Creating content worth publishing

Ultimately, the power of an idea-centric approach to content marketing boils down to one thing: focus. You cut through the clutter and make a lasting impression on your audience by rallying your content around a singular, resonant theme.

It's not about churning out more content; it's about making every asset serve a bigger story.

Distribute Ideas, Not Content - Animalz

Meaning and point of view are essential for anything worthy of our attention. It’s about a sense of purpose and personality that goes beyond mere information transmission. It’s about paying attention, and not outsourcing observation. In a world increasingly populated by auto-generated content, the combination of substance and style will rise above

Carly Ayres • On substance with style

“When you can’t talk to your audience, eavesdrop. The way they ask for and share advice reveals their pain points and the words they actually use.”

Rosanna Campbell • Audience Research Tips from Real Content Marketers

Content adds strategic value when it equips the reader with a new conceptual framework, a new first principle, or a new perspective.

Cassie (former VP Operations at Animalz) • The Content Value Curve - Animalz

Your unique point of view is your brand’s truth, the belief that you want to scale. Your key premise represents the non-negotiable story of your view of the world – what the organization believes. It is your answer to an overall question.

Robert Rose • How To Use POV Architecture To Create Trust | Content Marketing Institute

The root of amplification is caring. People don’t engage-with, and platforms don’t amplify things they don’t care about. That caring almost exclusively comes from an emotional place, not a logical one. The process isn’t: “ is this high quality and reputable? If so, I shall share it. “

Instead, it’s, “ that made me feel something powerful, and I want... See more

Rand Fishkin • Who Will Amplify This? And Why? - SparkToro

Tell the internet a story

ghostagency.substack.com

Start with empathy and curiosity to understand your audience:

What do they care about?
How much do they already know?
What influences them?
What topics do they devour online?
What do they want answers to?
What’s holding them back?
What situations are causing them a lot of pain?
What are all the things they struggle to figure out?

Premise

A premise is the specific, defensible assertion you make about your space, pulled from your personal perspective, which informs your choices and reputation.

It's something you assert is or should be true.

It's the big idea driving a project or an entire platform or brand. There's a problem. It frustrates you, but you have a specific vision