Are you producing random acts of content?

From Reads to Leads is a newsletter for writers who want more. It's about marketing. Strategy. Positioning. Operations. Results. And yes, it talks about writing too. But through a marketing lens. If this was sent to you, subscribe here so you don't miss the next email.

In today's newsletter:

• Spray and pray is your comfort zone
• Somebody needs to admit you're doing it wrong
• Can you take charge?

We're on a call with a client…

The year is almost over.

The CEO is sharing his vision for how he wants to approach content marketing next year:

• 1 or 2 blogs per month
• Regular LinkedIn appearances with 2 posts per week from the company page + my reposts.

Some background: (The project is not gaining any traction. Honestly, we're stuck. We don't have a plan.)

After listening for a few minutes, I speak up: 

"Guys, we need to stop producing random acts of content.”

Random acts of content or spray and pray posting 

It's about posting whatever, whenever, and hoping something works.

It's an approach when a content writer quietly sits in the shadows, passively accepting yet another lazy brief to write another disconnected piece of content. 

Next, throwing marketing spaghetti at the wall, crossing off a task for the day, and moving on without a second thought.

Random acts of content are your comfort zone. 

You don't need to put much thought into it. Hell, you don't even need to measure the results! Just grab a content idea from Semrush’s Magic Tool or your competitor’s website and done. 

But this lack of strategy results in a vicious content cycle where you spend resources on the wrong activities, get lackluster results and end up feeling overwhelmed. 

Get CLEAR on what you're doing

To put an end to random acts of content, you first need to acknowledge you’re doing it. 

No, it's not about being consistent or making sure Google knows you update your website frequently. 

It's not something that will somehow deliver results. Firstly, because you don't even know what specific results this is supposed to deliver. Results need clear goals. They don't happen otherwise. 

Just get clear on what you're doing.

Trying to rank for the most common keywords your customers use to find you?

Trying to build a brand by being controversial and provocative?

Trying to get people to discover your report so you can then convert them into leads?

Pick a goal. 

This will help you separate the wheat from the chaff, get rid of the topics that were doomed from the start, and see exactly what your content plan needs to reach your goals.

Once you can attach the reason why you need this or that content piece, you'll feel like a strategic mastermind pulling all the right strings.

In this exciting moment of growth happening to you as you connect topics to goals, just make sure you don't forget about:

1. Your customers’ needs 
2. Your messaging pillars
3. Things like distribution and KPI measurement

Here is a checklist ↓

• If your content is not focused on your customer needs, stop.
• If your content feels disconnected from your messages, stop.
• If you don't know how people are going to find your content, stop.
• If can't set KPIs to measure success, stop.
• If your content is not focused on your business goals, stop. 

Random acts of content → Strategy

This is a way for content writers to move up their career ladder.

In my previous newsletter, I asked you a question: 

• What is the biggest challenge in your career?

Here are two responses I liked the most:

They perfectly reflect the point I was making → content writing is a dead-end job.

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Here is the most important lesson I can give you about growth ↓

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Growth happens when you take responsibility. 

So, are you ready to speak up and put an end to the random acts of content?

You're the one in charge.

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And we're done! Hope you had fun. 

See you next week.

Best,

Kate

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P.S. If we aren't connected already, follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram. And if you like this newsletter, please refer your friends.

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