If you don't remember where you're going, this is where you'll end.
In the previous nine posts on content execution, I’ve talked about means — on how to create quality content. Finally, in this last post, I want to talk about ends, about the importance of remembering why you’re doing this in the first place.
Because content involves so many moving parts, it’s easy to get lost in the mechanics and lose sight of the overall goal: creating quality content likely to attract and hold attention when it matters most — when people are looking for information that could inform a purchase.
Here are just a few of the the pitfalls I’ve seen (and continue to see) that distract content creators from their true missions:
- Creating content for the sake of creating content, without sufficient attention to audience interests
- Getting lost in the social media swamps — being busy is NOT the same as being productive
- Creating content that’s topical, but not genuinely connected to the creator’s business — and therefore not likely to make much of a marketing impact
- Generating sloppy work that undermines credibility and authority
And the number one distraction from a successful content program? An overestimation of the value of “excellence” that delays progress and undermines morale. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s success. Are you 80% of the way there? Run with it. Becuase the cost of reaching that next 20% boost is almost never worth the effort.
You get better at making content by making content, not by strategizing, designing plans or thinking about it.
Go!