether this is something that you may wanna try. And preface, having a strategy is really helpful, 'cause it means that you get to make decisions on whether this is something that is good for you or not good for you.

So if you ever wanna join boot camp, we do [00:02:00] live rounds, and I can support you on if this is right for your business and what you wanna create. So the first thing is what is social commentary? Basically, it is content where you respond, react, or add your take on something that's already happening in the world.

You know, something that's going on, something that's popular, something everyone's talking about. And it's not necessarily starting from a blank page, it's building and adding on the layers of something that's already out there. Now, it works because people are already talking about it, right? So you're just joining in on the conversation, you're not really, um, starting from scratch, and you're able to add the lens of your expertise, your credibility, the things that you are known for.

And it adds... You know, I think social commentary is a really big part of TikTok, especially now, so it's always adding layers. And what I find as a consumer, is even though I know what's happened, say a moment has happened, maybe it's drama, maybe it's not, just something, but I just like to hear other people's takes.

We're always looking for validation from other people. So if you can add your own expertise and your own credibility into this content, you are helping [00:03:00] people that are looking for answers, looking for validation. It's not just about being controversial or hopping on every trend, it's adding your perspective and expertise to something that other people care about.

So not just trying to pull something out of nowhere, actually having something that you care about and you wanna share, and not just being controversial for the sake of it. 'Cause some people do this to have their viral moment, and for you, it is really about building credibility and building expertise online.

So if you are... So this is a bit of a hint if you're thinking about this. If you're someone that wants to build a personal brand, be credible, be seen as an expert, social commentary could be a really great way to do that. Now- When we think about types of social commentary, I thought let's give you some examples so you can sort of paint the picture.

So obviously we know it is something, maybe a new- news moment. So pop culture moments, um, a, a celebrity moment, uh, you know, Taylor Swift getting married, everyone wanted to have their take on that. Um, you know, things that are currently happening. A, a show that everyone's talking about, you know, when it was Off Campus, everyone was sort of [00:04:00] adding their own expertise lens on, like, even from anything from feminism to, you know, feeling safe, um, at a university to, um, gender-based violence, et cetera.

Like, everyone was sort of adding their own take and lens. It's something that's currently happening in the social space, um, what's happening on the news. Just anything that you feel like you wanna create your own commentary to, and I'll share an example soon. Books you've read. So any book you've read, I gra- grabbed a lot of insight from Atomic Habits by James Clear because it was really linked to people showing up on social media.

So it can be a book that people have read, that you've read. There could be a quote, a lesson, an idea from that that you can pull on and add your own level of expertise. That's creating social commentary on a book. Furthermore, a podcast that you listened to. Um, in the past, I listened to a podcast by s- Cody Sanchez.

I use that content, um, when I'm talking about getting referrals. I've used it in one of my most recent workshops, um, something that she'd said. So I was able to quote her [00:05:00] on that podcast and use that as my own level of social commentary. I can use that in my webinars, on my podcast, in my social media content, in my emails.

A lot... If you follow a lot of my content, a lot of it is social commentary, just on different things, not just... I don't really jump on pop culture moments, but I make social commentary on other bits and pieces that are happening around me And then popular concepts, buzzwords, ideas, something that everyone's talking about and how you can unpack that, you know, whether it is, um, things that are, you're seeing circulating online.

Basically anything that people are talking about and you wanna add to the conversation, that is creating social commentary. But further to that, anything you've read, like an article you read, things that have worked really well with clients in the past, is taking articles and using those articles and the concepts of those articles to make social commentary on platforms like LinkedIn.

Worked really well, have been able to add a lot of value. Um, some have been featured by LinkedIn themselves, and some of them g- gain a lot of conversation, [00:06:00] right? So anything that you see is happening and you can make social commentary on is a social commentary moment. I just wanna hijack this episode to tell you about something that is generally helping and changing the game for business owners that I work with.

So if you're sitting there at 5:00 PM scrambling, not sure what to do, what to post, you are not alone. And I have, in fact, been there along with many other businesses that I've worked with, getting to my laptop, throwing something together, pushing it out there, throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks.

Now, this is not strategy and it really feels like survival. That is why I created Content Bootcamp. It is my signature program that takes you through the seven steps to create a really intentional and aligned content strategy for your business. One that is actually documented, is actually for you, and actually gets results.

So there's no more guessing, no more winging it, and no more content hamster wheel. By the end of your journey in Content Bootcamp, you'll have a clear plan on what to post, where to post it, and why, plus the [00:07:00] confidence to actually execute it. And you're not doing it alone because I do live calls all the time, so you'll get access to me.

I can help you with your strategy and a community of other business owners that are doing the same thing. You'll also get lifetime access, so if your business evolves and grows and changes, it will grow and evolve and change with you. So if you are ready to stop winging it and start being intentional with your marketing, get a strategy behind you.

Head to contentqueenmariah.com, check out Bootcamp, Content Bootcamp. I would love to see you there. So I wanted to share a client example of this so you can just understand what's happening. So I'm not gonna name this client, but basically there's a lot happening in the news about a specific topic that their industry is involved in.

