CONTENT MARKETING
One Stupid-Simple Thing That Successful Creators Do
And how you can do it, too.
Pick a low-key but successful creator in a space you follow.
Not a flamboyant, self-hyping, flash in the pan who’s a clear scammer or even just went viral for no obvious or repeatable reason.
We’re talking the type who’s amassed a steadily growing following and whom you’d repeatedly turn to.
Any medium, any platform, any topic. It doesn’t matter.
I’d wager they’ve been doing two things for a very long time.
- They do actual things. They have credibility from real-world accomplishments, however large or small.
- They explain how they did them. They package that experience in a way that connects with and helps their audience.
Now, that’s two things, and they’re essential to understand. But I promised you one thing, so here it is.
They make themselves incredibly useful.
Underwhelming, right?
Sure, some creators wrap this in a wildly entertaining package, and may even change directions once they’re already big. But more often than not, their initial growth came from relentlessly executing on this simple blueprint.
Now, are there exceptions? And is the devil in the details?
You bet.
But this epiphany forever changed the way I think about content creation.
- Do I want to try to game the algorithm to get hastily-written garbage in front of people? Or do I want to create a resource people actually want using the terms and structure they actually look for?
- Do I want to paraphrase someone else’s work in a way that adds nothing, crosses ethical lines, and dumps one more lump of garbage into the already polluted online universe? Or do I want to make enduring things that fill gaps?
Only one of those approaches is sustainable. Spoiler: I’m not referring to the shortcut.
They may actually work in the short term — and it’s infuriating when they do — but they tend to crash in a ball of fire when Google picks up on the tricks, YouTube detects the lackluster engagement, etc.
I acknowledge that crappy creators and shameless copycats don’t always meet poetic justice and algorithmic reckoning. But it happens often enough that I’d rather not play the game.
Here’s how to actually be useful to your audience
First, there’s a bit of an assumption in this heading:
It’s that you actually know who’s in your audience.
We’re not talking detailed psychographic and market analysis. It’s more like being able to picture yourself sitting down for coffee with someone who embodies all those needs, desires, fears, etc. If you’re really stumped here, don’t get hung up on it; just create for your past self!
You can go shallower or deeper depending on the nature of your content (and brand, if any). But at whatever level of detail is appropriate, the point is to understand what real human beings want. To connect even on some trivial level.
Call it empathy if you like.
Whether it’s a product deep-dive, a tutorial, a Q&A piece, or pure entertainment, it’s all about understanding:
- Where the audience is at now. (Why are they asking or wondering about this?)
- What they want or expect. (What would they know/do/experience as a result of this information?)
- How to bridge the two. (Are they missing background/context, clear instructions, technical expertise…?)
If you take a few minute to answer these questions, then not only will you have a framework for supremely helpful content, but your intros and conclusions will practically write themselves.
(It’s also easier when you have actual firsthand knowledge. That’s why following expertise, not passion or profit, is the best plan in my experience.)
How being useful makes content creation easier
Helpfulness is subjective, but engagement with helpful content is surprisingly measurable. Did people think it’s relevant enough to look at? If they looked at it, did it match their expectations closely enough to keep it open? If it matched their expectations, did it provide enough value to read/watch until the end?
All that stuff results in algorithm fodder. Now, search and recommendation can always be gamed…but not perfectly and not forever.
So, rather than trying to finagle the correlates of usefulness, you could just…be useful.
It might not save you time during creation, but in my experience, it saves immeasurable amounts of stress. You might even end up with a final product you’re actually proud of.
Let’s say you’re trying to figure out how long your new post should be.
You could average X top competitors and then mimic their keyword density and distribution…
Or you could simply write whatever it takes to create the best possible resource, reflecting the language your audience already uses (you do know that, right?).
Unless you’re targeting super-competitive topics — which is generally a bad move — you’re better off setting the standard of helpfulness that others try to imitate.
(Yes, SEO folks, I’m oversimplifying like crazy here. But that’s not the point for the moment.)
An oft-forgotten benefit of being useful
The creators who endure and success tend to be those who prioritize usefulness above all.
Beyond the appeal of long-term profitability, there’s the satisfaction of creating something enduring and just, well, good.
I can’t promise success with this or any other approach, but if your pet project isn’t gaining traction, then try the proven path of a) gaining credibility by doing or experiencing the thing for real, then b) building a following by helping others to do or experience it too.
If you don’t see results after doing that dozens and dozens of times, then I’ll refund every penny you paid for the advice.
