At an event I spoke at recently, a question was asked of me: “Does content matter?”

Ooh….

Hells yeah it matters!  With a caveat…

Content for content’s sake is garbage and a waste of time. Content that is purely self-serving and sales-oriented is also icky.  But content that adds value, educates, enlightens, inspires, motivates, challenges, raises awareness, absolutely fricken matters. And that’s what we should all be aiming to create. Content with an impact.

I understand that consistently creating and sharing content can be challenging. However…it can also be incredibly rewarding!

I talk about the challenges quite a lot,  and (hopefully) just as often, how to overcome them. I help my clients get past their blocks, handle the technical issues, deal with the statistical challenges, and answer their questions about topics, formats, strategy and more.

So why do we keep trying to do this content thing?  The whole reason we put this kind of time and effort into content is because it’s worth it! It’s an absolutely necessary part of any strategy to attract more people to your business online, AND it also feels fantastic when it works.

You’re not alone in your content challenges, believe me. I’ve experienced heaps of struggles, but I have also felt the joy and excitement that comes with success, both for myself and my clients. It’s what keeps us going!

Have you experienced any of these moments…?

1. When someone replies to your email/blog/post and is impacted by what you said

Sometimes when you hit publish you wonder “does anyone out there care?” You put yourself out there and you get crickets.

But then it happens.

You send out an article and someone responds back… and it’s not just an ‘out of office’ message. They really truly read what you wrote and it made a difference to them. Wow!

These moments stick in your head. They are the drug that keeps you going back for more.  And remember, for every one person who responds, there are many many more who were also impacted too, but just didn’t say so.

2. When you meet someone who already “knows” you

I remember the first time someone came up to me at an event and said “It’s so great to meet you. I feel like I already know you. I’m a big fan of your work.”  I thought to myself, “Who am I to have fans?”

I gave her a big hug and listened to her talk about the things she had done because of the ideas and encouragement she got from my content.

I didn’t know this person, but she knew me! Not only that, she liked me, trusted me, and felt like I had made a difference in her life and her business.

Meeting people who follow your content is a great feeling.

3. When you realise the extent of what you’ve created

The accomplishment of each individual piece of content can feel small (although every one is worth celebrating!).  Then there is a moment when you look back after 6 months or a year and realise “holy cow! I’ve created a lot of stuff!”

Whilst content is created a little at time, and then dripfed out to our socials, website and list, over time, those drips add up. All of a sudden you realise you’ve filled a whole bucket!

It reflects your progress, and starts to represent the value you have to offer.

Looking back at the cumulative result is empowering. Especially when you don’t think you’re a writer or weren’t sure what you would share in the beginning. Over time, you have built something impressive.

4. When you are able to repurpose content 

When you reach the point of being able to look back at what you’ve created with some pride, it also means you can begin to repurpose and reuse that content.

It might just mean bringing back a favorite article from last year so you can give yourself a break.  It’s like a big sigh because you know you will still make an impact for people who didn’t see it the first time around, or didn’t remember it, or could simply use the reminder. But it doesn’t require creative effort from you. Phew!

You can also take the content you’ve created and put it together in new ways. You could take a few blog articles that have a similar theme, and create an ebook. Use the stories from your content in a presentation. The possibilities are endless, and creating larger content pieces is much easier when you have pre-existing content to draw from.

Content marketing is not always easy. It can get bogged down in technicalities and challenges. But, as I have always said, it’s really about building relationships, creating growth and making a bigger difference. And when that happens, there’s no feeling like it.

When has your content had a real impact?