Focus on Being Useful, Not Great, in Your Content Marketing
Focusing on being great can hold you back from being useful -- or producing any work at all.
“No one reads this for fun.”
That was my guiding mantra during my time at AIIM – and is something I still think when creating a piece of content.
A few short sentences for background and context are needed here. AIIM is a professional association focused on the management of information (remember microfilm? AIIM set the standards for that information storage and retrieval technology). The magazine (and later webinars and website) I edited, inform (which morphed into AIIM E-DOC Magazine, see cover above), was focused on providing advice and thought leadership to industry professionals so they could effectively manage and use information to make their businesses run better.
Hence my “No one reads this for fun” saying.
My goal for every piece of content was to be useful; “How is this going to help my reader do their job better?”
But I really struggled with my first year of issues in part because I wanted each one to be great (I also only had a vague idea of what I was doing, but that’s a different story).
I had to figure out how to get out of my own way.
“Great” Was Getting in My Way
We all want to be great. To produce the best of whatever it is we do.
Early in my career, my desire to be great was running headlong into a wall of deadlines (missing your press – as in printing press – window is NOT A GOOD THING) and the normal friction of office work.
Already prone to over-thinking, taking over the responsibility of providing articles that would help professionals who had been in the industry for longer than I had been alive (I was 26) was ever-so-slightly terrifying.
I wanted each issue to be perfect. I wanted to touch as many topics as possible.
I wanted each issue to be great.
I had to get over that idea that everything had to be great to get anything done.
When I moved into a content marketing role, the “great problem” reemerged.
I had to get over it and out of my head again. I hope these brief thoughts help you do the same
The Problem With Great
It’s less of a challenge now, but a decade ago, nearly every piece of advice you read about content and inbound marketing included the words “great” and “content” in sequence or at least in close proximity. I am all for great content – great content whether whimsical or serious or funny or informative or entertaining or whatever is, well, great.
And great is good. It’s the goal. Right?
Not entirely.
Here’s the problem.
Let’s be honest – there is only a limited number of folks in any particular field of endeavor who are legitimately “great.” I can write better than many, on a good day, maybe even most folks. Does that make me “great?” I’ve got an ego, but, I’m also honest with myself.
I’m gonna go with nope.
Let’s take the NFL as an example – the 2024 draft was about a month ago and 257 college players were drafted by the 32 NFL teams. Every one of those players can do things physically most of us can’t.
Yet, measured against each other, only a handful will be “great” or were “great” at the college level. Some of the players who weren’t very good in college will become good or even “great” in the NFL. But there have been thousands of players in the NFL in its history – there’s only a handful of greats; like Drew Brees, Ricky Jackson, Cam Jordan, and Sam Mills (WhoDat, Baby!).
Music. Food. Movies. Actors. Doctors. TV Shows. Etcetera, etcetera. There are a few greats, some goods, a mass of average, and then a still-large group of suckage.
We don't live in Lake Wobegon.
This Isn’t Great, So I’m Going to Wait
What I’ve found is that I’ve had to shut off all of this “great” talk. Trying to be great can freeze you into immobility. If you’re trying to start in content marketing, you’re not going to be great from the beginning (most of the time). You’ve gotta work at it. Practice. Plan. Write. Think. Apply. Repeat.
Going for greatness out of the gate can really freak you out. I’ve found myself stuck many times thinking, “This has gotta be great. Maybe if I do just a little bit more research or rewriting or think about it just another day.”
You do that for a week and you’re going to have some pissed off clients or boss when you start missing deadlines.
Fine, so just push shit content out there, Duhon. Moron, YOU’RE part of the crap deluge problem that’s making content marketing collapse under its own weight. Well, maybe, I hope not – and I’m not saying to settle. My point is focusing on something different can eventually help you be great.
Or think of your favorite band or solo performer. Think of their entire musical catalogue. I love the Eagles. They have quite a few great songs. But not every song they put out is great. If a group as talented as The Eagles can’t always reach “great,” the pressure is off of you.
Be USEFUL
Instead of struggling with being great, focus on being useful and you might get to great on the way.
When it comes to content marketing, being useful can be great for your audience regardless of whether the content could be "objectively" considered great by virtue of writing style, design, or whatever.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t strive for greatness or constant improvement; that isn't my point. I'm not arguing that you should shoot for average and settle for "meh." Even Greatest Hits albums have some songs stronger and weaker than others -- and those are supposed to be great (says so right on the damn label!).
But, as my favorite greatest hits album title, from Primus, says: They Can't All Be Zingers.
Need help creating useful content? I can do it for you — newsletter, blog, website, or whatever else you need: duhonius@gmail.com or 301-275-7496. Or drop me a line here and I’ll be in touch ASAP.