Content is King
What entrepreneurs should focus on.
We have all been mesmerized by an incredible pitch or business presentation. We end up with a feeling of awe after what we just witnessed. We believe this entrepreneur could change the world. However, if you pay close attention, there is something about it that doesn’t feel right.
Many factors play a role in delivering information. Your body language, voice, and eye contact can send a strong message that you know what you are talking about. You can be an excellent communicator and feel confident when delivering a presentation, signaling others that you are trustworthy and capable of delivering exceptional results. However, many people rely only on these skills and they tend to ignore their lack of hard data, information, or content to support their pitch.
I have been in that situation myself. I’ve done several presentations, focusing on my voice, my posture, and my gestures. I gave a perfect speech that I had practiced several times before. People who were listening to me surely thought I knew what I was talking about. However, when the presentation was over, I didn’t even know what I had just said, let alone understand its content if there was any. When you are presenting to someone who knows about a subject, there is no way to fool them with your great communication skills. No matter how good you are, your content can be a deal-breaker for you. Content should always be your primary focus.
Content is King
Content refers to all the information that is expressed through some medium, such as writing, video, or speech, and is directed towards an audience or end-user. You shouldn’t be trying to impress anyone with what you know or what you offer. It is not about you, it’s about others. Content is more than just delivering information through different channels. High-quality content is about creating value for others.
But what is value? A simple word, yet full of meaning and interpretations. Something valuable for me might not be valuable for you, but we can all agree that value is something of importance, worth, or usefulness. It can be advice, information, a solution to your problems, or a tool that you can put into practice.
To create high-quality content you first need to ask yourself these three questions: Why are you doing what you are doing? Who are your customers? How can you help them? After answering these questions you can start looking for information that can provide value to your customers and help you to create engaging content.
Content can be powerful and have a significant impact on someone’s life. Jolie Miller, content strategy and acquisitions leader at LinkedIn, once said:
“What I love about content is it has the power to change people’s lives for a second or for a day or forever. Great content creates space for people to pause and reflect, and that space is where transformation happens.”
We all consume content from different sources all the time. It doesn’t mean it is great content. What makes all the difference is its value. Don’t look at it as mere information, instead think of it as a means to connect and form strong relationships.
Whether you are an entrepreneur or someone sharing ideas with the world, ask yourself if what you are creating and the information you are delivering is going to benefit someone. Don’t waste other people’s time, and don’t take content for granted. You never know who is consuming it and the impact you might have. Creating great content might be hard, but it is a wonderful way to make a difference.
Top things to remember:
- You can’t fool everyone with great communication skills.
- Content needs to provide value to others.
- Great content can have a significant impact.
- Know your customers.
- Identify how you can help them.
- Reach out to them.
