Have you noticed?

Most content sucks. Yup, I said it.

Sorry, in too many cases it is true. Marketing content designed to generate leads is weak, uninspiring and offers little value to the target market.

When was the last time you found or even downloaded an exquisite ebook, or attended a great webinar or was offered a compelling study?

Exactly!

Most content today is average at best.

Good content should help your prospects do their job. The more your content can assist in that effort, the more value it provides. Creating an ebook for the sake of an ebook no longer works. The game has been elevated, and prospects expect more. They’re looking for content that gives them a competitive advantage. They are looking for content that helps them do their job. They are looking for content that improves their current state.

If your content marketing and account based marketing content aren’t doing the above, you don’t have lead generating content; you have a lot of documents.

To create content that improves your prospects and clients business consider the following types of when creating your ebooks, webinars, etc.;

DISRUPT:

Consider creating content that disrupts traditional thinking. If everyone is doing something one way, then consider doing it another. Don’t create content that reinforces the same old industry norms and expectations. Look for ways to create content that offers a different perspective, a different way of doing things, invest in research that uncovers unseen approaches or methodologies. Identify ways you can disrupt your prospects thinking, processes, approaches, methodologies. By being disruptive, you set your content apart and establish yourself as a thought leader in the industry.

Substantially disruptive content forces prospects to evaluate what they are doing today and whether it’s the most practical approach. Good disruptive content adds information to their current knowledge base

PROVOKES

Provoking content tells customers what they should think. It’s an extension of disrupts. Where disrupting content, challenges their thinking, provoking content tells prospects what they should be doing or thinking. Provoking content tells your customers what SHOULD be keeping them up at night. Provoking content isn’t about reacting to what’s happening, but rather setting the market. Provoking content tells prospects what they should be focused on. It highlights problems in their current processes. Provoking content challenges how customers are doing things today and why what they are doing is wrong.

Yes, I said wrong.

Good provoking content puts you in the driver’s seat. It positions you and your organization as industry leaders who are changing the game.

Look to create content that leads your prospects to do things differently, to reevaluate their current methodologies and approaches. If done correctly, your solution or product should be a clear option.

CHALLENGE/CONFLICT

Create content that calls out current practices or methodologies. Where disrupting content offers alternative approaches that are counter to current norms, ideas or methodologies, challenging content breaks down current methodologies, without offering an alternative.

Challenging content like, “Why ABM doesn’t work for Manufacturing” or “Why social selling offers little return” forces prospects to evaluate what they are doing. When done properly challenging content sets up disrupting content or provoking content as it begs for a resolution.  For example, if social selling no longer provides a return, what should I be doing. If ABM doesn’t work for Manufacturing what does? Challenging content causes prospects to question what they are doing and seek answers, answers you should be providing.

Make sure your content strategy contains content the challenges your customers and prospects methodologies and processes.

The key to good content rests in its ability to create value for your prospects, while at the same time positioning you and your company as thought leaders, industry experts, and solution architects.

If your content marketing strategy does not include provoking, challenging and disrupting content, it’s time to reconsider your content goals. The market has little patience for stale, uninspiring content. It’s desperate for innovative, valuable content that provides insight.