It was a hot Saturday in the city made hotter by some wild out-of-town visitors from the north. What better way to show them the town then a cruise around Mendota and Monona. The sun felt great on my face, but so did the light breeze. We were on the Monona side when my friend Bob launched into one of his always charming “postivity” proclamations. “Live life to the fullest everyday. Be happy and don’t get depressed. I’ve loved my wife from the moment we met. I’ve made money and lost it, but I always knew I had the ability to make it back. Everyday is a great day bringing a new adventure.” As his stream of consciousness continued, I remember thinking to myself wow, that’s really corny; so I turned to Bob and said only what a friend would say, “Wow, that’s really corny.” Can anyone say mutiny?
Mr. Negativity, Captain Queeg, Blackbeard — I heard it all — why not toss in a little Joan Crawford for good measure? But they were right. There’s nothing corny about being authentic. And certainly nothing cliched about being genuine. Today, that’s where so much content takes a long walk on a short deck. It falls short because it’s not authentic and it’s not impassioned.
I have five rules for content, or at least some exercises I keep in mind when I’m developing content. And it doesn’t matter if it’s a TV spot, a blog post, a brochure or Web text.
- Always be honest, transparent and true. If you’re not, they’ll see right through you faster than you can say “George Reeves.”
- Be authentic — there’s nothing wrong with having a style.
- Tell a story, use anecdotes; people will grasp what you’re saying if they can relate it to something that is part of a lifestage or an experience.
- Sleep on it; after you’re finished, let it rest and then re-read your brilliance — chances are you’ll make it even more brilliant.
- Never follow any rules when it comes to producing content.
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