content must be creative - jon westenberg
TRANSCRIPT
HI, MY NAME IS JON
HI, MY NAME IS JON
HI, MY NAME IS JON
HI, MY NAME IS JON
HI, MY NAME IS JON
TIME, Business Insider, Inc.com, Entrepreneur Magazine, Upworthy, SF Chronicle, NY Observer etc...
THE DEBT OF IMAGINATIONCONTENT MUST BE CREATIVE
"Science does not know its debt to imagination." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
WHY DO I CREATE CONTENT?
BUT ISN’T IT COMMERCIAL? DOESN’T IT NEED TO BE?
WE ARE LIVING IN THE DATA CENTURY*
DATA CHANGES EVERYTHING.
FOR MARKETERS, THAT’S GREAT.
▸ Is the campaign working? Measure it.
▸ Are you reaching the right people? Measure it.
▸ Are you achieving the right CTA? Measure it.
THERE ARE WINNERS, AND THERE ARE LOSERS.
MOST CONTENT IS PREDICTABLE.
AND THAT WORKS. TO SOME DEGREE.
▸ It works because it generates millions of dollars in profits.
▸ It works because people know what they’re getting and it makes them comfy. Again, this is why I eat cheeseburgers.
▸ But it means that nothing memorable is going to be created. We’re talking about the McDonald’s happy meal of content.
BUT HERE’S THE PROBLEM. NOT EVERYTHING SHOULD BE MEASURED.
I COULD WRITE EVERY POST BY THE NUMBERS.
I now know that if I want to publish a blog post, I can make sure that I get a whole lot of views and readers every time.
If I write posts that list the top 10 ways to transform your business through meditation - it’s going to blow up.
I know if I write it in sentence case, if I make it a 4-8 minute read, if I include 3 pictures, and have 5 punchy 3 line paragraphs above the fold, it’s going to work for me.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT CONTENT.
If you measure everything, and you know exactly what your content will do, how and why…you can destroy your creativity. And at the end of the day, content without creativity is never going to be important, and it’s never going to work.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT CONTENT.
Because if I wrote every post by those numbers, regardless of how many clicks I get, I’ll keep writing the same thing, I won’t grow, and sooner or later my audience will get sick of it and go somewhere else.
FOR STARTUPS, CREATIVITY IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT.
Creativity maintains a shaky relationship with the high-pressure, high-stakes world of fundraising and venture capital.
It suffers when the spotlight of ROI is shone on it, as it cannot be measured or quantified, and it’s difficult to highlight the impact it can have on the bottom line of a young company’s operations.
However, the very concept of the Startup is one that relies heavily on creativity – it’s the process of creating a concept that offers an original solution, and then inventing a new business model to drive it.
WHEN YOU’RE LOOKING AT CONTENT FOR A STARTUP, THAT MATTERS.
▸ I’m talking mostly about digital content, content from a blogging or marketing perspective.
▸ As a creator, you are trying to be heard in a loud, endless stream of…noise.
▸ Even if you are heard, predictable content that lacks creativity isn’t going to stick with anyone.
▸ To be competitive, you have to find a way to stand out.
AFTER ALL, WE’RE COMPETING WITH THE WHOLE WORLD
▸ The 2016 presidential election
▸ The latest tech news
▸ Global news coverage
▸ Every other blogger
▸ Every single video on YouTube
▸ Every tweet, post, snapchat from everyone
IT COMES DOWN TO A CLASSIC CONTENT CHALLENGE.(This is something that journalists have struggled with for years.)
▸ Content creators have to find a way to give people what they need (the right information at the right time)
IT COMES DOWN TO A CLASSIC CONTENT CHALLENGE.
▸ Content creators have to find a way to give people what they want (the right entertainment at the right time)
IT COMES DOWN TO A CLASSIC CONTENT CHALLENGE.
▸ Content creators have to find a way to create the content their audience don’t yet know that they want!
IT COMES DOWN TO A CLASSIC CONTENT CHALLENGE.BUT. Without creativity, there’s no way to meet all three needs. If you’re building content by data alone, you are only going to scratch the surface, and meet the basic needs of your readers, as shown by your spreadsheets and stats.
IT COMES DOWN TO A CLASSIC CONTENT CHALLENGE.Without creativity as a key component, content cannot reach its full potential and achieve the necessary level of user satisfaction and experience.
SO WHAT DO WE DO?
I’ve had this conversation before.
What you give a shit about
What your audience gives a shit about
YOUR CONTENT
YOU HAVE TO ASK QUESTIONS
YOU HAVE TO CHALLENGE PEOPLE
YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT PEOPLE DON’T WANT
YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT PEOPLE DON’T EXPECT
“Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people” – Leo Burnett
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