Taking content from concept to creation
Generating new content ideas is challenging considering the level of competition, particularly for specific topics in today’s online world. Many marketers are reading from the same script and competing for the same audience; this means that often the same ideas are being churned out in different ways as content creators are using the same ingredients and recipes; it’s not surprising that many pieces of content in a similar sector or industry are identical.
Of course, good SEO optimization can support your article in competing with others writing about the same topic. Moreover, if you hire a diligent copywriter, the piece of content should also be researched thoroughly, considering different angles and well-written. Yet it is still likely not original. Oscar Wilde famously said, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness”. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery – but it isn’t effective PR and marketing. There are those who believe in the philosophy “why recreate the wheel”, which is to identify trends and methods that work and leverage them. There is some truth in this, as adapting ideas to your own is often a great content marketing strategy, but content creators need to be careful that their message does not get lost in the crowd. The simple truth is that it’s difficult to distinguish your brand when your copy and media closely match those of the competition.
Create a content brief or plan
This can be a simple template that you can then use for each and every article that you create. Having a template brief achieves two things: it makes the process of content creation more efficient by systemizing the process, and it gives the content creator the opportunity to add their own ideas to the production. A brief can include items such as the ‘core topic’ – what the content is about, ‘keywords’ – which words should be used, the ‘angle or theme’ – how to provide your own take on the topic, and the ‘key message’ or related ‘brand message’, as a clearly-defined key message will make communication smoother and more impactful, conveying the essence of the content related to your brand.
Content creators should keep coming up with fresh content ideas, continue to build an understanding of their audience, and keep up with trends.
Choosing the right angle
Angles not only influence if we click through to the article — they also determine if and how we read the piece. Yet, choosing a distinctive angle on a particular topic is the most challenging part of writing a blog post; it is also the most important.
The content’s angle is your brand’s particular view or perspective. This is how your brand is positioned within a specific topic and gives you the chance to differentiate from other brands covering the same theme.
Often, it’s not what you say but how you say it — finding an exclusive way to share important information that is important to your brand or any target audience in a compelling way. The content should address your target audiences’ pain points; it should serve to solve some sort of problem. Be sure to keep the focus on great storytelling. The raw problems and answers are typically not the most engaging part of any content. It is how you frame the points in your discussion, leveraging the angle you selected, to make the piece compelling and align with your brand.
How to share your message effectively
In terms of content distribution, it is important to be creative and stay on trend to identify suitable opportunities for your brand. With an increasingly mobile audience, apps, social media networks, and community-based online boards can be the most effective way to reach your audience and drive relevant views.
Be creative and think about how you can share or even repurpose your content, from an article to a different format. For example, you may wish to start a podcast, run a live stream via Facebook, YouTube or LinkedIn through Zoom, start exploring Instagram stories, set up a Pinterest board, do some tweets on Twitter, get creative with TikTok, join a Clubhouse, and, for social media marketing best practice, don’t forget to choose a relevant hashtag!
Conclusion
The concept of content has transformed since online media became available at our fingertips, with non-traditional formats overtaking the traditional ones. However, the principle of content creation remains the same; you should create a plan to put your ideas into action. Whether this is through reaching out to clients or customers or a particular target audience to guide them through a new recipe, choosing a hotel that’s right for them or selecting a property, answering a question, or sharing an opinion, be sure to keep exploring different ways to come up with the right angle and channels for communication that will work for your brand.
