The Need for Speed

With content being incredibly short-lived in news feeds there’s a natural tilt towards volume. Yet, the excess will inevitably have an adverse effect. If the majority of the content is out of context and stealing time, an immediate sense of over-feeding will occur, and followers will push away.

The goal must be to seek the optimal balance and a tension point where people are starting to curiously wonder what the next story will be - and in that instant delight them with a thought or sense evoking message. Something to share with their world, or something to validate their own values.

This is difficult. Even more so if stock imagery is being used. Content that has been forcefully paired with a message is always at risk. The purpose of the original photo probably never was to end up on the roadside banner for a new weight-loss snack. Never will the core message be as strong as when the visual objects and elements in the story are portraying alongside the word - both tailored to the mission. To enhance the contextual accuracy of the message, the original content produced for the article will always win.

It’s up to you to decide the level of genuineness.

Let’s put it further into context. You’re in charge of the monthly Instagram feed, and you are preparing the 31 upcoming posts. In the meantime, you’re building the assets for your five monthly Facebook and Linkedin posts which are articles from your inbound blog. Where are the images that will evoke curiosity and excitement coming from? Pictures you can be proud and excited about yourself? 60% if the human brain is dedicated to visual processing - and to say the least, the visual impact has a considerable role. Moreover, your top of the funnel social ads are screaming for new material as the audience are fatigued with the current. All pieces of the puzzle trying to form a flawless content symphony.

You now have a choice of either spending time sourcing, puzzling, editing, tweaking, pulling hairs, eliminating, replacing images that you randomly come across on various stock imagery pages. Or, you’ve already started compiling your archive of visual content that contextually fits your content, brand image and values. Thereby, swiftly scheduling your content when it’s time for distribution.

Haven’t started yet? Think, over time, what will be the most efficient way for our company to produce social media posts, blog posts and articles that build a truthful brand with raving fans? Will disconnected stock photos, that you spend hours on finding, do this? If you’re not feeling it by the time you hit “post now”, chances are your audiences won’t either.

Build your content as accurately and contextually as you can on the product or service topics you want to own.

Become a faster, more (cost) efficient and more genuine marketer. You’re in need of speed.

PS. The Coffee with the cookie? Shot fresh out of the takeaway window on the concrete ground outside The Cupping Room in Canberra in natural light. DS.