Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their very own.
Within the creator world, we frequently hear that content material is king. Although, this phrase leaves out a vital piece of the puzzle. Gary Vee coined the phrase “If content material is king, then context is God.” The context that surrounds your content material is usually extra essential than the precise content material you might be creating. As content material entrepreneurs, we should perceive that the medium is simply as useful because the message. The way in which wherein you bundle and place your content material anchors your audiences’ notion of you and your worth.
Whereas the 2 are sometimes confused, context and content material are distinctly totally different. The content material refers back to the product or piece. The context refers back to the elements that encompass it and affect how it’s perceived or understood.
The strategies of media you select to speak considerably affect how your message is delivered and understood. You have to be investing simply as a lot time and power on the “who,” “the place,” “when,” “why” and “how” of your message as you do on the “what.” Electronic mail entrepreneurs do not simply create a marketing campaign and ship it out. They contemplate the situations and plan accordingly. Creators should do the identical.
Associated: Invoice Gates Stated “Content material Is King” in 1996. However Is That Nonetheless True?
Context over content material
Considered one of my favourite examples of context over content material is from a social experiment carried out by The Washington Publish. Joshua Bell, a world-famous violinist, performed within the subway for the day by day commuters. He made simply $32 in suggestions with 1000’s of individuals strolling by, lots of whom barely seen his music. The evening earlier than, Bell bought out a music corridor in Boston making over $60,000 in the identical period of time. The distinction? Context.
The advertising and marketing of Bell being a world-famous violinist is what in itself makes him so well-known. His staff positions and packages his live performance on this context, advertising and marketing him as a premier violinist. Thus, customers respect his expertise in that means and are blissful to pay the $200+ for a ticket. He’s dressed up taking part in in a elaborate live performance corridor, and so the viewers considers him knowledgeable.
In the event you do not create the suitable context for your self, you can be undervalued. Your context is your model and the media you share. Your model is the context wherein your viewers perceives you of their minds after they eat your content material. Your worth is notion. You in your self, as a content material creator, are a model and a media firm. Similar to Bell, you have to bundle and current your self in that means.
Associated: 6 Methods to Get the Most Out of Your Content material
Know your viewers
This begins with understanding your viewers and understanding their psychology, preferences and perceptions. Busy subway commuters dashing to work should not the best viewers for Bell. Regardless of the acoustics, the subway was positively not the perfect medium for sharing his music, and the station just isn’t the suitable venue for an viewers to remain and revel in a present.
Many commuters seemingly assumed he was a pupil or a avenue performer busking to get by. Time is your viewers’s most valued useful resource. Irrespective of how distinctive the content material he shared, the context did not make it really feel useful sufficient to cease and pay attention.
Social context influences our understanding and associations. The context of 1 is taking part in within the subway for suggestions. The opposite is a world-class musician taking part in in a live performance corridor amongst the greats.
Associated: How you can Create Stellar Content material Your Viewers Will Like to Share
Content material advertising and marketing with context
Content material advertising and marketing is the best technique in as we speak’s day and age. Nevertheless, all of the work you set into creating unbelievable content material is meaningless should you aren’t contemplating the context wherein it is going to be consumed. You select how your viewers will view your model and your small business, which influences how they understand the content material you create.
Profitable content material creators perceive the context and align their content material accordingly. This implies assembly your ideally suited viewers authentically the place they’re and sharing your content material in a means that can successfully attain them. Take into consideration what your customers will get out of this expertise and what they may get from you — not what you may get from them.
In highschool literature class, you might recall your trainer drilling within the textual context in reference to understanding the which means of what you learn. Maybe your historical past trainer defined ideas just about their historic context. Creators must strategically anticipate their viewer’s mindset and deliberately select their platform to construct social context round their content material.
All the things you share as a creator is related to the broader context of the model you might be constructing. You will need to suppose with the tip in thoughts. If you already know you might be an unbelievable violinist, you have to act and create within the context of the world-renowned violinist that you’re. Your viewers can simply spot creators who lack confidence or let imposter syndrome get in the way in which. Meet your viewers the place they’re, and present up because the proficient inventive that you’re.
Are you acting on the subway or in a live performance corridor? Are you busking for suggestions, or are you constructing a model and a profession? Construct your model to place your self as an authority in your area of interest, and your viewers will observe go well with.
