Marketing "Education" DOESN'T WORK...unless...
Have you ever heard of the 4-1-1 rule when it comes to social media posting? It's a content split protocol that says, "for every six posts you create on your social media channels, four posts should entertain or educate, one post should be a “soft sell” and one post should be a “hard sell.”
Let's just ignore how many SHOULDS are in there, and focus on the bit about educating.
Now, when I Google, "when should I use educational content?" I get a flood of articles. I picked a Forbes one, as a trusted source. Today, I'd like to work through the advice listed in that article and break down why YOUR educational marketing content may not be hitting the mark.
Educational Content Defined
Let's start out with a joint understanding of what educational content actually IS. I've created a simple, basic definition below:
Content that teaches someone something.
Ok. Now the next step is to decide what we think people should know so they will decide to buy our stuff.
Whoa, whoa, whoa...this is where the program breaks.
Most people and companies, when creating educational content, focus on the FACTS that people need to know in order for someone to buy something. We assume people need to know how our solution works, all the features, and what awards we've won to buy our solution. We get SO caught up in it, in fact, that we forget WHO we're talking to and WHY they are listening to us.
Let's use a throw-back example to explain.
The Existence of Educational Content
Now, depending on your age, you may or may not remember using an encyclopedia for educational content. I happen to have the whole collection of Encyclopaedia Britannica from 1974 💞
The 1974 edition has 19 books, with at least 1000 pages in each book.
That's a LOT of educational content.
That sits on the bottom shelf of my bookcase.
And not JUST because we now have Google.
But because I don't NEED most of the information in there.
The same goes for the educational content you create on the internet.
If I'm not actively looking for that information, or I'm not looking where you are, the content is mostly irrelevant.
So, how can we create educational content when it matters most?
Listening vs. Making Assumptions
Oh, we make SO many assumptions when it comes to content creation. Which has given us a world FULL of content that no one reads.
Let's demonstrate the difference in these two things.
Scenario 1: we have a complex solution, so we need to make sure we put ALL of the information on our website (or brochure), so that people have all the information they need to make a decision.
Scenario 2: in conversation with this person, they asked me a question about my solution and I gave them the answer.
Which one demonstrates listening, and which one is making assumptions?
Hopefully it was easy enough to identify that Scenario 2 was listening 😉
Ok, so now let's say we did START with listening, and in order to make our prospects lives easier (or is it actually to make OUR lives easier), we compile all of these questions into an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) document. Now, instead of waiting for people to ask, we can just give them all the answers!
Did you pick up on the assumption being made there?
Now we're assuming that EVERYONE is going to ask EVERY QUESTION. Which isn't true. Which means, we're distracting them from THEIR question with other people's questions.
Plus, one of the huge downsides that ends up happening in this scenario is that your people STOP listening.
We assume we're done ALL the listening to ALL the questions, because everything is in the FAQ document.
BAD HABIT👆
Especially if you need people to really consume your educational content for their solution to be optimized.
Creating a WHY for Consuming Educational Content
This is the biggest mistake businesses make in this arena. They assume that everyone has a reason to consume their educational content.
Now, maybe you get lucky. Maybe all of a sudden you want to know the difference between a catapult and a trebuchet and you pull out your encyclopedia.
This is totally something I've looked up in an encyclopedia BTW 🤣
But luck never filled a funnel. And if your content is part of creating a funnel, then let's not depend on luck, shall we?
So, what ELSE gives a person a WHY when it comes to consuming your content?
A relationship.
The number ONE thing people forget about in a content creation strategy...
Creating relationships with people so they WANT to read your content.
Let me ask you this. How many email newsletters are you signed up for?
Can't count right?
Now, how many of them do you read?
Probably a small percentage.
And WHY do you read those one?
Likely because you have a personal relationship of some kind with the person or the brand BEHIND the email.
The relationship EARNS an open.
But we sit back and look at open rates as if it's only our subject line that drive it (be honest, you've TOTALLY done this).
Earning Educational Content Consumption
If you're going to be creating educational content, especially as part of the 4-1-1 methodology, and you want people to CONSUME that content, then you ALSO need to be investing in a relationship building strategy in the channels in which you're distributing that content.
This might be a sales activity that's covered in social selling.
This might be a marketing activity that's based in community building.
It doesn't really matter what you call it, or how you assign it, but WITHOUT it, all the hard work you put into creating educational content is just going into the void of the internet.
If we look back at the 4-1-1 methodology, it might seem to you that the educational content is what EARNS you the eyes on your sales content. And it definitely CAN. But only if people are consuming THAT content first.
And without a reason, they just won't do it.
And you know it's true...because that's what YOU do 💡
How excited do YOU get about consuming content that says, "let me education you on why you need what I sell..."?
You ignore it right?
Don't add your OWN brand to the never-ending expanse of ignored content.
If you're ready to make your content strategy work for you, let's chat.
