Quick Digital Content Creation Tips

Focus on the why and the reaction

One of the overused statements we always make in the digital strategy world is “start with the end in mind”. While many marketers have been successful in thinking of campaigns in this context, I’ve always felt it wasn’t exactly the best way to frame a strategy.

When it comes to content creation, there are 2 core things that I always acknowledge before crafting a plan:

• There is a ton of content available in the digital world
• It is mainly consumed by humans (SEO optimizations aside)

Thus, I have always tried to do anything I can to combat our algorithmic tendencies by thinking of content creation in humanistic terms.

For me, that process starts with 2 questions:

1. Why should anyone care about this content?
   Having an understanding of why anyone would care about your content is critical. Creating intention behind the message you are delivering (and being able to amplify through your channel strategy and justify through your data strategy) can help you focus your resources on the most meaningful content executions.
   
2. What is the reaction I am going for?
   When planning a content execution, taking the time to envision how you want your audience to react – both emotionally and transactionally – can help shape the way you craft your message. What are the key feelings you’d like to generate? What actions would you like to inspire? Is that communicated within your content?

Spending time defining the “Why” and the “Reaction” can turn your good piece of content into a great execution. You’ve added a humanized context to the ”start with the end in mind” mentality that can create a meaningful content experience for your end-user.

The next step would be to craft a measurement plan that determines the impact your piece of content had on the business. That will be another story for another day (future blog post coming!).