To Succeed in Marketing, Become a Content Machine
Social media usage isn’t going anywhere; in fact, it’s growing like crazy. As of January 2024, the global average daily time spent online for adults ages 16 to 64 is 2hrs 23min.
Wow. That is staggering. (And honestly, probably low.)
That means a lot of content is being consumed online all day long.
How much of it is your business creating?
What is a Content Machine?
When I refer to a “Content Machine”, I don’t mean like Schwarzenegger in Terminator.
A Content Machine is a small business owner who produces a lot of content every single day, and actively looks for ways to maximize the output and distribution of every piece they make.
“A lot” is a relative term, but it’s safe to guess it’s probably more than either of us is currently doing.
Why is it Necessary?
Recognize this:
Your online presence is your digital storefront. If you want people to find their way in, you need to show them there’s awesome things inside.
Not only that, but people need a lot of reminding. We love spoilers because we hate (nasty) surprises. Be upfront with your results by creating a ton of content.
How to Become a Content Machine
There are a number of ways to do this, but here are the most common:
Commit to creating daily. Find something every single day to write about, video about, take a photo of, screenshot, whatever. For me, I write a minimum of 1,000 words daily, and almost everything else I do is somehow an extension of that.
Document everything. Start a note on your phone with new ideas so when you sit down to create content, you aren’t stunted. Keep a folder in your Photos app of all content you might share. Get in the habit of shooting everything you can.
Batch process. Highly recommended no matter your approach; try to squeeze multiple pieces of content out of every opportunity you can. If you decide you’ve got 15 minutes to try to come up with a few ideas for social media posts, make it a goal to write 3 social media posts, not just 1 or 2.
Take inspiration from online. Start a favourited collection on Instagram or screenshot the content you find most interesting. Take the principle or clever idea and figure out your own business’s take on it.
Hire someone. I mean, if you don’t have the time to throw at this, you likely have the money. Hire a professional to help you out. (I know one if you need a recommendation.)
Repurpose every piece of content. If you write a newsletter like this one, you can easily turn that into multiple tweets, multiple Instagram posts, a video script, a podcast episode topic, a blog on your website, and so much more. 1 piece of content = many.
Repost old content. Even the pros run out of new ideas sometimes. If it’s been 6+ months since a particular post, you can likely get away with sharing it again.
Whatever it looks like for you, the goal should be to up the amount of content you’re making. I’ve found the best way to do that is to get in the practice of doing it daily. Your mileage may vary, but I’d encourage you to try it.
In order to compete in this digital age, we must take sharing online seriously.
Running a business is not an “If you build it, they will come,” sort of thing. We’ve got to go above and beyond to draw people to us.
We Must Machine the Right Stuff
Simply putting out a ton of content isn’t enough: it’s got to be strategic stuff that connects deeply with our audience.
Social media is no longer a quality vs quantity thing. It’s a quality and quantity thing.
People have a short attention span online with so much content vying for their attention. Our goal is to make stellar stuff that attracts them towards us.
A few ideas:
Educational content that teaches them something new
Entertaining content that gives them a laugh
Fascinating content that they want to share with their friends and family
Interesting content that provides a new perspective on something
Insider content that reveals a secret about your industry
Surprising content that is a controversial (yet logical) take on a popular topic
What connects with each audience is going to vary depending on your industry, your business, and your unique selling feature. It’s up to you to experiment and find what works.
Which Social Media Platform is Best?
Here are the two questions you should ask to answer this question quickly and easily:
Where do my customers hang out online?
Where do my competitors hang out online?
Assuming those are the same answer, start with that platform.
Especially in the beginning of your side hustling, most of your customers are going to be local. My belief is that it’s part of the nature of Instagram to find local connections.
That being said, TikTok and Youtube are also big for brands right now (with LinkedIn being really popular among business professionals, and Facebook still a general crowd pleaser).
If you don’t know the answer to those 2 questions above, here’s one more for you:
Where do I hang out online?
Chances are, if there’s a platform you use regularly and you love it, you might already have some ideas about how to go and find a local audience. If that’s all you do in the beginning, go for it. Try something new if it’s failing.
3 Practical Tips
For best results with creating tons of successful content, try these 3 things:
Focus on a hook: We need something that keeps us paying attention within the first 3-5 seconds. Doesn’t matter how great the payoff is at the end if no one sticks around til then.
Try a ton of stuff: Audiences get bored. Don’t think that you can’t try stuff “off brand”
Combine entertainment with education: Commonly called “Edutainment,” it’s the chef’s kiss of content
Don’t Wait Til Business is Slow
If there’s one massive mistake with marketing that most solopreneurs make, it’s waiting until business is slow to start marketing.
Marketing is a lagging-indicator effort. Nothing is random; it takes a bit of time to see results. You can’t be so impatient you give up too soon.
Neglecting your marketing when you’re busy means you’re going to be hurting when it’s slow. Throughout all the seasons of your business, you’ve got to be producing content so you always have business lined up for the “slow” seasons.
Start Making
No matter your approach, your platform, your content: start making more, and if you pay attention to the types of results you get, I bet you’ll learn how to better reach your audience.
