Content in an Age of Content
We draft it, schedule it, refine it, distribute it, and manage it with alacrity. We treat it as currency. We like it, rate it, share it, trade it, and comment on it across time, space, and screens. We can’t live without it.
Though content has never been easier to produce, it has never been more difficult for brands and organizations to break through for the exact same reason: the good stuff is too few and far between. But when it appears like a shiny gold coin in a drawer of tarnished pennies, audiences rejoice and are willing to engage again and again.
Here’s a snapshot of five content ideation learnings I keep in mind and observations that might help you, too.
1. Great content generates non-linear returns. People tell people who tell more people, creating a flywheel of positive momentum and clear expectations. Always be making and improving, adding to your stock and increasing your flow. As you do, you’ll not only elevate the probability of good messages getting through, you’ll also diminish the odds of leaning on mediocre stories with low returns.
2. Great content is precise. It is data-driven. It presents multiple angles of a particular problem or opportunity. It acknowledges flaws as well as upside, is candid and forward-looking, highly targeted, and accentuates the strengths of the product, service, and concept for which it is developed. It is concise while remaining multifaceted and overt yet empathetic. It gives audiences confidence in what, how, and why a business is doing what it does.
3. Great content is creatively compelling. It grabs and maintains attention. It takes into account what works without compromising intent or integrity. It encourages an audience to learn more and is the opposite of milquetoast jingles and forgettable ploys. It is, as the expression goes, “truth well told.”
4. Great content is reliable. It is current, consistent, pertinent. It is not wasteful and offers fresh ideas without diverting onto unnecessary tangents. It has a voice, a theme, a sensibility and a reason for being. It is, in economic terms, accretive. It is also dynamic and evolving, not an occasional investment but a rhythm of conversations and back-and-forth dialogue. It is a two-way street communicating what’s important, what can wait, and where next. It is alive.
5. Great content is fun. For as valid as the ROI of quality content can be, it should also be enjoyable to make and consume. It should open doors to new modes of thinking, force businesses to expand their awareness of the world around them, encourage contributors and editors to take creative risks, and help reinforce aspirations. It should keep teams and customers aligned while remaining attentive to the unique needs of both. It should be smart in more ways than one.
A quick search for Content Marketing Statistics, Sales and Marketing Content, Sales Enablement, and/or various iterations will reveal enough data to validate most content strategies. Still one metric prevails: Is what you’re making driving sales? If so, you’re hopefully on the road to great; if not, see learning #1. Your team — and your customers — are waiting.
John Tintle is the Director of Content and Communications at Highspot, the leading sales enablement platform for content management, customer engagement, and analytics. Twitter: @highspot. Also: highspot.com.
