Uh oh, I may be blowing the lid off of something that shouldn’t have been touched. But I’m going to press forward anyway – like a fearless, barren soldier, walking fiercely into the night – exposing truths, and saving the internet from shitty photos and videos.
Ha – well truly though. “Content is King?” I’ve heard it over and over again since I started in this game. “Content is king – CONTENT is king, man!”
Well, I thought so, at least until a wise fellow named Jon tells me yesterday “Hey bro – content isn’t king. Context is king.”
This bombshell didn’t even need a moment to resonate – you know, the way some new ideas do? It sunk into my psyche right away. And I say bravo Jon, bravo.
But what did he really mean when he said that? I'm here today to challenge this industry wide cliché and tell you that content is not king. So, as always, let’s take a closer look at why.
We can say content is king all day until our eyes pop out, but what if your content is garbage? Yeah, there’s definitely been some rat shit kings throughout the history of the world’s royal families – but they never last too long. And everyone knows they suck.
No one likes them. Just because you can’t avoid something doesn’t mean you have to like it. So – don’t do that to people, especially your royal – I mean loyal, client and customer base, small business owner.
Throw this cliché out right now. And I’ll do the same. From this day fourth, I Jay Ashcroft the first – shall declare that CONTEXT IS KING, on behalf of my dear friend Jon, the first.
Context is king. Say it again – context is king. But, what does is MEAN?! Take a minute to insert a visual of the Double Rainbow Guy here.
You done? Okay.
It means that yes, you need to be making content – and you need to be making a lot of it. If you start today, it will quickly become an automated brand recognition creation and lead generation machine.
However, this content that you make – it needs context. It needs to be good. You, as the creator need to put some thought in here. Please, oh God please, do not just pull out your phone, hit record and throw it out into the ether.
Think. Think about the result that you want to create with that content. Think about who you’re talking to and why they might be interested in what you’re saying.
So, for example. I’m building out a personal brand. I’ve recently decided that it’ll be beneficial for me to share everything in my mind on the interwebs.
So what is my context? I’m talking to an younger version of myself. Everything I’ve been sharing on that account thus far has been an expression of the knowledge I’ve acquired throughout my life, and I’m talking to myself – wishing that someone had shared these life and business tips and tricks with me when I needed them the most.
What actually ended up happening (to younger me) is that I had to go through a number of trials and tribulations, learn a bunch of lessons and apply them to my life to see results.
If I’ve had to do that, I’m sure there are people out there who could use a hand – so they don’t have to struggle in the same ways that I did. I mean, my God – it took me a decade to get it together. That’s too long.
SO – there’s a mighty fine example for you. The content I’m creating for that brand has a very specific context.
Next on the docket – to help this sink in real thorough for you, is one of our clients, a construction company called SteveBuilt.
SteveBuilt had recently just wrapped up a massive remodel and addition project. And this one had a lot to it. Fortunately, we thoroughly document every phase of each project – so we have a lot of footage to make a really pleasing video upon every project’s conclusion.
In this instance, we did a walk through with Steve and one of his guys, Rob. They gave us a very in depth description of the entire process of the build, showing off the new spaces they had created while speaking to what it took to get here.
It was a long video – over 10 minutes, and it delivers to their ideal client. This video gave a descriptive run down of their whole process. It shows the viewer what SteveBuilt started with, and what they were able to create. – all while sharing their energies and personalities on camera – helping the viewer to get to know the owner and lead hand of the company before they even meet.
Now, as you start to think about your own context – who are you speaking to in your content? What do you want them to hear and see? How would you like them to react to what they’re watching?
These are all great questions to ask yourself when you’re crafting content for yourself – and it’s worth saying aloud again and again – context is king.
If you’re looking for a content creation company who puts story and context first, then reach out today. four32 MEDIA is always happy to take on new clients, and Jon and I are here to help. We’re currently working with clients in Barrie, Orillia, Muskoka and Toronto – but are capable of collaborating nation-wide.
To Your Success,
Jay Ashcroft
four32 MEDIA