I woke up bright and early (it was actually pitch black) this morning to meet up with other social media fanatics for #SMBOttawa featuring C.C Chapman author of Content Rules. Let me tell you that setting my alarm an hour and a half earlier than usual was more than worth it. The speaker was engaging, the audience was into it and I left feeling inspired.
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Other than learning how to build a fire and being advised that you don't make money writing books, the speaker shared eleven "rules" to consider when creating online content in order to be successful:
1.Embrace that you are a publisher
Content creation tools are easily available, are low in cost and are generally simple to use. You can publish your own blog, podcast, video, webinar, etc. Organizations can now reach their audience directly, without having to buy ad space or pitch to the media. This is important because customers are now searching for information about your product, service or brand online.
2. Insight inspires originality
You must tell your story because you know it better than anyone. If you don’t have a story to tell nobody will listen. In order to tell a good story it is important that you not only know yourself but that you know your audience well. For inspiration please see here.
3. Build momentum
You should have a reason for creating content. Content should be easily shared with links and tools. This is where "Tweet this" and "Like this" buttons come into play.
4. Speak human
In other words be yourself and use language that your audience understands. C.C gave a great example of how Coke got negative feedback from a member of the public via video. Instead of booking a studio and seeking approval from Legal and PR, the VP created a “no-fuss” video in his office as a response. It was simple and human and as a result people listened.
5. Reimagine; don’t recycle
Create something new out of old content. You can reimagine your content in a new format or platform. For example, you can turn your Flicker pictures into a video to promote an upcoming event.
6. Share or solve don’t shill
Your content should be valuable to your audience. By sharing your knowledge, your content should help them solve a problem, enhance their lives and/or help them do their job better.
7. Show don’t just tell
Much like the previous point, your content should be valuable to your audience and should not be a sales pitch. For example, Ernst&Young create videos that provide advice to entrepreneurs. They don’t try to sell their services in the video. As a result they become a reliable source and entrepreneurs will think of
them when they are seeking financial guidance.
8. Do something unexpected
Good content should stand out in order to grab the audiences’ attention. Cisco played on this by creating an ad that told a love story about a router. Not what the audience would expect, but it will definitely be remembered because they gave their brand personality.
9. Stoke the campfire
You have to keep adding content to keep people coming back. Once you lose your audience’s interest, it’s difficult to get it back.
10. Create wings and roots
If you’re sharing content online, it’s best to own the platform that you're using. Content often disappears on free platforms such as Facebook and chances are you can’t get it back because you don’t pay to use their services. For this reason, the author suggests creating a blog instead and securing it through ownership. To create wings, your content should be easy to share across platforms all over the web.
11. Play on your strengths
Stick to creating content that you are best at whether it be photography, video, audio or writing. You don’t have to do it all.
What rules do you follow when creating online content? Are they similar to Chapman's rules?
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