Summit Blog: The future of content is rooted in the past

It’s time to take communication back to its roots. It is no longer enough to broadcast messages out to faceless audiences, hoping they will obediently respond. Instead we must find clever ways to engage, to have conversations that lead with purpose and tell stories worth listening to.

This is something I am extremely passionate about. It was the topic of my workshop at the recent Chamber of Commerce Summit and it is the driving force of my business, The Joyful Web. We want to get businesses excited about telling their story and do so in an authentic way that truly resonates with their audiences. We believe this is the way to bring joy to business, and it’s the only way to cut through the noise.

The internet is oversaturated with content. The average person is exposed to 1200 stories a day on Facebook alone, and the majority of this has little to no impact. According to data by TrackMaven, output of content per brand has increased by 35% per channel per year, while engagement has decreased by 17% in the same timeframe.  We are in a state of content shock.

How do we overcome content shock?

For content to be effective, it needs to have a purpose. Rather than broadcasting out into the great unknown, businesses need to find opportunities to have conversations with their audiences. We need to understand how and why our audiences think and act in the way they do - what makes them tick? What angers and excites them? Where are their problem areas and how can we offer the solution?

Once we understand who our audience are as people, rather than statistics we put into our monthly reports, we are able to identify their pain points and create content which speaks directly to them.

Having conversations

Gone are the days when brands are in the driving seat. Instead we must act as the navigator, cleverly guiding the user journey but ultimately remaining vulnerable to their whim.

The rise of mobile and technological advancements has, ironically, brought marketing back to its roots, as it promotes the ancient act of storytelling, of listening and responding. It offers a chance to engage with people as individuals, to have conversations and build relationships in a way that TV, radio and print never could. It has turned marketers from broadcasters into facilitators.

Effective content asks ‘how can I help you?’ not ‘what can I sell you?’ Sales messages are, largely, ineffective. Instead we must create relationships and build trust through authentic content, which offers a solution, is entertaining, educational, inspirational and will in some way enhance audience’s everyday lives.

Building communication pillars from your values

Every story you tell around your brand should relate back to both yours and your audience’s why, they can be industry-specific, ie. providing a helpful guide, or emotionally drive. These values also function as communication pillars and can be used to develop your content strategy.

For example, the Joyful Web’s value pillars are authenticity, creativity, daring and, of course, joy. These form the backbone of everything we do as a business but also function as guidelines for our content. This gives us a huge amount of flexibility - we’re no longer restrained by marketing jargon and ‘how to’ articles and guides. Instead we can create content around anything we find to be inspiring that we feel will also resonate with our audiences.

We want to turn our blog into a go-to place for audiences to not only gain the content marketing and social media insight they need to grow their business, but to escape the misery we are shown every day on the internet. Our stories are designed to show the many positives in the world and the different ways people are using the internet to do good. Watch this space...

How do I know if a subject resonates with my audience?

Ask them!

Go where they are, see what they’re saying, listen and respond. There are many platforms that will help you to do this. Reddit, the ‘front page of the internet’, is a great place to start. Here you’ll find conversations around almost any topic imaginable. See what questions people are asking and see how you can offer the answers through your content.

Alltop will show you what successful content has already been created on specific subjects and what is trending. Are there any gaps? Any perspectives that seem one-sided? Can you add any extra value?

Go to Answer the Public to see what questions people are asking around your keywords. Where there’s a question, there’s an opportunity to be helpful.

And being helpful is exactly the point. If you can find a way to add true value, you’ll in turn build trust and a strong community that functions as much more than just a faceless customer base. As in every part of life, you get back as much as you put in.

For more ideas for building authentic conversations with your audiences, check out my slides from Brighton Summit.

Thanks to Sophie Turton, Co-Director The Joyful Web for writing this blog.

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk