The illusion of content creation: Why you don't need it to make money
What the talking heads on LinkedIn won't tell you
2-minute read
I used to drink the content Kool-Aid by the gallon. I now consider myself a healthy pragmatist. I try my damndest to stay rooted in reality.
Before my spiel, can we all just acknowledge that the word content lacks all context and therefore has no actual meaning? That word has been so overused and played out that it’s become diluted to the point of nothingness. Hey, I’m guilty too.
From now on, if you choose to preach the powers of content, please say specifically WTF you’re talking about and stop using “content” as cover for the fact that you actually have no clue what “content creation” means within the context of business results today, tomorrow, or ever.
(For those of you who need me to spell out the meaning of results, they are the things that allow you to keep your job. You know, the things you’re graded on.)
Now, my opinion:
I can make the strong argument that by not having a “content” strategy, you (marketers and salespeople) are actually more aligned and focused on the 1-3 things that drive the highest outcomes today. In other words, you're not distracted by shiny objects, grand ideas, and the latest LinkedIn flavor of the day. You’re not spending countless hours in disconnected-from-reality strategy sessions about how you can turn your company into a “media brand” that your customers will love to follow and learn from.
Instead, you’re spending your time doing and improving the things that are closest to money.
Sure, there’s the whole argument that by making content you’re building a long-term blah, blah, blah. That’s true for like 0.1% of companies. And that’s being generous. It rarely exists in the B2B world.
For the vast majority of businesses, marketers, and salespeople, the word “content” means nothing—and attention to results now, this month, and this year needs to be prioritized. This is what keeps businesses open and jobs in place.
In many cases, content simply isn’t necessary in order to meet revenue goals.
So for all of you marketers and salespeople who think you need a content strategy and are beating yourselves up for not having one, this is permission to let it go. LinkedIn advice isn’t real life, in the trenches, in your business. You know what works. Just keep doing more of that.
The talking heads are only thinking about Likes—not you.
Kudos to the 0.1% of B2B companies that can make “content” that matters. The rest of us should start by making ads that don’t suck.
(I heard someone say “Make ads that don’t suck.” on a call last week and thought it was brilliant.)
One final layer of context:
I’m not saying that content mediums in a B2B context don’t work. They do. What I am saying is:
The need to create content is grossly exaggerated on LinkedIn.
Content is not necessary to drive revenue. Plenty of companies are successful without it.
The resources to create content—mentally, financially, and/or creatively—can be a distraction from the 1-3 things that are working today. And, content doesn’t necessarily make the things that are already working any easier. The enablement piece is an assumption.
Most companies that make content do it terribly.
There are a minority of B2B companies that do an incredible job at content and reap the benefits. They are rare birds. Most are not, and will never be, these companies.
Shoutout to Hirewell, the other B2B company besides Refine Labs and ProfitWell that I’ve seen “do content” very well at scale and sustain it for an extended period of time.
If you’re wondering, the 0.1% = delivering value to a niche audience, at scale, AND being able to sustain it for years. You have to have all three qualities in order to fit in this class.