What is Grow with GRV?
Grow with GRV is a series that I felt compelled to release, keeping in mind the current market situation that has badly hit businesses and jobs across the globe. One way to adapt to the rapidly changing market is by going digital. If you offer a product or service that was majorly dependent on offline sales, follow this series to learn how to infuse digital DNA in your business strategy. By doing so, you shall be able to neutralise a notable amount of damage caused by plummeting offline sales.
In my previous post about ‘Essentials for launching a new website in 2020’ there was a brief mention on how your website’s content can provide value to its audience.
Further to that, this post provides insights into content production strategy. So that you know exactly how to create awesome digital content that has the potential of being valuable to your audience.
1) Goal
This is the first step where you answer the question – Why do you want to create that specific piece of content? Is it traction, interaction, sales, subscription or establishing industry authority? Without a clearly defined goal for your next piece of content, you won’t be able to measure or track the performance of it. So if you want to create an effective piece of content, always start with setting a clear goal. Depending on the goal you set for your next piece of content, your content will take a specific form and shape to best serve its purpose.
2) Topic
Now that you know the purpose or the goal of the content, it is time you think about what the core topic of your content should be. So for example, the goal is to sell a product or service. Then the topic should ideally surround the product or service itself… Like what problem does it solve, what is unique in the way it solves the problem, so on and so forth. Similarly, if the goal is industry authority or thought leadership then the content should be about exclusive insights, research or studies. Lastly, let’s say your goal is to get traction only… you could then align the content topic to something that’s trending. However, it is important that you don’t wander too far away to get traction. It is of prime importance that you are always aware about who your target audience is and what is it that they are concerned about or care about.
3) Hook
Okay, so now you know the goal and the central topic that your post is going to be about. Now it is time to add your special touch, the awesome sauce that only you have. But how exactly do you do that? Well, it is actually not as tough as you think it is. All you have to do is give an interesting twist to it. So let’s say your goal is interaction, your target audience is 20-25 year old males and your topic is personal development for the young. Now, all you have to do is add an enticing hook to your content so that it can keep your audience… hooked on! So instead of keeping the title and content bland and boring like ‘Personal development tips for men in their early 20’s’ you could do something like… These PS games made me a better person or This ‘Netflix show’ helped in my personal development. You could talk about how playing FIFA helped you realise the importance of teamwork and playing to one’s strength. Or how watching Bird Box made you realise that discipline is an indispensable trait, be it in professional life or personal. You get the idea by now, giving such interesting hooks that your audience can relate to, helps urge them to get and stay hooked to your content.
4) Platform
If you try to sell a swimsuit in the middle of a desert would you be able to sell more than someone selling it close to a beach? If the answer to that question is obvious to you, so should be this foundation. You should finalise the platform(s) on which you are most likely to achieve the content goal. Analyse the receptiveness of the audience as per your goal and craft your content according to the digital platform(s) you zero down. Let’s say your goal is interaction and you know it is Facebook and Instagram that get you most interactions; so craft your content according to these platforms then. Similarly, if your goal is to get sales from affiliate marketing and YouTube is the platform that best serves this purpose. So now, you will craft your content to best suit YouTube. The idea is to optimise your content according to the digital platform(s) it will eventually get published on.
5) Design
Saving the best for last, this is the aspect that gives your content the X factor. The one factor that makes your content pop out and stops the scrolling. However, it is also sadly the most overlooked and underestimated factor. The most common mistake many make, is not giving enough time and attention to have a great content design. This factor serves the same purpose that your attire does at a public event. Before you even speak, people notice how you look and decide whether or not you are worthy of getting their attention. So dress your content well, in a way that impresses your audience. A yoga studio’s content design would be radically different from the design of a business school. The content design should resonate a vibe that your target audience expects to get from it, else it is set up to be doomed. Also keep brand consistency across platforms, for example, people should look at your YouTube video thumbnail and instantly identify them with your Instagram post. The quicker the identification registers, the better are your content designs.