It’s over. We won.
20 years ago, “content is king” was a radical idea. Now it’s banal. Web pages, forums, blogs, podcasts, videos … marketers all agree that content is the engine that drives interest, traffic and conversions.
What they don’t agree on is which kinds of content you should produce.
There are a lot of people saying “Oh, you have to do video,” or “No business will survive without a podcast.” Is that true? Are there hard and fast rules on what content formats you must use and which you can forget about?
Absolutely not.
CONTENT is king, not format. If it’s good, people will engage. A great blog about video editing will outperform a bad video about video editing, even though the medium being video makes more “sense.”
That being said, the right content format will help you amplify your reach and connect with the right audience. Here are three factors to consider when you’re deciding on the type of content to produce.
Resources
First, consider what resources you have available. Video production, audio production, blog writing … you need the resources to commit to doing any content format well. If you don’t have the bandwidth, don’t start the work.
That includes money — everything costs money. Time is also a resource. You need the time to manage and build everything that goes out on your channels. Consider your access to tools. Do you have a friend with a podcast studio they’ll let you use? Podcasts are a natural fit. Are you a video editor? Look at video.
Without proper resources, nothing else will work. Assess this first. And if you can do some of the work yourself, that’s even better …
Skills
This includes both your own abilities and the talents of anyone helping. Do you or your employees have experience with video, audio, or written content production? Tap into those skills.
If you have the skills to produce some content yourself, it can feel more authentic — look at Darren Rowse’s articles for his site ProBlogger, for example, or video producer Casey Neistat’s personal vlogs.
Audience
Not all audiences engage with all content formats. Location, age, attention span … your content won’t work, no matter how good it is, if it doesn’t take the digital habits of your audience into account.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Do they need info instantly, or is this content more timeless?
- Are you primarily a source of news, information or inspiration for your audience?
- Do your chosen content format and your audience match? This can be a false flag if you look too closely at the channel; consider format, where they consume their content and what format they prefer.
Take a look at these three factors and then go after them with the resources at your disposal. Content is king, but your format still matters. Create the type of content that works for your business. And if you need a hand, just drop us a line, anytime. If you liked this article, sign up for the Dispatch here to get every new article in your inbox.
Best Regards,
David Brandon
Copywriter
Rainmaker Digital Services