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Craving Good Content? Be Authentic.

“It’s not more content people want, it’s time to take a moment to consider what people actually need”

“What is good content?”

That seems to be a question everyone is asking … and wanting a simple answer. Unfortunately, it isn’t a simple answer because every business, industry and organization has a different audience with different needs. Every person on the planet is not interested in the same exact content and that’s just the way it is.

We’ve heard time and time again that videos are the golden ticket to success—everyone should be using video! But does your audience actually enjoy watching videos or do you just think they do? Stop putting your business in a content trap and learn what good content means for you.

It’s about the people

Believe it or not, customers do care about the people behind the curtain. Especially in today’s virtual world, it’s refreshing to see the faces of a company or organization. Share employee anniversaries, company announcements, acts of kindness and other group activities. Also, encourage your internal audience to partake in your marketing efforts.

“Fact: many of our clients' most engaging social media posts feature their employees”

Position yourself as the expert

Many business owners are cautious to share expert advice due to the fear of revealing their “secrets”. For example, an automotive repair shop might be hesitant to tell their customers how to change a tire, fix a headlight, etc. because those are services they offer. But what businesses don’t realize is the customer will use these tips, view the auto shop as the expert and go to them for more complex repairs in the future.

Does this make sense?

There are countless bandwagons people and companies try to jump on, especially on social media. Instead of focusing on a new shiny object, stay consistent with your brand’s identity and your customer’s needs. If your business has a more serious and professional tone—or the target audience shares these characteristics—it doesn’t make sense to start using GIFs and memes. Don’t force your company to be part of irrelevant trends or topics just because they’re popular.

Trial and error

At the end of the day, it’s all about your audience. Unsure of what they’re looking for? Experiment with A/B testing, using videos and other forms of content and take notes on what works and what doesn’t. There will always be new ways to create content but it’s important to be authentic.

As a friendly reminder, take this quote from Marketing Nutz’s CEO & Founder Pam Moore and hang it up at your desk (just like I did):

Sticky note on board with message “It’s not more content people want, it’s time to take a moment to consider what people actually need”