Knowing Your Why Makes Your Content Matter

I’m guessing that you are reading this article because you need Content Marketing help? Why do you think your target customer will read your content? That’s right; they also need a little help in your specific industry.

I’ve been creating content for brands for a long time I have tremendous experience. I’ve read enough books and blogs to have good insight into the consensus on Content Marketing. Many thought leaders on the subject will spout similar advice.

As you can imagine, I’ve also had numerous conversations on the topic. Usually, consisting of people re-spouting what they’ve heard, read or suppose – but I’ve got the t-shirt. I feel like the previous sentences sound condescending. It is not my intention, so please forgive me. However, after years in the game seeing, and doing, what I know for sure is your content can have all the bells and whistles on it, it can follow all the rules, you can check analytics from morning till midnight but if it doesn’t have a customer-centric ‘why’, it is nothing.

Ask yourself these questions

The only way I have achieved success for the brands who Content Marketing I manage is by making sure we have a ‘why’. In other words, how is our content serving our audience? Why would they be interested in what we have got to say? And what ‘s in it for them?

When you begin to ask yourself these questions, you give your content meaning, and this is the basis of a good content marketing campaign. Helping your audience with your content is what gets attention, it’s what gets the likes, reshares and comments, and it’s what influences profitable action.

So let’s have a look at the biggest factor in Content Marketing success: Finding your why.

Why you need a Why

‘Why’ is at the core of Apple’s marketing? Through its content marketing and advertising campaigns, Apple has consistently communicated why they do what they do.

Apple’s marketing campaigns began to work for former CEO, Steve Jobs, when he stopped telling people what his products were and showed them why.

Apple stopped telling people it makes beautifully designed products because any brand can do that. Instead, Apple challenged the status quo and said ‘Think Different’. They have always pioneered in thinking out of the box and have created products that are more distinct and more aesthetic. So, they are first at it; other brands have mimicked. It’s Apple’s ‘why’, the ability to ‘Think Different’, that has queues of people waiting to buy their products on launch day.

Apple is a tech company, but that’s not why people buy from them. People buy Apple products because of why Apple does what they do. People like to stand out and believe they think different, so Apple appeals to this intrinsic need.

Exciting Audiences With Why

When I first started as a Content Marketer a dear friend, a business analyst with good intentions, told me I needed to add more facts and figures to my content. Another one told me I must repeatedly tell everyone what I do. Yes, I get it – People understand facts and figures; they may even love them. And, there should be no ambiguity about what I do. But the ‘why I do what I do’ is more exciting and more capable of building an emotional connection.

Without a ‘why’ you provide consumers with detailed information and you allow people to make up their minds for themselves. People reason with facts, figures and products details and evaluate whether they fit into their immediate needs. They get to decide whether or not they agree with you.

With a why, not only do you provide a reason, you connect with people at the level of their values. People already have aspects of life they believe are right or wrong. If your why appeals to the values they believe and the things they think are right, they are more likely to give you attention. The goal of your content is to connect on shared values.

Becoming Memorable

Your ‘why’ etches in people’s hearts; it not only drives actions such as people talking about you and engaging on your content, but it makes you memorable.

Check out a lot of the content these days. It is not inspiring to anyone. It’s all about the ‘I’ and the product and the sale. But as human beings, we follow those not because of what they sell us but because of how they inspire and help us. Give your content a ‘why’ and you will inspire people to follow you.