Successfully Sharing New Ideas in Content

People don’t always like, understand or accept change. If you’ve worked in any organisation, you’ll know preference is often for the status quo. Resistance will come against the suggestion to disrupt habits and ways of thinking. Often, people have to implement the idea before they fully grasp the benefits. Others may never come to terms with the new way of doing things. Usually, a process has to be put in place to explain why and how the new concepts will improve circumstances. CEO and managers have to guide people into understanding the new changes to make acceptance easier.

Take a moment to think about how innovators birth new ideas. Inventions like the car mean we can transport further and faster. The telephone allows communication to cross geographical boundaries. The Internet…well we all know what the Internet has enabled. Our access to information has become simpler and almost infinite. Not to mention the global human connections that have now been made possible.

Ideas usually evolve out of a passion for improving the way we do things. But in the initial launch stage, people don’t get them. The lightbulb, car, aeroplane and telephone were all ideas rejected at first.

Dealing with Hesitation to Engage With Content

Virgin Media offers impressive broadband packages, but how did they convince internet users to switch from providers such as TalkTalk, AOL, SKY and BT? One word, ‘faster’. Not only was this word used in every ad campaign and all Virgin’s content marketing, they even employed the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt, to solidify the message that they offer broadband at incredible speeds – seemingly better than others.

A similar notion rings true for your content. Audiences have existing content they engage with, brands they prefer and ways of doing things they don’t want to change. You’ll meet with resistance and hesitation when you start creating content to introduce your brand and change minds. If you desire to win over audiences with your content, you must tell them ‘why’.

How Audiences Buy Into Your Content

As individuals, our experiences and understanding of life mean we hold certain values. Most of us use those values in the decision-making process. When presented with content, albeit very quickly and on the subconscious level, we ask ourselves how does this content fit into the beliefs I hold? If the content matches our values, we submit a like, leave a comment, perhaps even share it.

When you want audiences to buy into your content, you need to communicate your ‘why’. Our ‘why’ tells the audience how what we do aligns with the values they have. If we know our target audience well and adequately communicate our ‘why’, we make it simpler for them to engage with our content. And get this, the more engagement from your target audience, the more likely you’ll turn them into your target audience.

The No. 1 Question Audiences Ask

Use your content to show your audience how you make the things they already do better, easier or faster. Forget all the features of your products. They are not as effective in influencing profitable action. Most people don’t remember them if we’re honest. But when you appeal to the values people have, you will hit an emotional connection. It’ll be hard to forget you and your brand in a hurry.

Always assume your customer doesn’t get your brands’ ‘why’. Take time to tell them in your blog posts, stories, videos and any other type of content you produce. People live fast-paced, busy lives. A significant proportion of their time is on social media. And while they are using Facebook, LinkedIn or any other platform, the numerous brands are continually pitching to them with content. It’s a lot to take in and give attention. By and large, people need consistent reminders of your ‘why’ before they get it and buy into it.

Why should I buy from you? That’s a question your customers will be asking themselves. Create content that tells them why.

ACTION POINT FOR GETTING AUDIENCES TO BUY INTO YOUR CONTENT

Create a blog post that makes your ‘Why’ clear to your target audience. If you haven’t got a website, create an article on LinkedIn or put it as a status update on your Facebook page. Afterwards, share the link on all your other social media platforms