Create Standout Content from these Simple Questions

Anyone involved in B2B marketing is in constant pursuit to create standout content. But given the amount of content being created on the internet, and the strategies involved in crafting these content, what worked for your brand before may not necessarily bring the same magic this time.

Content marketing is already way beyond just blog ideas. The ideas need to be constantly improved on, customized for specific audience personas and designed in formats fit for consumer needs.

Having the best writer on your team is not enough.

With the fast changing format of content being consumed online, creating standout content is not limited to blogging anymore.

How do you create standout content? What sort of questions do you need to ask yourself and your team so that the journey from idea to content is centered on the value that your customer can get?

What does your audience want?

Most brands start on the wrong foot. Creating content that they want, not what their audience wants. And this is basically going against the tenets of content marketing. Content marketing is not just content creation; it is the creation of content for a specific audience. Those who would benefit from the value that your content presents. Ask yourself and your team, what does your audience want? Do they want insights? Information? Do they want to learn? Try your product? And once you determine the answer to this question, you are in for a ride. The next content you will be creating may well be a standout content in your space.

When do they want it?

Aside from knowing what your audience wants, timing is of extreme relevance. The last thing that you would want to do is to force your content to your audience while they are busy not caring about your brand. Plot your customer journey, make sure you have content pillars for each stage of the journey and make sure that you are delivering it right where it matters most.

Who is providing the answers to your audience (and who is not providing them)?

It is also a wise move to find out, to listen, to research. Who among your competitors are providing the answers to your audience, and who is ignoring them? Then you can start owning the space that nobody is looking at, and once you own this space, you have every opportunity to dominate that space. Start creating value-centric content that is unique to your brand and that resonates well with your audience.

How much does your audience is willing to pay for your content?

Another question that most marketers forget to ask themselves is this; how much does your audience is willing to pay for your content? At the end of the day, you still need to pay the bills, if revenue generating is not in your radar, you may just well keep on writing content and if it transforms the world we live in, let’s just pray that the world will remember you for doing good. But seriously, part of your strategy should involve making money. And part of creating standout content is the goal to have your audience pay for content. Plot your efforts against the results and make sure you get to sleep peacefully at night knowing that your bank account won’t break – even if you are the greatest content creator on the planet.

Do you have to be original?

Yes and no. Yes because you are aiming for influence and authority, if you lack a sense of originality in your content, then prepare for the wrath of the internet to fall upon your hapless soul. On the other side, it’s tough to be original knowing that in the existence of human knowledge, probably everything has been said and done. So how do you navigate around this dilemma? The secret to a standout content is in the authenticity of your brand message. Some brands may have already written about the best practices in lead generation, but you can still be original by adding in your own flavor, your own taste, by etching your brand message all over your lead generation strategy. That is how you become original.

There’s still just way too much content out there, but this should not discourage you from creating standout content. The level of trust that you can build in your space will dictate the level of authority that you earn as an expert.

Focus on getting your content in front of your audience and make it a business to measure and improve your strategy. Do not settle for a “repeat performance.” Create fresh and relevant content and be consistent.

That is how you win the content marketing wars, that is how you stand out in a room full of “loud” content marketers.