Content is Everywhere But Are You Using It Effectively?

I have created a content creation and marketing course. A while ago, a couple of people asked me to do presentations and workshops for them. And I thought, you know what? I’m tired of actually working for other people.

When I look at my ideas, people often say to me, “These are the ways people always do it, so why do you do it differently?” And I’ve always responded, “Well, I like to do things my own way. I like that point of difference.”

I believe it’s that point of difference that makes you stand out. I often talk about content creation and content marketing. My full-time job was being a digital marketer, and I conducted numerous training workshops for several well-known businesses. One of my favorites was Media24. I trained their teams in Johannesburg and would fly to Cape Town for two-day sessions. Occasionally, I would travel to Durban for training, though I can’t recall for whom.

It amazes me how many training workshops are facilitated, and then the penny dropped. I thought, “Why don’t you create your own content marketing workshop where you can teach people how to maximize their content creation and market themselves effectively?”

Because when you think about it, everything is content. I always find it amusing when business professionals or people on LinkedIn declare, “We need to create content. Content is king. Content is everything.” But when you ask them what their understanding of content is, they simply respond, “Content is content.”

I realized people needed a better understanding of what constitutes content. I’m not going to reveal all the secrets in my course, but three fundamental types of content are text, visual, and audio.

Anything you can read is content- emails, SMS messages, news articles, and press releases. Even that little SMS notifying you that your bank account is empty is an invaluable piece of content.

Anything visual is also content. A photograph, a video, a news item, an advertisement, a glamour shot, or an image of war- all of these convey messages and serve as content.

Then there’s audio. If you’re listening to a radio broadcast or the news, that’s content. Even automated messages, such as a call from a telemarketer who never speaks and hangs up, can be considered a form of content.

I thought, “Since I create so much content for businesses, wouldn’t it be quicker, cheaper, and easier to teach businesses how to do it themselves?” And I liked that idea.

Interestingly enough, in digital marketing, there’s always someone who claims to know more or better. They will tell clients how they would have done something differently. I’ve experienced this firsthand. If you design a website, someone will always say, “Oh, but you should have done this instead.” And I’ve often thought, “If you want to design it yourself, go ahead. But don’t question my work.”

This happens frequently in social media and digital marketing. You only need to visit LinkedIn to see people criticizing others’ work just to prove a point.

That’s how I started developing my content creation and marketing course. Initially, it was aimed at content creators, helping them extend their content’s reach and effectiveness. However, I soon realized that many content creators might not be willing to pay for the course. So I thought, “What’s the point of creating content unless you can integrate it into your marketing strategy?”

And thus, my course was born. I made one change along the way. Initially, I planned to include video, but video production proved to be a nightmare with constant delays. While I do include some video elements, it’s not the polished video presentation I initially envisioned.

So, dear readers, if your business needs a workshop on creating content effectively, targeting the right audience, and aligning content with business goals, feel free to reach out or spread the word. I will come to your business to provide training, whether for an individual or an entire team.

This is my point of difference. I’ve been in digital marketing for 20 years, conducted extensive training for various companies, run my blog, JoziStyle, for 10 years, and have been on radio for a decade. Over the years, I’ve learned countless tricks to make content creation more efficient.

For example, rather than creating content just because someone says you should, it’s important to consider the “who” and “why” behind it. Many people start creating content without understanding their audience or objectives. My course covers all of that.

I create content with a specific demographic in mind, and I leverage multiple platforms. My blog, radio show, and social media channels all launched around the same time, allowing for seamless content distribution. Blog content goes to my radio show, which in turn feeds into social media. This multi-platform approach helps reach diverse audiences, as not all of my radio listeners are on social media, and not all social media followers visit my blog. Interestingly, many of them do listen to my podcast, so I’ve started creating podcast content as well.

This strategy- reiterating the same work across different mediums- is something I teach in my workshop.

Also, a key takeaway I share is to repurpose content. If you’ve written a blog post, break it down into social media posts. Record a podcast if you’re not on radio. Use great photos not just for social media but also for your blog, enhancing search engine optimization. If you have a collection of photos, turn them into a video for further SEO benefits.

You’re already doing the work- why not make it work for you?

At first, I thought developing my course would take too long. But now, it consists of 100 slides, and I’ve realized every element is important. You need to define your goals, understand your audience, create a content calendar, and plan for the year. Monitoring and optimizing content is just as crucial. Many businesses create content without checking analytics, missing the opportunity to refine their strategies.

I always check my numbers. I talk about them on the radio all the time- how many listeners we have, where they are based, how many visitors my digital platforms receive, and what content engages them. These insights are invaluable.

I’m proud of this course. Initially, my workshop slides were in black and white- because that’s what everyone does. But I prefer white text on black for its dramatic effect. Eventually, I got bored of monochrome and experimented with minimalistic grays and silvers. Then, I embraced vibrant colors and textures. At one point, I wondered why my slides didn’t reflect the diverse content types I was teaching about. So, I started incorporating different visualizations, enhancing the presentation.

I’ll be sharing more details on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and probably on Radio Today again. If you’re not following JoziStyle online, now’s a good time.

If you’d like me to train your staff in content creation and marketing, reach out. The workshop is structured as a two-day session, but I realize that many people don’t have time for a full day. So, I offer flexibility: a half-day session, two half-days, four half-days, a full-day workshop, or even a weekend retreat. The choice is yours.

I look forward to hearing from you. My workshop is suited for all content creators- bloggers, photographers, videographers, writers, digital marketers, publicists, journalists, and even radio presenters.