Content seems like the Holy Grail. It is the solution to everything. Really anyone can create content (“let's fly in an intern for our content creation.”) That's of course true. Everything is content. Every poop or fart you leave behind on the internet falls under the broad term content. That's the problem now. Too much shitty content is finding its way to our brains. The only thing we can do to protect ourselves from this content overload is by quickly filtering content. In a split second, you make the choice whether the content deserves to be read, watched, or listened to.
‘Ninety percent of all content is crap.’ – Doug Kessler, Velocity
Due to the content pollution on the internet, only epic content will soon, but I think already now, be viewed, shared, and talked about. Content marketing is not about frantically filling a content calendar. It's about adding value. Creating something that people want more of. So, the focus should not be on quantity, but on quality. At Truman, we call it premium branded content. High-quality content that means something for the brand. That is unique to the brand. Content that works in a distinctive way. Preferably content that only your brand can make. Content that is credible and valuable to your target audience. That's why we say at Truman: content is king, quality is queen.
How do you make epic content then?
With attention, love, creativity, courage, and budget! That sounds obvious and it is. Just decide that you're going for quality within the budgets you have! But there are also other important things, such as a good content marketing strategy.
The easiest way is to shape your plan through the 2 T’s and D's of content marketing:
- Target - What is your target for your content? You can formulate this by creating a so-called content mission statement. In this statement, you state who you are going to help, how you are going to help your target audience, and what the result of the content you create and distribute will be. Of course, this mission must align with your brand and brand values. Creating a content mission makes you think more concretely about the yardstick you will use to measure your content. Anyone who creates content for your brand must be aware of this content mission. If the content does not align with the mission, it is wise to carefully consider whether you want to publish the content. By formulating your content mission, you research how you will be relevant and valuable to your target audience. Two things that are essential when it comes to content marketing.
- Target audience - For whom are you creating the content? It is important to know who your target audience is and what their interests are. You want to reach the content sweet spot, the point at which what the brand wants to communicate matches what the target audience wants to consume.
- Domain(s) - Which content domains will you serve? A domain is an area of interest within which you will create content. The chosen domains must, of course, match your brand, story, and product(s). Sports and entrepreneurship? Food and health? Leisure and family? Innovation and business? Cooking and children?
- Distribution - What form will you distribute your content in? Video? Blog? Podcast? Webinar? Magazine? Event? Newsletter? Infographic? White paper? Game? Animated GIF? Live streaming video? E-book? And through which channels will you distribute the content? Through your own platform? Or through social media channels? Both? Or maybe in the future through your own TV channel?
The 3 C's of content production
If we're working with letters, let's move on to the 3 C's of content production. Let's go through them one by one:
- Creation: the actual creation of content. If it's about epic content, you should bring in creative experts. A great example of epic content is the content from Red Bull.
- Curation: the discovery, filtering, and redistributing of content. It is important to give your own voice to the curated content. Give it your own twist! A good example of content curation is: linda.tv. Linda.tv also creates its own formats. Their product is therefore a combination of content curation and content creation. Content curation is also something that newsrooms do. Much of the news comes from parties such as Reuters and ANP, after which the editorial staff determines whether they want to bring the news. Then they choose how they are going to tell the story.
- Crowdsourced: your target audience can also create content for you. We call this user generated content. By using your own target group for promoting your brand or product, other customers perceive your brand as more authentic.
Shall we agree to make more epic content and less crap? That will only make the internet more fun and better!
