The Content Curse

You know you need to create content for your business. I’m going to guess you’ve fallen into the trap of treating every piece of weekly blog content like some menial task you need to cross off your to-do list so you can say it’s done.

That’s the problem.

You’re treating content creation as though it’s a chore, a task, a problem. Something you wish you could outsource or delegate to someone else so you wouldn’t have to bother. After all, no one ever comments on your blog anyway, right?

You’ve fallen into the trap of treating content like a task instead of treating your content like it means something.

If you care about your customers, you’ll write meaningful content.

If you care about the person who just landed on your website from a google search, and you want to make the best first impression ever, you’ll write meaningful content.

It takes effort to write something meaningful. It requires you to think about your customer and ask yourself, “How can I add value? How can I help you through my effort to add a little something to the interwebs each week?”

If creating quality content matters to you, it won’t be left to the last minute. It’s more than just a task you cross off a list because some marketing expert told you to blog weekly.

What should you do?  Give some of your mindshare up for caring.  Every single day, I ask myself, what can I do to be of value? What can I create that is of service and helps someone further their business in some way?  Every interaction I have that is meaningful, I take note and I think, how can I use this to inspire and educate those who I am privileged enough to have read my work?

I know, you want an editorial calendar and someone to tell you exactly what to say, but that’s what amateurs say. Not experts, and not leaders of businesses who care about their customers. True professionals never abdicate responsibility for the important stuff to someone else, and neither should you.

It’s time to stop treating the words you write as an afterthought and instead, make them meaningful. Make them so good people can’t help but like, comment and share your work.

Here are some things you can do right now:

1. Make a story list. 

Grab a piece of paper and write out a list of stories you could tell with lessons that would help others.  Imagine you had to do a TED talk next week. What would be your idea worth spreading? I am guessing you have more than you know what to do with; have you blogged about them?

2. Every day, write down one thing that happened that is a teaching moment that you can share with the people who read your blog. 

It doesn’t have to be something earth-shattering. It can be like my last blog about wanting to buy a Louis Vuitton bag. Every situation you encounter is an opportunity to create content. All you need to do is link it to your reader in some way.

3. Send your entire mailing list an email and ask them these two questions:

1. What is the most challenging thing you’re encountering when it comes to [insert what your area of expertise is] right now?
2. What is the one thing you’ve done when it comes to  [insert what your area of expertise is] that you’re most proud of?

LISTEN to what people tell you and use all of that amazing insight to write.

You can do this.  There is no curse, only opportunity. An opportunity for you to create meaningful work.

What about you? How do you encourage the inspiration to write meaningful content for your customers?