Do you recognize good content when you see it? If so, you might be familiar with the saying “the cream rises to the top.” But today, there’s also a darker trend gathering strength in the world of content creation that comes from the world of finance.
It’s called Gresham’s Law
This states roughly that “bad money drives out the good money.”
So have you ever wondered “does bad online content drive out good content?” I think it does, for two reasons. So let’s find out how to avoid having your good content buried under the steaming pile of digital compost that’s about to be dumped on your audience.
The first problem is that today technicians are being allowed to run the content universe. They actually brag that they can spin one bad article into ten even worse versions. But will anyone be able to tell when they can also make your site look like the Wall Street Journal with just a few mouse clicks?
But what about my writing?
After all, that’s the one thing the technician cannot do. They cannot create the content that people actually will enjoy consuming. That’s still your job. So, hey, maybe that’s the loophole! OK. Hold onto that thought…
…because when there’s so much junk out there, doesn’t it discourage talented content creators from doing their thing? Gresham’s Law would say yes.
So that’s the other problem
A person might think, “well, how would my good stuff ever be discovered when there’s so much junk being tossed in people’s faces by those really brilliant marketers?”
So in addition to the flood of sewage being pumped out at your audience, discovery of good content is a big problem, especially for newer businesses that don’t yet have a large and stable following.
So how do you overcome this? The answer is simple, and it has two parts.
Solution Part 1
(think high school cheerleader) Be. Consistent. Be, Be Consistent! That means create something bold, create it fearlessly and with your best effort. Do it today and do it on a regular basis.
But please don’t think I’m advocating for perfect. There’s no such thing. I’m sure you’ve heard that “done trumps good.” That phrase is used most often by:
1. World-class authors for whom “done” means far better than I will ever do.
2. Lazy marketers looking for an excuse to stop working before they’ve achieved any level of excellence.
I like the 70% rule. If you can get your work to 70% of what you think would be perfect, chances are your audience will not notice the full 30% you missed, and your intention for that piece of content will be fulfilled.
Remember that your article or your video doesn’t just exist as some ephemeral item that lives today and dies tomorrow.
Rather, think of it as another plank in the platform you’re building for your brand. Everyone starts with one video, one article, or maybe one manifesto. And by being consistent, you build trust with your audience.
I’m pleasantly surprised on an almost daily basis by viewers who tell me about a video they just discovered that I might have made 2 years ago. The point is, none of your work needs to go to waste.
So how does this help build your audience? Well, remember that your poor audience gets another load of compost dropped on them every single day. But once they’ve discovered you, they’ll just casually brush off the coffee grounds and egg shells and smile, knowing your blog post can’t be far off.
Just be consistent so you’re there for them. They need you!
Solution Part 2:
Here’s the related problem the content creator faces: how can Google find your stuff and hoist it right to the top of the mountain, especially when you’re just starting? How does Google sift through the garbage to find the treasure?
Remember, if Google can’t find you, they’ll make it almost impossible for your audience to find you. All that work you put into creating that wonderful piece won’t matter.
And really, Google does want to know. The only way they can serve up a relevant search is when they know who created what.
When they do know, though, you’ll get incredibly competitive results for your posts, even though it might be the first one you’ve ever made.
And here’s the best part of all. They want the best stuff. They want the epic. They don’t want spin. They don’t just want what’s popular right now. They want what’s relevant. They want the creators.
They want you.
If you dare, there is a simple solution, and it’s Google-blessed…
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