The Content You Don’t Even Know You’re Creating

A couple of bosses ago, my boss took me out to a fancy lunch to talk about how I could add more value to the team. “You know things you don’t even know you know. We need to know those things,” he said over grilled salmon and some kind of pilaf.

Sorry to break it to you, but you’re all writers now. With the Tweeters and the Faceholes, etc., we’re each piloting our own thought-ships through the sea of reputation enhancement. Demonstrating our expertise, building our networks.

But what if you don’t know what to share? You know things you don’t even know you know, and there is an audience for those things. Look first at what you’re already doing and doing well. You probably don’t have to invent whole new streams of work to start a pipeline. And as your experience grows, so will your well of shareable content. Writing is like exercising a muscle, and you get stronger the more you use it. And the more you read, the stronger your skills will grow and the more you’ll have to share.

Here are a few examples to get you started:

Things IRL. Do you speak in front of other people? Do you participate in panels, conferences, meetups or webinars? Do you even attend such things? These can be shared in advance if they're open to the public, you can offer comments or appreciation during, tagging other involved individuals and organizations. After the event, share an insight (with a photo if you can snap one), a tag and a thank you. Go ahead, put the social into social media.  

Tips and advice. Show us the things that you know that we don’t already know. If you’re a landscaper, tell us that it’s time to cut back the peonies or how and why to deadhead roses. If you’re an accountant, something about a new rule going into effect, or something you overheard at the supermarket that reminded you of questions you hear often. Are you in sales? Dash off a quick note about a good service example you saw in the wild. Things like that are a great way to build community.

Seasonal notes. Is it election time? Swim season? Hedgehog awareness day? The birthday of someone important to you or your organization? Anniversaries of any kind can help you add structure and flesh out your calendar well in advance.

Current events. Cool things you see that you find interesting about the local environment or your industry. In general, I advise staying miles away from politics. Even if people agree with you, they may not wish to see it on your business page. Exceptions expected, of course, if your business actually includes politics or advocacy.

"Sharing is caring." Follow colleagues, local companies and organizations - comment on their stuff and/or share it on your page with a kind, supportive note if the spirit moves you. This one probably should be higher up because it’s so important to be a giver online, but you’re not the boss of me. And speaking of giving...

Giving back. Are you doing anything to give back to the community? Do you volunteer as an individual or issue grants as an organization? Demonstrating engagement and compassion is humanizing, which is especially important when we’re dealing in pixels.

Whenever possible, include an image (specific figures vary, but it’s generally acknowledged that images significantly increase engagement on social media posts, and my own experience has borne this out). Be prepared to respond to folks who comment. And have a look around at what similar companies are doing for inspiration and ideas for things to do (and not to do).