Good Content Adds Value

We are living in a world filled with digital content and noise as more and more companies are fighting for your attention. As storytellers, we have the unique opportunity to add value to our audience through craftsmanship and authenticity on social media platforms. Our responsibility is to create content that adds value or we run the risk of sharing poorly crafted work and stories that do nothing but stifle our audience.

Social media use is rapidly growing, in fact, 69% of the entire U.S population used some form of social media in 2017, up from 7% in 2005. It is estimated that by 2020, online content will grow by a staggering 600%. The demand and desire to interact with ideas, thoughts, and opinions online will only continue to grow as we delve deeper into the information age.

It goes without saying that social media is a powerful medium. We as creators of content have the ability to use social media as a vehicle for transformation, instead of a means to garner simple clicks and likes. We have the ability to create real impact through the stories we craft and the messages we communicate. This ability cannot be wasted on shallow, empty stories that suffocate audiences in order to improve metrics. By no means am I stating that we should not posture our content in a way that maximizes engagement and grows our audiences. In fact, it should compel us to do it more effectively. If social media can be used as a medium for learning and change, let’s use that opportunity well.

Don’t Create Clickbait

How Can You Resist Clicking these 10 Facebook Ads?

My Mom Cried and Had It Framed. My Daughter Uses Hers Daily. Best Gift Ever.

You Have To Buy This Stock Right Now!

We have all seen these headlines before, and yes most of us have clicked on an at least one of them.

Clickbait is the product of intentionally deciding to posture content in a way that drives maximum engagement, while sacrificing the article’s integrity. In many cases, it also fails to provide any value to the audience. This approach to content marketing is fixated on metrics while failing to communicate anything helpful, educational, or impactful. The result of this? Your audience loses trust in the content, and its creator, you. People are smart, thoughtful, and deserve the best. They deserve the truth. Do not take advantage of your audience for the sake of clicks. If you provide real value, your audience will, more often than not, reward you with loyalty.

Before falling into the black hole that is clickbait, let me transition to why I think it is important for digital marketers to use their powers for good.

Content Should Be Thoughtful

Almost 90% of organizations use social media for marketing, when it comes to effectively sharing a message, the use of social media is imperative. At Access Ventures, we are passionate about impact, and a vehicle for this impact is storytelling. Storytelling, through content, across different platforms is a powerful tool. In the impact investing world, there are several compelling stories to share every day. In order for us to tell them properly, and do them justice, they must be crafted thoughtfully and carefully. How will anyone hear about the tech company in Arizona that is using software to help grow and strengthen the impact of nonprofits? How will anyone hear about the impact-minded bakery in Louisvillethat is taking women out of an exploitive adult entertainment industry, and empowering them?

We as creators of content have the ability to use social media as a vehicle for transformation.

This great responsibility falls on the shoulders of the storyteller. If we fail to do this, if we fail to communicate these stories, they will never be heard. We should craft with the belief that the ideas and people we write or share about should be fairly depicted, and not erroneously misrepresented. In order for real change to occur, stories need to be told accurately and sincerely, if we squander this, it will be a long way back to earning the trust of our audience. As a result, the stories we worked so hard to share will fall on empty ears, and change will be even harder to create.

It can be difficult to create content, painstaking even. With that being said, we should never cut corners or manipulate our audience for the sake of metrics. We should honor our audience, and the subjects we share about, by creating value with what we craft.