How To Create Purposeful Content

Have you noticed that most of the content we come across these days, falls into one of two categories: useful, or entertaining?

So, the next time you sit down to come up with your next batch of content, ask yourself if what you’re proposing fits nicely into one of these categories. If the answer is no, then it’s time to move along and scrap that idea. Let me explain…

If the answer is yes, then it most likely either:

Has the potential to inform, educate, or provide a solution to a problem that your target audience is having,

Or,

Is something that your audience will find funny or interesting.

It’s almost as simple as that…

If someone will potentially find the post useful or entertaining, then it has a PURPOSE. And purpose is an extra important ingredient these days. Platforms are noisy, so in order to stand out, you need to up your game a little.

Here are a couple of other qualifying questions that I always ask myself before posting:

WHO does it serve? This should be absolutely clear – is it for your existing community in a group? Is it to attract a new audience? Or, is it to keep the one you already have? Once you know whom you’re trying to reach, you’ll find it much easier to come up with an engaging message.

WHAT are you trying to say? Do you have a goal in mind? Is your message short, sweet, and to the point? And, most important (for business-related posts), have you included a call to action?

DOES IT SOUND LIKE YOU? This is SO important and yet, I see this form of “imposter syndrome” happening all the time… the copy and paste feature is not your friend. I know that other people’s words sometimes seem like they sound better than yours, but trust me on this – your authenticity is not worth compromising. If what you’re going to post doesn’t sound like something you would say IRL, then don’t say it.

CATHERINE’S TOP TIP: Paraphrasing IS your friend.

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel with your content, you just need to tweak it and change it up so that it sounds like YOU.

I’m going to let you in on an industry secret – there’s not a ton of original content floating around there. Most of it has been inspired by the thoughts or ideas of someone else. And that is ok – because honestly, what is there left to talk about that hasn’t already been said?

Think about movie plots, for example. Of all of the thousands of blockbusters out there, all of them center on only a couple handfuls of themes: good vs. evil, love conquers all, friendship, overcoming adversity, coming of age – you get the point. They’ve ALL been done before. They are just variations of ones that have come before.

The key is to put your own spin on it – share YOUR perspective, ensure that your personality comes through, and think about how it aligns with your values and interests.

And, it really doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s not nuclear physics. It’s social media and it is meant to be SOCIAL. People are there to be informed or to be entertained.

In fact, a lot of the time, your topics can be as straightforward as any of the following: