Why No one Cares About Your Brand's Content

So you created a content strategy, hired an agency, made the content and posted.

And posted.

And posted.

And this is what your page looks like.

Here are three reasons you’ve reached here.

1. You don't know who you're talking to

Who is your audience? Not some vague “18-24, M, Metro T2” type data set. That doesn’t mean anything today.

Have you met them? Offered them some chai? Asked them about their lives, hopes and dreams? Creepily looked through their phone? If not, then there’s your first problem. People have over 1.6 billion content options to choose from everyday. (People will also believe any number thrown at them.) Why should they care about your content?

They're different from you, and probably different from your Bombay-based NCCS A agency folks too. #NoShade If you want them to consume your content, you have to give them reason to care... and to do that you need to know them.

So here are two ways to fix this:

-        Throw away your Neilsen report. (Actually, keep it to cherry pick points for your presentation). Get some of your TG into a room, and have a little chat with them. Ask them what content they consume, what they want from life, who they admire, which apps they tap on without thinking etc. Don’t send your agency. Don’t delegate to your minion. Lift your tushy and go.

-        Make a list of their favourite creators, brands, channels, publishers etc and start consuming it. Even if it’s strange. Even if it’s boring. Even if it makes your brain rot. After a week of this YOU tell me if something changes.

2. Your team has vague KPIs

The AOP was set. KPIs were given. The man on top (because how often is it a woman?) wants these many views and subscribers by the end of the quarter. So now the team has these goals, and they make no goddamn sense.

Content Marketing is a long-term game. Anyone who asks you to 2x your followers in a week has never actually created content themselves (unless, y'know, you had 10 followers to start with). If the intention is to show ROI on a weekly basis or build view counts instantly, your team is either going to fail or hack the system.

• Let the actual creators in your team tell you what realistic KPIs look like. And more importantly ask yourself - what does this do for my brand? Followers might be a great number to add to your self appraisal, but does it add any value to the business? Does your content actually reach even 5% of the people who follow? If not, then maybe you need a new metric... and a different strategy.

• You're not going to want to do this, but you need to sign into the page as an admin. For those of you saying 'I don't even have the app'... ~ crickets chirp ~ To know what actually works, spend two weeks looking at comments, seeing what gets shared, noticing what makes follower numbers change and more. Two weeks of this before you set any KPIs, deal?

P.S. Also stop telling them to make viral videos.

Seriously.

3. You need a new editor

With today’s attention spans, half of content is in the edit. Editing isn’t about using a software. Editors have to understand thumbnails, attention hooks, front-loading for curiosity, foreshadowing, drip feeding context and a whole bunch of other words that you’re going to google later. If your editor only enters the room once the video has been shot, something needs to change.

If you need help figuring these out, or if you’re doing all of these right and the content team is still high on the layoff list, here’s a button. Do what you gotta do.

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