It’s my guess that you’re not grinding away at content creation because it’s your favorite thing to do. When you started your company, maybe you didn’t realize how important content was going to be for scaling your brand. It’s even more difficult to find motivation to create something that you believe gets lost in a sea of competitors’ content. I get it.
With content saturation, content overload, and so much in your feed every day, let’s be honest, it’s difficult to stand out. Instead of giving in and slowing down your content game, get one step ahead of your industry competitors and create content that stands out and gets your target audience clicking with the following tips.
Grab a glass of wine and tell them it’s research!
This is where you start. Dig deep and get into the minds of your consumers. Put yourself in their shoes and think like they would. Understand your audience’s motivators, know what they’re looking for, and recognize their pain points. The better insight you have about who your customers are and what they’re looking for, the more directed and applicable your content will be. Don’t rush the research process; have a glass of wine and take your time. It’ll all be worth it in the end.
I need you to need me
Yes, that’s a Cheap Trick reference. It feels nice to be needed, right? Now that you know your loyal and potential customers, it’s time to focus all of your content energy on answering their most important questions and solving their most significant problems. If you want to hit your engagement goals and reel in that ROI, you have to provide the value that your followers are craving. How is your content making their lives easier? What are you doing to fill a gap, satisfy a need, or address a challenge?
Give the people what they want!
Did you know that 70% of web traffic comes from mobile phones and 61% of users will never return to a website that is not mobile-friendly? The point here is that it’s all about the experience. Your consumers are looking for visually appealing content, user-friendly interactions, and convenient ways to access your content. The way your content looks, feels, and acts on the outside is just as important as what’s inside, especially if you want any engagement on your posts.
C’mon baby, let’s do the twist
Chubby Checker, anyone? You’ve probably heard us talk about unique angles before, but the right angle is so important for content success. Take a look at your competitors and do the opposite of what they’re doing or do something similar with a “twist.” If you’re an entrepreneur, you already know what a differentiating factor is, now just apply it to your content creation. If you and a competitor are writing about the same thing, how are you going to choose to be different so that your followers feel they’re getting something special?
But can you do this?
There are copycats, imitators, followers, and people who will all want to mirror what you’re doing. It’s just the name of the game. How can you create a piece of content that will be hard for others to replicate because it’s so unique to you? Is it a piece of golden advice that only you can give, a story that only you can share, or a talent that only you can show? Find something that others will have a hard time repeating and your consumers will be more interested in looking at what you’ve got.
Make them reach for the tissues
Now your goal isn’t to make your target audience cry after every Thursday blog post, but you are trying to get something out of them. Whether it’s happiness, sadness, surprise, or awe, creating an emotional response will allow your followers to feel attached to your content and interested in coming back for more. Whether it’s a video, podcast, social media post, or blog, do at least one thing that will make your followers think, cry, yell @#%@!, or laugh.
Come back to earth
“Shoot for the moon, and if you miss, you’ll still be among the stars.” We’re not going to cite this quote because there are actually many versions with even more attributions from Les Brown (shout out to our friend!) to Neil Armstrong (not our friend yet but equal shout out if you’re reading). Kanye West actually says you should be shooting for the stars so that you land on a cloud. (Oh, shout out to him, too!). Anyway, the point here is that no matter how high your goals are, not every piece of content is going to be a 10/10 when it comes to engagement, especially when you’re starting out. I’m not trying to burst anyone’s bubble, it’s just healthy to have realistic expectations.
Let your inner mad scientist out
It’s all about experimentation and practice. It’s alright to have some Tim “The Toolman” Taylor moments when you’re figuring everything out; what’s important is that you’re trying different things to see how your content acts once it lands. Do some A/B testing, vary your approach, switch up your strategy, and take note of the content that is most successful. If you’re not a natural at content creation, just keep going, and you’ll get better with time.
Show up don’t show off
Many people are so eager to become trusted thought leaders in their industry that they don’t take the time to start from the bottom and really build up genuine trust first. Building trust doesn’t have to be about throwing out your résumé stats or bragging about your latest deal. The best way to build trust with your audience is to be relatable and transparent with your content and show them why they should trust your brand through quality content and valuable insights. When you show up for them and they trust you, they’ll come back for more of what you have to say.
Moz has this idea of creating content that is 10 times better than everyone else. They call it 10x content. We like Moz (we trust Moz) and we like that idea. Rand Fishkin of Moz says that you’ll hit 10x content approximately 1 out of 10 times, which goes back to expectations. Give yourself grace, especially if you’re just starting out. Don’t try everything at once and just continue creating, creating, creating!
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Need help with content? Contact us at Lillian James Creative so we can help your business reach its goals with creative content that your audience is craving!
Like what you’ve read? Want to share similar content with your organization at your next event? Aaron Fulk, CEO of Lillian James Creative, has graced many stages and speaks about finding your creativity, storytelling, personal branding, and more. Book her for your next in-person or virtual event!