We’re officially in the Age of Content. If you’re a consumer, you can expect to see X number of brand posts online before you even get out of bed. Most of them will be variations of something you’ve seen before…
Already seen that “Friday funny”
*scroll on*
Already read that news article
*next please*
Oh, another tip… really?
*boring*
So how do you capture the attention of an audience who is constantly bombarded by new and old content? Is there nothing new under the sun? What can you do that is truly unique and engaging?
The answer is surprisingly simple.
Be You!
Content that is so wrapped up in you that it couldn’t possibly come from anyone else is going to be your most effective, engaging, and far reaching. It will have the most impact on your audience, and compared to other types, it will often be quite easy to create.
So how can you be you through your content? Whether you’re blogging, posting to Facebook, sending an email, or any other online channel, you can “be you” in lots of different ways. Here’s just some ideas for content that you can create which no other brand can copy:
- Selfies
- Videos
- Audio/podcasts
- Conversations
- Opinion pieces
- Stories
- Personal experiences
- Day in the life
- Direct engagement questions
- Rants
Expose Yourself
If you’re not sure whether “being you” is going to be a good fit for your brand (especially if you’ve had more of a corporate/professional voice up until this point), I encourage you to just give it a go.
It can be a bit scary to expose yourself* for the first time as your real self. Start small! Take a selfie and talk about what you’re actually working on today. Try to gauge the response you get – is it positive and interactive? Or are the comments negative (or no comments at all)?
* I don’t mean expose yourself like that, but… each to their own, I guess
As with all things, you don’t really know how successful it will be until you give it a try!
People Do Business With People
At the end of the day though, people don’t do business with your logo or your professional persona. They do business with YOU and the other people who help your company run each day. Being your real self and letting them get to know you will help them know that they can trust you to get it right most of the time (or at least do your best to). They might even decide that they like you as a person!
This kind of marketing is as powerful as it gets!
Be YOU!
Angela
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