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We’ve all been there—you deliver what feels like an ideal piece of content and all you get is meh.
Hey, it happens.
But if that reaction is appearing too often for you, it might be time to commit to five strategic decisions before creating your next piece of content.
Who’s it for? I once read a book draft that careened back and forth between beginner and advanced expert topics. When I asked “Who’s this for?”, the author didn’t have a clue (which meant they’d wasted literally hundreds of hours).
Every single email, podcast episode, blog post and video needs a clear, targeted audience. And the more niche you go, generally the better.
What’s my point of view? Your point of view is your belief system. It’s how you think about your vision, the revolution you’re leading, your ideal clients, and your niche.
And it drives your content. Let’s say you believe everyone is creative: if you were podcasting, you might interview everyday front-line folks making creative breakthroughs, instead of the celebrity innovators everyone else is hosting.
Having an articulate, well-thought-out point of view is like a giant neon sign pointing to the stickiest way to share your brand of expertise.
What lanes of content do I want to build the base of my authority? Even when you have a clear target audience and point of view, you still have plenty of choices on the lanes of content—themes—you’ll embrace.
Take a creativity consultant focusing on a niche of B2B SaaS technology companies—they might decide to write about increasing creativity in teams, mindset (how to think about creativity), creativity for software developers…you get the idea.
Choosing no more than 3-4 lanes will keep you focused, while still giving you plenty of depth to write about.
What format(s) suits me best? You want this to be about what comes naturally to you because that’s where your greatest chance for differentiation—and therefore stickiness—lies.
When are you firing on all cylinders? Writing long-form content? Drafting short snappy emails? Interviewing podcast guests? Video/live speaking?
If you’re just getting started, pick one format and pour your efforts into that. To find your rhythm, you’ll want to spend at least six (yes, six) months before pivoting to another format. It takes some experimenting to get into the groove that attracts your ideal audience.
Which platforms will I play on? Think of platforms as engagement and distribution systems for your content.
Your website is a platform (your most valuable real estate since no one can take it away). Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and the like are platforms.
And there are countless others that just might cater to your audience—and be open to collaboration.
Making your authority content sticky is a process—but it can’t begin until you put a few stakes in the ground.
Related: Can You Become the Best in the World at What You Do?