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Where to Start With Content? Follow Your Idols

posted on October 20, 2011

Ann and I spoke to a Full Sail University class the other night. I’m a big fan of the school because they are teaching diverse topics that are all creative and business focused at the same time. The questions are always high quality from their students.

One question came from a student who is a member of the band Wake Up Bedhead and he wanted to know what sort of content they should start creating that current fans would like, but that would also attract new fans to their music.

The advice I gave them is the same I’d give to anyone who asked and that is to follow your idols.

This works great when talking to a rock band, but I firmly believe it works for everyone.

I told him to think about his favorite bands and artists. What kind of content would he love to see them release? Would it be them talking about how they come up with songs, video diaries from the road or studio sessions watching them recording the latest album?

My argument being that if he would like to see that from his idols, then fans of his band would like to see the same sort of things from them.

If you are a just getting started with content or want to be doing it better, look at the people in your industry that you think are already doing it great and then follow their lead.

This is exactly why we filled Content Rules with “ideas your can steal” because even if someone is already doing something, you are going to put your own spin on it to make it unique to you.

Any of your idols inspire a piece of content you’ve created?

 

 

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Categories: Content Rules
  • http://remarkablogger.com Michael Martine

    Love this, C.C. It’s not always about solving some kind of problem for others. Sometimes it’s about delighting them.

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      Exactly.

      I’m a big fan of suggesting that you try to educate or entertain with your content. Sometimes you can do both and that is even better.

  • Mary Klaebel

    As a Full Sail online student, I agree with your opinion of the school.

    And you’ve definitely given me pause regarding content. Love the book, by the way.

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      Thanks.

      Ever since I came down earlier this year and saw the campus for myself and saw the interaction in the class room I’ve been blown away.

      Glad to hear you like the book.

  • Nathan Dube

    CC, I would go on to suggest that you don’t need to look only at the idols within your industry to formulate content. As a musician myself I have used elements of music, video and media commonly associated with rock and roll and incorporated those elements into marketing  managed print services and printer repair. I think that regardless of what you do in your professional life you can take elements from any source of passion. Components from your own industry or others completely unrelated to what you do. One thing I try to do is invoke emotions in my customers/prospects that are more inline with what would be expected from an audience at a concert. So if Jimmy Page was your source of inspiration and you work at a industrial manufacturing facility then I would say by all means, market your products with the same attitude as Jimmy versus the most accomplished idol within your industry or marketing spectrum.

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      Most certainly you can find inspiration from other industries and in fact I’m a big believer in the fact that you SHOULD look outside your industry.

  • http://www.social-media-connections.com Nickie Stowers

    Thank you.  If there is something I struggle with is content…not only what to say but how to say it.  Then I struggle with “if I know this (whatever this is) already”  then everyone else probably knows it and so I don’t need to talk about it. 

    • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

      Don’t ever think that.

      If there is anything I’ve ever learned, it is that those things are usually the ones that more people need to hear!

      • http://www.social-media-connections.com Nickie Stowers

        Thank you for your response. #1 I never expected you to respond and #2 for affirming that regular “knowledge and information” are worth sharing.

      • http://www.cc-chapman.com/ C.C. Chapman

        For sure. You are welcome.

        The whole time we were writing our book we wondered if anyone really needed what we were talking about and we’ve certainly seen the they do.

        What I tell people is if you are passionate about it then share it because others out there are also passionate about it.

        I also advise companies that if they are looking for stories to tell, start with the ones that everyone inside the company might consider day to day stuff, but the outside world may have never seen or heard.

  • http://twitter.com/RepEliseHall Elise Hall

    So often when it comes to content so often we are lost not knowing what to write or how to even get started. Thanks for the inspiration of a leader to follow!