When you want to build your brand and communicate with a wider audience it’s no longer enough to simply bombard your audience with ads. In a world where everyone is connected and sharing, content has become king. People don’t want to know why you’re the best or be told how poor the competition are. They want to receive something of value from you for little or nothing in return. There’s no getting away from this trend, and if you fail to recognize that the tide has turned then it could quickly sweep away your brand.

Recognizing Great Content

The first thing to remember about content is that it must be useful and informative. This will allow it to give value to the recipient and won’t make them feel like they’re receiving junk mail or empty words. If you can make it entertaining at the same time then that’s even better. By doing that you’ll be able to make people sit up and take notice so that they want to engage further with your message and learn a little more about who you are.

Next you need to ensure you get your passion out there for all to see, and do so in a way that other people can readily relate to. This will allow you to integrate your brand into their vision for life without giving the impression that you’re trying to force your way in. The days of the hard sell or the seemingly never ending sales pitch are over. Today content is king and if you use it the right way you’ll be able to open doors.

You also need to leave doors open for co-creation and other creative avenues so that you can welcome the rest of the world with open arms. No matter your message or your passion, getting your story out there will be essential to your success.

Every Channel Matters

There are multiple channels of communication for your business to explore, and every one of them matters. The important thing to note is that every channel needs to be treated as an individual as it has its own formatting and audience. It is at heart a unique lens through which your audience can view your brand and its ethos.

If you try and force identical content down multiple channels then your one size fits all approach simply won’t work. It needs to be native to the individual platforms if you are to correctly show your offering and tell your story. At times you’ll need 10 characters and a 15 second video, others will require a 2 minute video with masterful production. The secret is in knowing what fits where, and how it can get your message across in the most natural and passionate way.

Content Should Tell People Who You Are

Take the Nike Breaking 2 project where some of the best runners and sports scientists in the world have teamed up to try and break the mystical 2 hour barrier for the marathon. This challenge ticks all the right boxes because it’s memorable, has an air of mystery about how they’re going to do it, and it sounds near impossible.

Purely by taking on this challenge Nike has generated significant press interest and has piqued the interest of runners around the world. By giving the world’s elite something to shoot for they’ve actually managed to bring runners of all abilities on board as they now feel invested in the success of the project. This not only makes it a great way to launch a new shoe and clothing range to go alongside the project, it also allows Nike to position themselves as the sports brand that is most determined to push the limits.

It’s a clever strategy, and one that lends itself to everything from merchandise and TV ads, to social media content and live events. In the 21st century it’s the ideal way to create the one thing that will talk to people across all levels and platforms: engaging content.

Isn’t it time you asked yourself what your content says about you?