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Welcome back to the 11th week on your journey to become a digital influencer. This week we will address how to get going in crafting your own content. In fields where you have unique insights to offer as an influencer.

Select what type of content to start with

The first step in creating your own content is to lower the barrier to get the job done at all. Early on you will fight against your own moment of inertia. And a good way to start is focus on what you are most comfortable with.

Ask yourself what represent lowest effort for you. Are you a natural writer, and want to start with blogging? Are you a visual person wanting to play with pictures and powerful one liners? Or are you the natural host or guest in a talk show, wanting to start with podcasting? Be honest and give yourself a shot at what you find easiest first.

Beyond the format you need to pick a stage where you think you are best at influencing. Are you good at capturing the big picture, in early stages of influencing? Do you have a sense for details and are great in articulating options in the middle of the journey? Or are you a natural born sales person, with potential to influence in the stage of decision making?

My journey started with blogging about early stage aspects of novel topics. Great for creating awareness but with limited impact on customer engagements. If starting today I would focus on format and stages influencing customer journeys. Not chasing measures to meet a score, but to create an impact for customers. With the growing complexity on their buying decision journeys.

Develop insightful headlines you can start from

When format and focus is clear the next step is to find suitable topics. Topics with potential to influence a customer with a fresh perspective.

One possible topics is to articulate and flesh out customer business challenges. To position a solid understanding of your customers’ business situation and needs. At the appropriate level for the type of opportunities you want to influence.

Another option is to help a customer understanding a choice between two alternatives. What they already have and what you think is better. Where you take an active role in supporting both the understanding of alternatives. And do it to a level where you influence the likelihood of reaching a decision. And the pace of decision making.

The third alternative is about the values you offer. Less about what your offerings do and more about the outcomes it delivers. When you are at the level where you can articulate the jobs to be done you are close to a home-run.

When putting your name to a piece of content you want to come across as knowledgeable and trustworthy. Pick headlines you are comfortable with. And pick a type of subject you can reiterate 5-10 times until you are comfortable with the content type you selected.

Since I started I have kept a gross list of possible headlines in the back of my notebook. Adding new ideas whenever I pick them up during the work day. Becoming the starting point whenever I have a moment to start the actual writing. Not all headlines are ripe when born, and be open to letting some mature until timing is right.

Articulate the key search words

Creating the content is part of the job. Finding its way to your audience requires equal attention. Pay high attention to small details that make a big difference.

Make sure you leverage industry buzz words and hashtags. Picking the ones where conversations already take place. Rather than going too far in the beginning.

Consider words acting as excitement triggers. Such as amazing, exciting, innovative etc. Crucial elements to make sure you get credit enough by search engines.

One liners capturing the essence. Your audience attention span in digital channels is short. And you need to be more straight to the point than in a face to face conversation.

An early advice shaping my journey was to explore language possibilities. Further than I knew was possible. With rewards coming from new exciting words. Numbers as natural additions. Combined into phrases working in more than one format.

Check list for week 11 activities

Select the type of content you want to contribute with

• Blogposts on WordPress – 600-800 word texts
• Visuals for Twitter and LinkedIn – Your best one liners
• Podcasts – Contribute in existing podcasts

Develop a set of insightful headlines in any of the following categories

• Articulating a customer business challenge – to position your understanding of issues
• Describing a customer choice between two alternatives – To help customers see choices
• Describing the values delivered by one of your solutions – as seen by customers

Articulate the key search words to allow readers to find your content

• Industry Buzzwords: #5G, #IoT, #AI, #VR etc.
• Excitement triggers: Amazing, Exciting, Innovative etc.
• One liners capturing the essence of what you want to say