Content marketing is huge. But has it gone too far?
We’re living through an age of mass content creation. Thousands of businesses are producing thousands of articles and videos every single day. But there’s something you need to understand about all this content:
It’s not very good.
And as a result, your buyers have become overwhelmed with crappy content — so much so that they’re forced to be selective when it comes to what they consume. Of course, this makes it pretty hard for newer businesses to break into content marketing. If all the eyes are on the bigger publications, the small guys are going to suffer.
But how can you combat this?
Is it possible for your content to shine through the sea of crap? Can you still shatter through the noise to reach your buyers?
YES.
All you need to do is find your “content tilt”.
The Content Tilt
Your content tilt is the unique spin that you put on your content that differentiates you from the rest of your competition. It’s what gives your buyers a reason to choose your content over someone else’s.
Take a moment to think about your favorite blog or YouTube channel. Once you have it in mind, ask yourself:
“Why do I like this content so much?”
Is it because they have the right content marketing strategies? No. Is it because they have a lot of advertising spend? Probably not.
Instead, the reason we get hooked to someone’s content is because it’s different. Seeing their content is like trying a delicious new food for the first time — we’ve never had anything like it. In other words,
They’ve found their content tilt.
While finding your tilt isn’t easy, there are a ton of ways that you can speed up the process:
Google Trends
Google trends is, by far, one of the most underused tools in the modern content marketer’s tool belt.
For those unfamiliar, Google Trends is a tool you can use to view historical data on Google search phrases (ex. the searches for ‘Christmas’ always spike in December). But on top of search data, Trends also allows you to find hidden content opportunities that your competition haven’t taken advantage of.
Talk with your audience
One of the best ways to find your content tilt is by talking with the people who read your content. It’s that simple.
So start interviewing your audience members!
Ask them what it’s like to live a day in their lives. Learn about their goals, ambitions, and achievements. Learn about the challenges they face in their career and in their daily lives.
Become their friends.
As you’re talking with them, listen for any unique insights they may reveal into their wants and needs for their careers and personal lives. What do I mean by this?
For example, let’s pretend that your business sells software that lawyers can use to manage their clients.
As you’re talking with a lawyer who reads your content, they casually mention “how they wish they knew more about how to form lasting relationships with their client”, as well as “how they always have trouble keeping good clients around”.
Bingo.
Now that you know what they struggle with, you can start to create content geared towards solving those problems.
And while your competition is scrambling to create content they think will resonate with lawyers, you can create content you know will hit home.
But what happens if your interviews don’t reveal any information? Don’t worry — you’re not done yet.
Experimentation
Finding your content tilt is hard.
And sometimes, you aren’t going to find what you’re looking for by talking with customers or researching search trends. The chances of striking gold are low. So if you find yourself in this situation, there’s only one thing left to do:
Experiment.
Sit down for an afternoon and brainstorm ways that you think you could differentiate your content. Could you focus on a more niche topic than your competitors? Could you identify a hidden segment of your audience with unique wants and needs? Or, could you flat out create content that’s 10 times better than your competitor’s?
Write all your ideas down on paper.
Then, once you’ve got a few that you like, just start trying them out. Take a few months to experiment with each idea, and observe your audience’s reactions.
- Are they responding positively to the changes, or are they responding negatively?
- Did your traffic increase?
- Are you getting more newsletter signups?
If you see a positive increase in your analytics and audience reactions, you might be onto something good. Keep experimenting with your content tilt and see how you can improve it further.
If you find that your audience doesn’t like the new changes, however, it’s best to trash that idea and move on to the next one.
Don’t worry about how many ideas you try. In fact, I encourage you to try them all. You only need one great idea to succeed.
The Next Step
By now, you should have the knowledge you need to go out and find your content tilt. But I know what you’re thinking:
“I don’t have time to do all that. Isn’t it a bit much to ask?”
In some cases, yes. Some businesses have trouble ever finding the thing that sets them apart, and they need outside help to guide them along the right path. That’s what we’re here for.
We take the weight of content marketing off your shoulders. We pride ourselves in our ability to take your content strategy, and turn it into your greatest asset. No more guesswork.
Want to learn more about how we can transform your business? Let’s talk!
