Stop writing content for the sake of writing content
As PR and marketing pros seek consumers’ attention amid increasing noise online, the pressure to create interesting content grows. Here’s what to consider before publishing.
Press releases, earned-media coverage, articles, blogs, collateral, data sheets, video, webinars, podcasts, short- and long-form ads and infographics (before they were called infographics)—it’s all content. Only packaging and distribution has changed.
Yet, agencies and clients echo the rallying cry: “More content! We need more cowbell content!”
Entire agencies have formed to supply content and distribute it. Content farms like iWriter crank out content faster than leftover client-meeting food disappears from the lunchroom. There is a mad rush to win the content race.
Creating content with a purpose
I argue that in many cases we don’t need more content. Instead, we must have better content with a strategic perspective.
So much is done reactively—a knee-jerk response to internal or external pressures—and a lot of content lacks a strategy that supports business goals. Content that’s a source of measurement? Sure. Content that Incites action in target audiences? Debatable.
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