You Don’t Need More Content—You Need the Right Content

Content is more than videos, it's anything you create

I talk to a lot of people who say things like, “We need some content.” “We need a video for our social media.”

And if that’s you, you’re probably right. But more than content, what you actually need is a plan.

You need a way to figure out what kind of content will be the most impactful—and how to use that content to interact with your audience.

Because here’s the thing: People think that “content” just means putting clips on Instagram or blasting out whatever’s trending this week. But producing content isn’t marketing. Not even close.

What Content Actually Is

Quality content isn’t just something you toss into the void and hope it sticks.

It’s an asset—one that should keep working for you over and over again.

Great content doesn’t just fill your feed—it educates, entertains, and builds trust. It makes people care about what you do and why it matters. It speaks to your audience instead of just performing for the algorithm.

When it’s done right, your content becomes a bridge between your mission and your people.

Enter: Content Marketing

Content marketing is a way of connecting with potential customers, clients, donors—whoever your audience is—by using strategically created content to build trust. The goal is to provide value: educational, emotional, or entertaining.

And it’s not about going viral.

Sure, if you post 10 times a day for a year, maybe one or two things will catch fire. So what? What will you do with that attention? If you don’t have a plan, that vitality isn’t going to turn into real connection—or real results… only your exhaustion.

It’s not about reaching a lot of people.It’s about reaching the right people—and knowing what to do when they respond.

Learn everything about your customers. Favorite color? Favorite poet? Favorite fruit? Everything helps!

There's No One Right Way

You can actually learn a lot about content marketing from TV. Consider sitcoms and anthology series...

Friends has been an international hit for decades. The show follows a formula: familiar characters, a predictable arc, and a storyline that brings people back for more. If the characters were completely different in every episode—or if the genre jumped from comedy to drama to horror—it probably wouldn’t have become the cultural icon that it is.

Now compare that to Black Mirror. Every episode is completely different: new cast, new story, new tone. And it still worked—because the change was the formula.

The thing both shows have in common? They knew their audience. They created intentionally. They had a plan.

That’s what your content needs.

Strategy Before Execution

Before you hit record or start typing, you need to ask:

• What will you do with the content?

• What’s the purpose?

• Where will it go?

• Who will it engage?

• How will it engage them?

• What makes you uniquely suited to help them?

• What’s the goal or desired outcome?

Consider all of your tools available

Without clarity on those questions, you're just making noise.

You might not need a video. Or… you might need way more than one.

Video is a powerful tool—but it’s not the only tool. Before you start with content marketing, you have to figure out what kind of content is best for your purpose.

And to figure that out… You need to know the purpose. To know the purpose… You need a goal.

It’s a chain—and strategy is the first link..

So… What Is the Right Kind of Content?

There’s more to content than “make a reel” or “write a blog.”

In fact, there are at least 21 types of content your organization or business could use—each with a specific role to play. (credit where credit is due, I got this list from “Epic Content Marketing: Second Edition” by Joe Pulizzi and Brian Piper. It’s not an exhaustive list and I’ve modified some of it a little, but it’s a great starting point and an incredibly helpful book!) You might not need all of them. But knowing your options helps you choose the right ones.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll walk you through all 21, broken into three groups:

1. Foundational Content – Long-term assets that build trust

2. Connection Content – Ongoing pieces that keep you top-of-mind

3. Campaign Content – Action-focused content that drives momentum

Each week, I’ll post a blog breaking down one of these groups and highlight a few key examples. Follow me on social media to see the Outcome Maps I’ll be sharing throughout the week. These are short, best-use scenarios that show how these tools can be used strategically by real-world organizations and businesses like yours.

We'll break these down over the next few weeks

Stay Tuned (and Plug In)

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing a lot of marketing but not getting the traction you want… this series is for you.

If you’re a nonprofit, a service-based business, or a product-based company trying to make a meaningful impact… this series is for you.

And if you’ve ever hired someone to “make a video” or "write some blogs" without a strategy behind it, or if you've posted content just because you thought you had to… this series is definitely for you.

Next week: We’ll dive into Foundational Content—the stuff that works even when you're offline.

In the meantime: Follow me on Facebook for this week’s Outcome Maps—real-world examples of how strategic content gets real results.

Ready for more? You can access my ebook: "Content Blocks: 21 Types of Content That Build Trust, Connection, and Results" right now completely for FREE. No email form, no maze of links, just click or tap the button below and it'll take you to a PDF in my Google Drive that you can read online, download to your device, and share with anyone who might find it useful.

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