Content marketing isn’t new. But it’s a relatively new addition to the marketer’s daily toolbox. As a result, it’s still somewhat misunderstood.
Applied well, content marketing is a valuable tool. But if you’ve adopted one of two myths, you may be missing the mark.
Myth #1 – Lots of content equals quality content
One of your goals is to build credibility. The temptation, then, is to create a lot of 101-style content, such as you’d see in an anthology class in college. It seems logical: By giving an overview of the basics, you can demonstrate that you know the industry, right?
But unless you want to target newbies, beware of this approach. You don’t build credibility with foundational information, because, let’s face it, poor content may as well be no content.
Your readers want to know what’s new in their industry, what changes to prepare for and what conversations relate to them. They don’t want (or need) a repeat of something they read last week or last year.
They want current information, and they want it immediately. That means you must ride the front of the wave, leading the conversation, not trailing behind it. If you want to demonstrate credibility, your conversations should go deep, not broad. You should be addressing the issues of professionals, not students.
Your credibility will become obvious if you’re finding the research that applies to your followers. They’ll come back for more if you’re the one who interprets the data and translates it into something useful.
Myth #2 – Creativity can make up for quality
You might think, if your goal is to be at the front of pack, that creativity should take front seat. As a result, you may feel the need to constantly introduce radical ideas or judge old ones.
Nothing could be further from the truth. You simply need to be relevant.
One of the most curious facts to me is that dull topics become interesting when it’s information you need. Then all of a sudden, the information that put you to sleep yesterday becomes a page turner.
You don’t care whether the writer used a clever metaphor to present the topic. It’s not the alliteration in the title that matters. It’s the information being presented in a clear, understandable way.
Yes, you want to present your information in the best way possible. If it’s fun to read, all the better. But the information itself is what’s valuable, not the style its written in.
With that in mind, your focus should be on what your readers need to know. What questions are they asking? What changes do they need to be aware of?
Your goal is to help them stay up-to-date so they can stay relevant in their jobs.
Flashy headlines and creative presentations don’t add value to stale information. You need to find the information that’s useful to your audience, and put it into context for them.
The bottom line of content marketing
Your followers want information. But not just any information.
All they have time for is a quick summary of what they need to know, when they need to know it. Ideally, they’d like it to be useful, actionable and tailored to their specific needs.
Time is the real issue here.
Information is everywhere, but people don’t have time to sort through it, so they want a trusted resource to condense and prioritize the important issues, then put them into a meaningful context.
As a content marketer, that’s you. Your job isn’t merely to create content, but to answer the question, “What do I need to know today to excel at my job?”
Do you agree? Is there anything you’d like to add? Feel free to add your comments below.
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