For what seems like aeons now, marketing demagogues the world over have told us it’s all about content.
“It’s just about posting”, “content, content, content” and “people WANT to hear from you!”
Er, yeah. That’s… not actually true.
Of course, if you’re someone selling a big juicy retainer for 50 social media posts a month, those phrases make your job a little bit easier.
But simply firing out content from the production line isn’t going to build a brand. Often, it’s going to make people bored of hearing from you.
Let’s break down why content isn’t always king or queen.
Annihilating the algorithms
In order to best reach the most people, quantity has taken priority over quality. Gary Vee’s personal marketing department that lives in his shadow are hired because he’s driven by this same belief.
He tells business owners they can easily create up to 50 pieces of content in a single day, forgetting the designer, producer and social media assistant stood next to him designing, filming and writing it all down.
The truth? If you had nothing better to do you could probably churn out loads of content in a day. And on the advice of Vee et al, many people are doing just that. But they’re not seeing results.
Without thorough research, tailored strategy and a strong brand – these people are destined to become LinkedIn feed fodder.
Loathed, muted or worse – on the receiving end of a disgruntled British tut.
Comparing vanity and value
This is the uncomfortable bit.
Everyone has a voice. But that doesn’t mean people always want to hear it.
(You’re probably already thinking of at least two people who make your eyes roll when you’re scrolling LinkedIn with a morning coffee.)
Most people are posting for the same reason – to build authority and, as a result, generate more sales. Achieving these goals is considerably easier when you’re posting valuable content, rather than vanity content.
For marketing teams that have monthly, quarterly and yearly content strategy, it’s easy to be tempted to fill in the calendar with content that feels like it’s plugging a gap. It’s a common problem, but it’s likely to negatively impact your brand image.
Businesses should carefully calibrate their output and ensure two things are to be true with every planned piece of content they post.
1. It delivers big value in little time.
2. It matches your brand; aesthetically, tonally and strategically.
Don’t simply be the person they see – become the person they want to see
You’ve probably figured it out by now. We’re very much team quality over quantity.
In spite of what the algorithms may crave, less is very often more. The businesses and individuals who don’t regularly post, but always deliver value and are well-liked by their audience, will always find a great response to their content.
Becoming the person on the feed whose posts are instantly recognisable and worthy of a whiplash-inducing turn of the head isn’t easy. And it’s going to be harder to achieve when you’re desperately scratching around to find something to post about every single day.
So don’t do it. Save yourself from the headache and the heartache. Instead, focus on building a brand that people can and want to identify with.
With a strong brand, you’re able to command attention – no matter how much content you choose to deliver.
P.s. – if you don’t want to figure out what the best, most valuable content is, we can help.