7 Elements of Impossible-to-Ignore Content
With the rise of AI, it’s become harder to produce meaningful content.
A lot of the content out there is mediocre. It may say a lot, but it really says nothing. It doesn’t inspire us or make us think differently. It’s just a bunch of words on a screen that soon become forgettable when we click away from it.
Memorable content resonates with us. It’s the content we bookmark, send to our friends, share on social media, and hyperlink to.
It’s content has a clear POV and demonstrates outside-the-box thinking. It presents original ideas, storytelling, and examples to illustrate the point. Meaningful content goes beyond the surface level to offer a deeper understanding and a different perspective.
And not everyone can produce this kind of content.
But the most resonating content has these seven elements in common:
Premise
A premise clearly describes who the content is for and the value it offers to the audience.
Like your brand positioning, you can use your premise to differentiate your content. Think a few levels deeper than surface level to create something unique to you and your POV.
For example, if you’re a brand designer, instead of saying your newsletter is “to offer tips and tricks to help you stand out,” take it one step further to be like “tips and tricks to create an irresistible brand world that your audience can’t wait to be a part of.”
See the difference? The second one goes beyond the generic benefit of having good branding but touches on a benefit you might not realize: creating a brand world.
Intent
Intent is the value you’re delivering in your content. It’s the purpose and goal behind creating your content.
Your content should either be educating, empowering, entertaining, or inspiring.
Intent is necessary because it determines how you design your content. It determines the tone in which you deliver your ideas, structure your content, and weave in storytelling elements to illustrate your concepts.
Using my newsletter, The Underground, as an example, I intend to educate and empower my audience. Because that’s my intention, the content will be less focused on essays and more on offering practical tips and advice they can implement themselves.
Idea
Instead of looking at keywords or your competition to develop your ideas, look at the world around you. Look at the content you consume and what inspires you.
What’s going on in your industry that you have to comment on? Did you read something that inspired you? Did you do some work with a client that changed the way you think about something?
We often forget that the best content comes from our experiences and observations.
As you create ideas, think about connecting different topics and ideas to create something new and innovative.
Angle
This is where your POV will shine. When I was in j-school, we were always taught to find a different angle or perspective, and I encourage you to do the same in your content.
What will you say that’s different from what others are saying?
It’s about examining your industry and filling in the gaps with your perspective and expertise. It’s about going left when everyone else is going right.
For example, if you are an SEO expert, instead of talking about how to rank on Google, maybe talk about why it’s worth looking at optimizing for other search platforms or AI.
The content that is the most memorable and that resonates the most is the content that presents a different angle or perspective on a tired topic.
Structure
Your structure is how you design your content. It’s a framework you can use to create an end-to-end journey for anyone consuming your content.
Creating a repeatable structure makes it easy for the reader to consume and faster to produce. It’s giving yourself a template to follow to ensure all your content reads and sounds the same.
Some things to consider as you’re structuring your content:
How will you hook your reader/listener?
How will you get them to stay?
How will you provide value?
How will you continue the conversation?
Storytelling
Storytelling introduces elements in your content to support and illustrate your point. It’s how you become more relatable and prove that you’re embodying what you say you can do.
Moreover, storytelling creates more personal content unique to you and your brand. It strengthens the connection you have with your audience.
Since college, I’ve loved the idea of “transmedia storytelling.” Transmedia storytelling uses different mediums to tell a cohesive story, whether text, audio, video, or images.
Some storytelling ideas include:
Interviews or quotes from experts
Video testimonials from past clients
Screenshots of comments, DMs, etc.
A podcast episode you were recently a guest on
Authority
The last element is authority. It’s why you are the one uniquely positioned to talk about the topic at hand.
You are the expert. You are a brand leader. You have years of experience under your belt. You’ve worked with people to deliver results.
Now, it’s time to showcase that in your content. Authority means showing up with conviction and confidence. It’s giving prospective customers a reason to want to believe in you and trust you.
Authority also means having strong opinions and not being afraid to share them. Think about the people in your industry leading the conversations. They are the ones who say what everyone else is afraid to say. They aren’t afraid to share their expertise. And neither should you.
By incorporating these seven elements, your content will be both meaningful and memorable.
