Content Quick Check
We live in an age of content overload. Every day we are getting absolutely bombarded by more information than our brains can handle, and it’s becoming increasingly harder for information to stand out, and to stick (despite this truth, every word of the Jonas Brothers’ newest single has managed to take permanent residency in my head). While your content may never be as catchy and delirious as a pop ballad birthed by a brotherly trio, there are a couple of helpful questions that you should be asking yourself throughout your content’s lifecycle.
1. Is it just content for content’s sake?
“We should probably post a new *insert blog, tweet, photo here*, we haven’t for a while” is not the right mentality to have. Be proactive about updating communication channels with posts that mean something to your members.
While a content calendar is good for planning and consistency, it’s not a catch-all. Poster beware: simply outputting high volumes of content can be just as detrimental as hardly posting at all. For example, tweeting 15 times a day may increase visibility in your followers’ timelines but often, posting that much is an oversaturated effort that results in low engagement, thus lowering credibility. Let’s face it, pages that have posts with a lot of likes, retweets, and shares seem more legit than those that don’t. Engagement is the goal.
2. Who are you talking to?
While writing content, there is inevitably a person in our mind that we envision as our “audience”. So, when writing content for your organization, who do you see? Taking the time to envision a member you know, or even imagining your ideal member, can change the trajectory of what you’re writing in a way that is more personalized to your intended audience.
Pro-Tip: If you’ve ever embarked on any sort of persona exercise, keep those right in front of you! Those hypothetical people will become your content-writing best friends. “Stay-at-home mom Stacy” can lend great insight when you’re trying to reach her people.
3. What do you want people to do?
Good content is usually urging the reader to do SOMETHING, whether it’s overt or covert. When creating content, take a critical look at what it’s driving people towards. Your goal may be an opt-in, a page visit, a share, or even a laugh to build rapport. No matter the goal, don’t simply think about what you need to say, consider how your audience may want to hear it.
4. Is it an educated guess, or an informed decision?
One big way that content becomes lost in the shuffle is when it is completely irrelevant to your audience. Assuming what people want to hear can be a fatal faux pax; make sure you are in touch with the wants and needs of your members. One great way to do this is through analytics. Take the time to see what content is highly trafficked and performing well.
Honestly, when in doubt, just ask! We also live in an age that loves to give feedback. You can easily throw up a poll on Instagram, send an email survey, or create a forum-like discussion on Facebook to gauge what kind of content your members want to see more of.
Communication channels are busy with a million different voices yearning to be heard. The good news is, you don’t need just anyone to listen, you need the right people to listen. Tap into your members, identify what they want to hear and how they want to hear it, and deliver the information with a clear goal in sight. If you keep these questions in mind, your content will begin to sing like a song on the radio, and will be one that your members can’t get out of their heads.
