In my last blog “Yes But Where?” I wrote about where to start when choosing a platform to get yourself online.
Now that you’ve made that decision the next hurdle is “Yes, but what should I say?”
There are a few blockers here for many people:
I don’t have anything interesting to say.
What if I look like an idiot?
What if people don’t like what I have to say?
Who would want to listen to me anyway?
There are a percentage of people who are certainly more natural at this and are less concerned at the perception of what might happen as opposed to the reality.
Paradoxically and fortunately, very few people are going to see your work in the early days anyway. Which means you get the opportunity to get the nerves out of the way and by executing frequently you will naturally get better (and more interesting) over time. Most of the beliefs above fade away as you begin to get traction.
The more you practice the better you get, the more you put out there, the greater the chance of you growing an audience. All this is working in you favour. The hard bit is just getting started.
So what can you put out there?
I like to split content creation into two major categories; Plan or Document.
To Plan content is when you are very specific about the type of content and the intent. For example, a planned piece of content might be a white paper you want to write for prospects to download. Or perhaps its a formal video that sits on your website, a presentation you are giving at a keynote. All planned items, specifically intended for a purpose.
All of this type of content is needed to round out your business online presence. If you haven’t got the core documents you need for your prospect to know, like and trust you as a business then this is a good place to start developing. Always consider the intent and measure its efficacy.
The second category I see emerging more and more is to document.
This style of content still has a purpose and intent but it is a little less structured and informal in its execution.
Examples of this might be, a 2 minute video you shoot of yourself describing what you just learnt at a seminar you attended posted to LinkedIn. A post outlining a handy tip you write on your blog. A 30 second soundbite and photo with a client asking them one question at the end of a meeting you had with them uploaded to Facebook.
This type of content tends to build trust less so for the business but more for the person delivering the content. It’s seen as more authentic, builds trust and brings people closer into your world rather than the facade we once portrayed and guarded.
Whether you are a multimillion dollar corporate, a Small Business or a Solopreneur both have their place, both are important in the long run, but if you are just starting out, pick one and plan to execute frequently and consistently.
I’m curious, which one sounds more attractive slash doable for you?
