One key word or turn of a phrase in the subject line catches your eye as you go through the daily delete routine in your email. You "mark as unread" so you'll go back to it. A similar thing happens as you glance at the notifications on your phone. Someone commented on one of your LinkedIn posts and it's a person of influence. You immediately open the message. This is what relevancy is all about. If something relates to your current interests or issues, you first pay attention and then likely take action.
Content driven marketing is taken to extremes by some marketers and the Internet is cluttered with mind-boggling volumes of information. How much of that information has any value? More importantly, to whom might it offer value and why?
The quality of information you develop or share carries far more importance than the volume or frequency of material you blast out. One really interesting article might reach one key audience member who then shares it. His network could be full of new business prospects who can actually do business with you and refer clients. Exciting new ideas and demonstrable best practices spread fast without the need to invest lots of media dollars.
As you determine what content to offer your target audience, ask yourself first: If in their shoes, would I want to consider this or learn more about it? Better yet, run it by a couple of customers and get their feedback to help assure its relevancy and value. It's important to run such mental tests or surveys before you produce and publish content. The extra time is well worth it.
When other people start talking about your ideas and how much they appreciate you as a resource, you become the go-to guy or gal. You're the authentic authority on your product category within your market. Doing business with you becomes the natural choice and might even be considered fashionable in your commercial sphere.
Chuck Sink is president of Chuck Sink Link, Hopkinton, N.H.