It is a heavy topic. There is a lot going on. Um, so basically we are creating a lot of reactive content because there is, every time I seem to open TikTok or I, um, you know, open my emails from news.com.au, there is something happening in this industry. We get to pick and choose what we [00:08:00] comment on based on what our overall goal and plan is of the business.

So this is where we will loop back on the power of having a strategy, and this is where reactive content can be, um, utilized. So we see something, and we wanna grab onto it. So from that, we have created a long-form piece, which is a blog, that we can also connect into our newsletter, and then one of the founders, I've gotten them to do responsive content that we can either post on its own or we can pull from other people's social commentary and do things like on Instagram called Stitch or Duet, where you take a portion of that person's video, you click Duet, the function on Instagram.

Uh, that one's on TikTok, or, um, Remix, I think it's called, on Instagram, and then you add your social commentary at the end of it. So it's called stitching, right? Stitching someone else's video with yours over the top. So that's how we've been able to do this. And how it works and why it works is 'cause people are already searching it, they're already reading about it, and they're wondering about this topic.

So what we've been able to do is not just talk about the topic, we've added the layer [00:09:00] of where their business stands on this and how it... And not saying, "This is why our business can help you," it's more like we add that level of expertise, so what they would recommend, what they would do, and then obviously the solution is the product or service that they offer.

So you don't have to necessarily say, "And this is why my product or service is good because of this," it's sort of alluded to in the recommendations that you give And it is worth sharing that this client is really clear in their audience, the industry expertise to build on. So this makes, um, that social commentary easy to do, uh, fast to do, but also, um, not feel overwhelming.

And, and we draw the line based on the strategy, okay? So we don't have to comment on every single thing, and it doesn't mean, like, oh, every Wednesday I do social commentary, because a lot of it is when it's coming up in the moment. So what we end up doing is that's why we have the power of a strategy. So it d- yes, social commentary can be reactive, but if you have a plan and a strategy, you know, [00:10:00] okay, if I plan out my two-week content sprint or whatever that looks like, I've talked about content sprints before, you're not gonna add in a social commentary part unless you really love to do it and you can find enough ideas and you can keep it happening and it becomes a bit of a segment.

But when something does come up, you can go, "Okay, does it connect to what I actually do? Does my audience speak about it or will they connect with it? Does it fit to my brand values? And can I add something useful or insightful?" So if you go yes, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, but it is reactive content. The beauty of having a strategy is most of your content plan should be already mostly done and scheduled, so you can slot pieces in as either extra posts or in replacement of a post that could never date, and maybe you reschedule it to another time.

Yes, it is reactive if it is something that pops up then and there and you wanna jump on it, but the beauty of having a strategy is you go, "Okay, cool," like, "I don't have to stress about this because I know where it fits, I know what to do with it." But if it is reactive, all my other content is done, so I can just focus on that.

And obviously with AI [00:11:00] now, we can build things a lot quicker. But what I've found with this particular client is I'm not stressed when reactive content comes up, in terms of social commentary, because I have 10 plus other clients I have to serve. I can actually jump on it fast because all the other content is already planned, mapped out, organized to the strategy, to the content plan.

So adding in these posts, I can either decide if it's an extra post or if it's something that I push, like I push something else instead of it. So it doesn't have to be that you are then in this reactive hamster wheel. It just means when these things come up, you can react to them, and then you can go back to business as usual.

But you decide based on the strategy, based on what you have already mapped out, and based on if it's in alignment with what you would like to talk about, not just trying to pluck things just because of it. So, should you try social commentary? Really, it comes back to if you have a clear strategy, a point of view, and a place where it fits, for sure, try it.

Don't try and fit, what do they say, a square [00:12:00] peg into a s- round hole. You don't have to force these things, but when they do come up, it is important to jump on them. So if you like to be planned and strategic and systematic, you may just need to play around with how you add reactive content into your strategy, and I'm more than happy to help.

If you are someone that's a little bit more, um, less systematic, more intuitive, this would work really well for you, but please have a strategy and a content plan so you're not just reacting solely on social commentary. I'd love to know what things come up on your feed, and if there's anything that you would like to comment on, and, and how you would do that.

You know, that's where having your messaging is really clear, knowing what you wanna be known for, which is my, what I call content buckets, and I go heavily and deeply on them in Content Boot Camp. So maybe it's just about how can I set myself up for this kind of social commentary content? And as I said, my inbox is always open to help.

But be a content queen or king, and remember that developing your strategy and story develops your business. Thank you so much for joining me today. Please don't forget to share this with all your business and entrepreneurial friends. [00:13:00] You can do this by tagging me at Content Queen Mariah, or just tell them about it.

If you do rate and review, it helps me get more amazing guests on the show. Uh, it helps push this podcast out further into the atmosphere so that I can get more feedback and continue to develop and evolve it. So if you love this show and you haven't left a rating and review, please do. Follow me on Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, wherever you may find me, and let me know what guest topics you wanna hear about, especially in 2027, as I'm starting to open my books up again to interviews.

I'd love to know who you wanna hear from, what content you wanna hear from next year, and I'll talk to you soon. Bye.

PodcastMariah MacInnesmarketing, marketing advice, how to be authentic online, business ownerComment