writing content

One of the most common questions I get from clients is, "What is Content?", or, "What Can I Use as Content, and Where?"

It's a great question, and one we should ask ourselves regularly, because things are always changing.

The answer is simple, and somewhat complex, but mostly simple! 🙂

What can I use as content? Anything! Where? Anywhere!

The Answer is Anything, Anywhere!

The simple answer. You can literally use anything as content; images, sound bites, video, written word, podcasts, webinars, emails, brochures, postcards, carton labels, etc...

And these types of content can consist of just about anything. Thoughts, behind the scenes, answers to questions, information, product reviews, hints and tips, insights, projects, product information, personal journeys, funny stuff, etc...

The question is, should you use them, and where?

The Real Answer is 'Almost Anything, Just About Anywhere!'

A more complex perspective. Like most things in life, just because you can doesn't mean you should! A key element of all of this is to keep in mind that Content is Brand and Brand Reflects Culture!

Every touch point with a client, like a label on a box, an advertising campaign, or answering a phone, speaks to your brand and your company culture. So it makes sense that your content should be a reflection of these things.

It's a question of context! As an example: using 'the bird' as an icon on your packaging or documentation. Surely you never would! Right? Maybe yes, maybe no! Let me illustrate.

If your brand is professional and respectful it would be an almighty risk! The risk is that you might offend and permanently damage your brand and lose clients. For example, imagine getting an invoice from your doctor with a Thank You for your prompt payment and a giant middle finger image following it! Yeah... I don't think I'd go there!

Now, imagine your brand is rebellious and loud! It just might work. As an example, a new, exclusive, members only, vinyl copy of the latest album from your favourite Death Metal band arrives with a postcard that says; F^%k You Very Much For Your Purchase and a Giant Middle Finger following it, signed by all the band members. You just might frame that! You sure as hell would instagram it! That's context, that's the culture, and that's fan driven content! Gold!

It's about the Culture.

And that brings me to my second point: Culture. Content is a reflection of the culture that surrounds your business, your brand, your industry, and the customers that are drawn to it. It's not all about you!

So, your content doesn't need to be confined to your own business. In fact, making it all about you is a mistake, because it's always about your customer! So, your content can, and should also draw from the culture surrounding your business. Take a surfboard manufacturer for example. The product is the gear, the brand is the specific aspects that reflect that particular business, but the culture is everything surrounding it: surfers, music, waves, beach, habits, history, icons, feelings, etc.

You can draw from all these things as part of your content. In the above example it might be an image of a huge wave on Insta or Facebook with a caption like, "Don't you wish you were out there today? Tag 3 mates you'd take with you!", etc.

Brand, Context and Culture! Simple!