This document discusses strategies for creating content in a growing community. It recommends (1) starting with "selfish" content in areas you are already interested in and using it as an opportunity to connect with potential customers. (2) Treating content creation as an experiment by testing ideas on a small audience before going broad and being willing to fail with the first version. (3) Iterating content continually through feedback and improvements to get through "the dip" of low engagement periods. The overall approach is to experiment openly and use feedback to constantly refine and improve content.

1. CREATING CONTENT IN A
GROWING COMMUNITY
March 10
Megan Hannay
@mahannayC

2. ABOUT ME
@mahannay
megan@zipsprout.com

3. Megan making videos

4. Megan making podcasts

5. Begin with a little selfishness
1.
CREATING CONTENT IN A GROWING COMMUNITY

6. Video
Webinar
Public speaking
Blog posts
Guest posts
Book
White paper
Press interviews
How-to guides
Podcasts
Online course
Conference hosting
Event sponsorship
Twitter chats
Facebook live
Infographic
Newsletters
Snapchat
Sponsored content on blogs or media sites
Physical content (swag, pamphlets, tshirts)
Reviews
CONTENT: WE CAN’T DO ALL THE THINGS
Microsite
Magazine
Meetup Group
Case study

7. WHAT DO WE WANT TO LEARN?

8. HOW DO WE MEET THE RIGHT PEOPLE?

9. WHAT CONTENT SYTLES FIT THE BRAND?

10. WHEN MEDIUM FITS BRAND

11. WHEN MEDIUM FITS BRAND

12. WHEN MEDIUM DOESN’T FIT BRAND

13. Create with an experimental mindset
2.
CREATING CONTENT IN A GROWING COMMUNITY

14. EXPERIMENTAL THINKING = THE FREEDOM TO FAIL

15. VERSION 1 ISN’T GOING TO BE PERFECT

16. OCT 2015
DEC 2015
JUNE 2016
OCT 2016
FEB 2017
V1 = MIMINUM VIABLE
@LETTERFOLK ON INSTAGRAM

17. NO TACTIC IS PERMANENT

18. “Okay, let’s experiment”
isn’t as scary.
WEIRD IDEAS ARE POSSIBLE

21. FEEDBACK IS ESSENTIAL

22. ‘FEEDBACK’ EMERGES IN MANY FORMATS

23. EXPERIMENTATION:
PROVIDE THE CONDITIONS FOR SUCCESS.
PREPARE TO PIVOT.

24. 3.Expect THE DIP
CREATING CONTENT IN A GROWING COMMUNITY

27. ”Quit the wrong stuff.
Stick with the right stuff.
Have the guts to do one or the other.”
~ Seth Godin, The Dip
WHEN TO ITERATE AND WHEN TO QUIT?

28. You can’t afford to wait for The Dip to pass
MOVE ON IF
OTHERWISE, FOCUS ON INCREMENTAL
IMPROVEMENTS.

29. ITERATE VIA INCREMENTIAL CHANGES
THE METHOD SOAP BLOG

30. ITERATE VIA INCREMENTIAL CHANGES
THE METHOD SOAP BLOG

31. …OR NOT

32. REMEMBER: CONTENT IS AN ONGOING
EXPERIMENT

33. IIf you just started paying attention…

34. 1. BEGIN WITH “SELFISH” CONTENT
Start with an inventory and competitive
analysis.
Build in areas you already care about, but
give extra thought to platforms where no
one in your market has built a community.

35. 1. BEGIN WITH “SELFISH” CONTENT
Use content development as an excuse to
start conversations with dream
customers/clients.
“Can I interview you for….?”
“I’m writing an article on ______, and I’d
love to hear your thoughts on…”?

36. 2. IT’S AN EXPERIMENT
Start with a ‘beta’ of an idea. How can you
test your content on a smaller audience
before going broad?
- ads?
- small email newsletter sends?
- a pre-planned run of events, videos,
podcasts?

37. 2. IT’S AN EXPERIMENT
”Read the room” – measure audience
response.

38. 3. ITERATE THROUGH ‘THE DIP’
Curate a mindset of continual improvement.

39. 3. ITERATE THROUGH ‘THE DIP’
The more you create, the more you’ll
iterate.
Take notes from your own (and others’)
learnings.

41. THANK YOU!
@mahannay
megan@zipsprout.com
T