Whether creating content internally for a business, or generating content for clients, it’s important to gauge the feeling behind the message. When writing content, and it starts to feel like I’m trying to put square pegs in round holes that are on fire, I’ll stop and gauge everything. There’s no escaping the feeling we have while generating content; it’ll never lie to us.
Some questions I’ll start asking myself are below:
- Do I have a cohesive message?
- Is there sufficient value in the words?
- Is there anything that should simply be deleted?
- Am I enjoying writing this?
These questions are almost subconscious for me; I’ll start asking them when I simply don’t feel right. I’m admittedly an OCD type of guy, but – in this case – it’s a valuable quirk because I’m incapable of moving forward with something that doesn’t feel right.
Every Action Has an Equal but Opposite Reaction
Courtesy of Isaac Newton, the above Third Law of Motion also applies to content. If we write something that feels slow, it’ll read slow. To be sure, if this blog reads dull, I at least didn’t feel dull. I’ll blame Isaac in that case, and refer to my Third Law: You Can’t Please Everyone. Even Elvis had haters.
Back to the point, one way to get around having dull content is to simply have fun with it. One of the things we hear most from clients we help with content strategy and generate content for is how we have fun with our content. It’s true some clients have reservations about “being bold” or “having fun” with their content, but the point is to not feel like this: “Eh…”
Everything should work on cruise control when the planets align and the content feels genuine, relevant, and natural. There are strategies further than “feeling good,” but I would put mindset ahead of everything. I don’t care how good one’s SEO strategy is – if they applied all the textbook strategies in the world, they won’t overcome content coming from an uninspired place; readers will sense it every time.
Content Marketing as a Branding Strategy
The power of genuine content that’s engaging is a dynamic that’s still very underestimated as a whole – alluding to those who aren’t content marketers. The wave will be quite large when the world does catch on because we (at GoEdison) believe it’s the future. We’re eager for the day, because we believe the content trend will be a wave we’ll surf on quite nicely – not only because we do have fun with our content, or because Google will be rewarding genuine white-hat strategies vs. penalizing than the other kind – but because it’s also a branding strategy.
Content is everywhere, and it’s necessary to build a messaging theme; it’s necessary to populate a website’s home page, blogs, etc.; it’s necessary to communicate with clients, and it’s essential to marketing. By constantly refining our content, and studying our strategies, we’ve been able to build an intimate approach to how we generate all content – not just for our blogs, newsletters, and eBooks.
Long-story-short, our content is becoming a branding strategy. By remaining consistent with content, being genuine, and providing quality material constantly, a natural progression will occur, and it will sculpt your brand – in a good way. Brands are an association of thoughts to a product and/or service, and they require a commitment toward consistent and genuine content.
Remember, many people can build a decent business, but very few can build a reputable long lasting brand.
Content Marketing is an Investment and Commitment
To be sure, content strategy is long-term, which is inferred by being genuine. We’ve all met the great guy who was cool for a month and turned out to be a bozo after spending more than an hour with him on several occasions. I met a bunch of them in college, and we’re friends to this day (you know who you are).
On a more serious note, the key is to not be that person. Remain consistent with the content, never allow the content to be filler – always have something to say. We’ve found being consistent and genuine with a content marketing strategy – while supplying quality content – is the best way to establish loyalty and build a brand that’s fortified with a rock solid foundation.
We haven’t ironed-on our brand at GoEdison, we’ve woven it through our entire proverbial sweater; it’s who we are. It’s an antithetical practice for us to generate content that isn’t felt, and we take great pride in bringing – not only our passion for quality content into the client realm – but instilling this passion into those we work with.
We’re transparent. We don’t worry about losing a content trade secret because we know they can’t be stolen. Rome wasn’t built in a day. We hope we can help inspire businesses (especially smaller brands and businesses) to find their voice, and assist in delivering their message. We all have a unique voice; the key is to find it for yourself.
Jimbo Davis, Co-Founder, GoEdison. Be Bold.