Content Needs Context to Survive

The right content, for the right audience, at the right time.

The key element for successful Content is

QUALITY, content that is in demand…

…right?

Maybe.

1. World-renowned. Sells out theatres.2. Plays a multi-million dollar Stradivarius.3. Concert tickets are $100 minimum.

Content demand = Proven.

Consider….

Same violin. Same talent. Same artist.

In street clothes, on a DC Metro platform, during rush hour…

All but ignored.

True story.

"It was a strange feeling, that people were actually, ah . . .“

The word doesn't come easily.

". . . ignoring me.“

Joshua Bell is laughing. It's at himself.

"At a music hall, I'll get upset if someone coughs or if someone's cellphone goes off. But here, my expectations quickly diminished. I started to appreciate any acknowledgment, even a slight glance up. I was oddly grateful when someone threw in a dollar instead of change." This is from a man whose talents can command $1,000 a minute.

Pearls Before Breakfast, Gene Weingarten, Washington Post, April 8, 2007

Context.

Right time.Right place.Right audience.

So, what could this mean for content producers and strategists?

“Content isn't King, because it isn't scarce. It's everywhere, it's overwhelming, and it's gone from quality to noise.”

-Steve Rosenbaum of Magnify.net, in BusinessInsider

Question:

Is the content you’re promoting the equivalent of a virtuoso performance?

Question:

Is the content you’re promoting the equivalent of a virtuoso performance?

If so, how would it perform in ‘the Metro’ (i.e, wrong environment, a noisy channel, at a busy time?)

Question:

Is the content you’re promoting the equivalent of a virtuoso performance?

And if it isn’t at that level, how do you expect it to fare in any venue, let alone a noisy one?

Still: keep sharing.

Just remember that many open channels are noisy.

Our situation isn’t Bell’s: he returned to concert halls the next day.

His experience of being ignored was a novelty to him.

For content producers, busking would be an improvement.

At least there’s less competition.

Better ways to survive?

Be smart: context is relative.Learn from Joshua Bell’s example.

What could our virtuoso violinist have done to get a different result in the same Metro environment?

IDEAS.

1. Research the audience beforehand.

What if, in advance, Joshua had asked Metro riders what they would want to hear, when would be a good time?

Application: Before you compose your content, ask people what they want to see, and hear, and notify them when you’ve fulfilled their wishes/needs.

2. Collaborate

What if Josh asked local shops in the metro about performing for their customers?

Application: Content partnerships– rather than create content as a lone wolf, find a collaboration team. They have a vested stake.Their audiences can make the difference.

3. Target

What if Bell had performed at a venue that was known to gather busking crowds?

Application: Content targeting– don’t share content that doesn’t fit the audience, create content with one audience in mind (niche targeting) and share it where they congregate.

4. Invite an audience, before you publish

• What if Bell had invited friends, family, and colleagues, to join him at the Metro?

Application: Contact your professional network prior to the content’s publication/dissemination, and get an audience ready to receive it. Advance notice also gives you feedback for improvement and optimal timing.

An audience, the community, gives the content a context.

• Ironically, it’s hard to build a community prior to content: build incrementally.

• Know what your community needs. Provide it. Grow organically.

• If you “busk,” be prepared for a distracted, unready audience. Keep performing, but set yourself up for success.

Questions?Contact me:Twitter: http://twitter.com/briancrouchGoogle+: http://goo.gl/zXSvJ

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©Brian Crouch