The Great Content Problem (and a Different Way to Think About "Great")
It can be easy to freeze in place when the pressure to "be great" is a constant drumbeat. I know I have. Lately, I've been thinking about what great means from a different POV.
No, I’m not talking about genAI or the fact that we are awash in bland, derivative, and dull content.
Instead this short piece is inspired by a recent mini-freakout by yours truly.
“Be great.”
Nearly every piece of advice you read about content and inbound marketing includes 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. No, better than good! It’s the goal. Right?
Well, I’m starting to think maybe not entirely.
I’ve been working out a content marketing plan for myself to keep on track. It’s solid. It’s good; maybe even very good. But it doesn’t feel great.
So I’ve been spinning my wheels on it, bouncing between over-analysis and procrastination as I fiddle around the edges with it.
The reality?
Had I started acting on it three weeks ago, I’d be that much closer to getting to great.
The Trouble With “Great”
Here’s the problem as I see it.
Let’s all be honest here for a moment – there’s 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 – a few months ago 250-odd 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. Of the thousands of players in NFL history – there’s only a handful of greats.
And even the greats aren’t always great. I’m a huge New Orleans Saints fan (WHODAT BABY!). While I watched Drew Brees win a game they were losing after receiving the ball with 37 seconds left to go; I also watched him throw interceptions that ended games.
Music. Food. Movies. Actors. Doctors (NEVER think about this before a procedure). TV Shows. Etcetera, etcetera. There are a few greats, some goods, a lot of average, and then a mass of suckage.
We don't live in Lake Wobegon.
This Isn’t Great, So I’m Going to Wait
The irony of procrastination is that it’s frequently perfectionism in disguise.
When bombarded by “be great” messages those of us inclined to procrastinate can question everything we’re doing.
Me, 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. Lather, Rinse, 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 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.
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 think that “Great” in the context of marketing is two things:
Useful – does it help your audience further understand/make a decision about the problem you can solve for them.
Effective – does it meet the goals set for the content; leads, sales, more subscribers, insert a non-vanity metric here (for instance, “impressions” on LinkedIn are a good signal you’re hitting the mark, but don’t contribute to your bottom line).
I’m not saying we shouldn’t strive for greatness or constant improvement. We should. And I'm not arguing that you should shoot for average and settle for "meh."
Do that and you’ll never even cross the threshold to good.
But it’s impossible for (the vast majority of) us to be great all the time.
Even the greatest bands and singers have songs we skip. As my favorite greatest hits album title, from Primus, says: They Can't All Be Zingers.
Ready to turn content and your inbox into a growth engine for your business? Newsletter-in-a-Box gets you from blank page to first send in four weeks. Email me at bryant@simplyusefulmarketing.co or book a quick call and let’s start filling your customers’ inboxes with value and your pipeline with leads.
I’ll leave you with two great songs that YouTube played for me as I was editing.
Love this live version! Hard for me not to think of Any Given Sunday (not a great movie) when I hear this one.
Kris Kristofferson had an amazing life and career. This is the loneliest song I can think of. And Cash is, as always, awesome.
This is GREAT!