Your Content Has to Have Weight
High School science class was some time ago but if I remember correctly weight is a function of mass (and gravity). Mass, in turn, is a function of both size and density.
Something can be very large but not very dense – like a cloud – and so have very little weight to it. Likewise, something can be very dense but be too small to have much weight – like a pebble.
To get the maximum value from your content online you need both size and density – you need weight.
Density in this sense represents the quality or better yet, the substantiveness of the content you create. It should have real value and deliver benefits to the people who consume it.
If it does, they’ll be more likely to respond to it in ways that help your business; subscribe to your feed or newsletter, request a quote or consultation or simply share your content with others. If it doesn’t, you’ll be more featherweight than heavyweight.
You need density to get found and make it worthwhile being found.
Size on the other hand refers simply to the quantity of material you create. It is possible to create just one great piece of content which will continue to drive traffic and build your reputation for years to come. Possible, but not likely.
Even in very simple terms, creating 10 blog posts that each deliver 20 visitors a week – every week – is much easier than producing a single post that delivers 200 week in and week out. Having a large body of work also creates more ‘in roads’ into your business, allows you to cover more topics and appeal to a wider market. Greater size, in short, means easier to find.
You need size to reap the benefits of content marketing.
Creating Your Own Gravity
Weight matters. To extend the metaphor a little, if content has enough weight it can even go so far as to create its own gravity – pulling in interest, interactions and a veritable galaxy of satellite contributions feeding off the buzz your content produces.
Techcrunch, Mashable, Problogger – they all have weight. Each one produces content worth reading. Each one produces a lot of fresh content worth reading and has a huge ‘back catalog’. And consequently, each one draws in readers and the content they create spawns dozens of comments and reactionary blog posts. They have weight and gravity.
Weight Matters but …
Of course, there’s not a lot new in this. Quantity and quality have always been part of the marketing equation and are equally true of content marketing – or even the media itself.
But while it might not be new, it is worth remembering – especially if you’re planning your own content marketing efforts. Creating the odd half-hearted blog post a week will do little to grow your reputation online – it must be consistent, high quality and frequent enough to create size worth noticing.
Are you, or your organisation, prepared to produce regular, high-quality editorial? Most business, by nature, simply aren’t set up to do this. Becoming a content marketing heavyweight needs planning, an allocation of resources and a long-term commitment.
