Content Creation Isn’t Enough
A client recently sent me a blog post draft claiming she was only 70% happy with it. I asked about the 30% she wasn’t thrilled about and she said this:
“I was debating if [these are] ideas worth putting out in the world. I adhere [to] the concept of: Is it helpful and inspiring [?] I wonder if some of it sounds too generic.”
I compare this to a “thought leadership” article I received via email on the same day from an unnamed agency “How to Solve the 6 Most Common In-House Marketing Challenges”.
As broad, vague, and overly ambitious as that headline sounds, the ~800 word article it linked too was even more bland and predictable.
If only it were that simple and easy, dear unnamed company. And if only you had been hard on yourself and asked the same question my client did - is this helpful and inspiring?
All agencies feel the pressure to produce thought leadership and take a content marketing approach. The problem is that almost everyone mails it in. Rather than generating a compelling perspective and figuring out how to say it in an interesting way, we flood the internet with listicles and blogs that regurgitate the same stuff we all already know.
When we do that, we are wasting our time, if not hurting our own business.
Generic, run-of-the-mill thought leadership indicates that your thinking is the same as every other agency’s.
And if your thinking is the same, then your work probably is too.
Position Yourself to Win the Thought Leadership Game
I’ve written about the value of positioning before but its importance can’t be overstated. Positioning yourself in a niche with little competition or barriers is the single biggest competitive advantage you can have.*
A unique positioning also has the double benefit of not only creating a less competitive environment for your firm but also makes developing differentiated ideas and thought leadership that much easier.
Your content should reflect your positioning - differentiated and unique.
Keep Being Different
If you’re the only one in your niche - congratulations on a great choice. Enjoy it. If you’re successful, you won’t be alone for long. But even as competitors join your space (or you join them in theirs), you must fight to maintain your differentiation.
The most compelling agency content I’ve seen toes an interesting line. It runs contrary to traditional thinking and it’s unabashedly helpful.
Here’s an example…
Irrational Labs is a behavior change consulting firm with a menu of offerings including product design. As part of their content marketing strategy, the agency has a series of short (3-10 minute) videos called “Product Teardowns” where one of Irrational Lab’s co-founders, Kristen Berman, conducts an off the cuff review of the product’s interface based on behavioral principles.
The content is quick and sharp - and does two things that not many other firms are doing.
Irrational Labs isn’t pulling punches. These are honest and raw takes that highlight pros and cons. It’s a far cry from the sycophantic agency emails many of us receive.
The videos are genuinely helpful. The firm is giving away some of their thinking for free and I can’t help but want more (and would happily pay along the way).
To be fair, I don’t know how many leads these product teardowns generate for the agency. But I do know that I watch all of them and if I need product design work, Kristen and her team will be at the top of my list.
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Developing unique content is key to driving inbound leads and interest in your agency. It’s a crucial part of long-term, sustainable growth. Unique content alone may get you there, but a unique format or channel can level you up even more.
We all have blogs, many publish on a YouTube channel, and some of us host a podcast. Perhaps you don’t own the best blog in your niche, but can you own the best YouTube channel or podcast? Whichever you choose, you’ll own it if you find a way to be different.
That was my ~800 words. I hope they’re helpful and inspiring.
*This concept is explored in depth by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne in the book Blue Ocean Strategy. Although the book covers the idea broadly, not just in regards to the agency model.
