Web content, print material, advertising, radio and TV can be tricky stuff. Sure, you see the need, but how do you make it relevant to the needs of your clients and customers? After all, there is no use in creating it if no one wants to read it, follow it, buy your goods and services. Is there? So, here's ten ways to make it relevant.
In their excellent book, Made to Stick,
Chip Heath and Dan Heath, talk about the curse of knowledge. Simply stated it is this, you know something so well that you assume everyone knows it too. So, you talk to the uninformed like they are informed and lose them. We all suffer from this. It's simply a fact of life. All the people you deal with on the job have a shared background. Pretty soon you begin talking and writing in a business shorthand. More and more jargon enters your vocabulary. Fine for the office. Deadly in content for your audience. It will crush you. No one will follow you, read you, because you are not writing for them. You're writing for the astute crowd back at the office. This is the single most devastating mistake you can make with your content.
No matter what it takes, do not do that.
The Ways
- Keep your goals in mind. Do not lose sight of the fact that what you're doing must meet the needs of your customers and your needs as well. Social networking is a two way street. Social networking enhances everyone's desire to get to their intended destination.
- Think about your expertise. In what area(s) can you provide high quality, expert opinion, and knowledge?
- Read, and then read some more. It is imperative that you maintain the cutting edge. Find blogs in your field. follow them and comment on them. On LinkedIn join pertinent groups. If you don't find a group that meets your needs create it. Find thought leaders in your field. Follow their blogs, read their books, watch their videos. YouTube is a wealth of information. Avail yourself of it. Attend conferences and give talks, seminars, and speeches. Fill your head with expertise. Then give it away.
- Do not rehash the same old, same old. That, won't get you anywhere. Provide thinking, true expertise, intellect, and knowledge. Be cutting edge. A revolutionary. This will differentiate you, distinguish you from everyone else. That is what you want. If you can't provide a different way of thinking about what everyone else is talking about, don't bother.
- Be truly aware of your target audience. Know what they want to know. If you don't know, or think you know, your first job is to find out. Likely what you think they want to know, and what they want to know are not the same thing. Educate yourself, no one else can.
- Opportunities. Knowing problems is nice, but don't forget about opportunities. What opportunities are your customers looking for? Find out and enhance their search to become known as an effectiveness multiplier.
- Customers want measurable results. They want Return on Investment (ROI). That investment may be in time, dollars, or equipment. Demonstrate that there is a return for their investment. There are times when that can be very difficult to do. We know.
- Write, speak, and present talks for your audience in words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs that they can understand. We know you're smart. We get that. The place to prove it is not in using six syllable words. Show everyone how smart you with content that you audience can easily understand. For that is the true mark of professionalism. When you verbalize yourself and write in a way that is intended to do the most good for others, you've arrived. You're there. there is nothing left to prove because you don't need to prove anything. The greatest complement than to have people taking notes when you speak, or from your writing. When professionals in your field do that, you've arrived. The hard work paid off.
| View our videos at YouTube.com/WebContentRx/ Listen to us most Friday's on The Business Buzz, 4 p.m. - 5 p.m., WESU 88.1 FM with Jeffery Sherman. |
