The Indisputable Laws of Content (and how to leverage them to grow your brand)
Content always wins in the long run. I’m sure of it because I’ve seen it over and over again on many platforms. Then why doesn’t every founder and brand win with content? Because they break the laws! Of content, that is…
If you wanted to grow a massive crop, would you do it without sunlight and water? No. Because the laws of growing plants say you have to use water and sunlight (winging it here… I’m horrible at growing plants).
Well, think of your content strategy as a lot of seeds. You have to be diligent to plant them, water them, and give them plenty of sunlight in order for them to grow. And like growing a crop (again, never done this one), seeing success from a content strategy takes a good bit of time and effort.
I will guarantee you that you’ll achieve your content goals a whole lot easier if you don’t break the laws.
So, let’s jump in to them and talk about how you can use these laws to your advantage rather than be hamstrung by them.
1. Consistency is Rewarded
No doubt, one of the most well known laws of content creation is that consistency arguably plays the most important role in whether your content strategy yields results or not. Assuming you’re truly seeking to add value to your audience, consistency will build trust and awareness over time.
Your audience isn’t the only thing that rewards consistency… the algorithms do too. Now, you can see an algorithm as your friend or your enemy, but I encourage you to treat it like the former! Nowadays, we can’t have the reach we need (and want) without social media. And we can’t have social media without the algorithms. So, let’s give the algos the thing they have a big appetite for: consistency.
With consistency, you can expect your posts to gain exposure and engagement over time. Let’s read in between the lines… Your early posts may not have much engagement at all. I’ve been there, and anytime I start posting on a new platform I expect it. This is something to be really sober about so we don’t get discouraged in our creation journey.
Tips for staying consistent:
Batch Creation: Create long form content (such as blogs and email newsletters, or longer videos) that can be split into shorter posts (tweets, LinkedIn posts, video clips for Reels, TikTok, etc.). It’s way easier to do this than to spend time creating each short-form piece of content.
Create a Content Calendar: Spend a little time each month and week (even longer time horizons pending the level of production your content calls for) brainstorming and planning out what you’ll post. This allows your brain to start to brew on different topics beforehand, so that when you go to actually create or hone the content you just pull a topic or title and run with it.
Be honest with your capacity: There’s no easier way to be inconsistent than to burn out early on. However, if you start with a bearable commitment, then I guarantee you’ll be able to go farther. Resist the temptation to feel embarrassed or “less-than” for putting out less than you may want to if you’re just getting started!
Document, document, document: Some of the best content comes from simply documenting what is going on in your business because it’s personalized to you. Did a client meeting go well? Write about it. Did a new question or concern come up in a sales meeting? Talk about how your company helps overcome that issue. Did a client have a massive win because of your product/service? That one is a no brainer to share.
2. It Takes Longer Than You Think
Instant results are rare. Building a meaningful content presence requires patience. So let’s get real… when you take Law #1 and Law #2 together that means that you’re probably going to deal with a lot of “failed” posts, low engagement, and minimal return. Potentially for months. Maybe even years.
I have a neighbor who is a life coach for men. He meets with high net worth individuals and helps them do deep emotional work to help them feel more whole. When he decided to start putting out content, he was getting low double digit likes on each post and modest follower growth. It took him over a year until things started paying off. One day, he went viral and his follower count grew by 5 figures almost “overnight”. The result was that he broke last year’s revenue record within the first three months of this year.
Props to him. He stayed consistent with quality content day in and day out for over a year despite the humble beginnings.
But that’s how it always starts. Small and slow.
Tips for making for the long haul:
Manage your expectations: just expect it to take over a year before you see any real results. If you make it a year posting regularly then you’ll be way beyond most and will have built the rhythm of creating, which is a massive win in and of itself.
Beware of vanity metrics: Views, likes, and comments feel great, but they are out of your control. Focus on what you can control and stick to it: consistency, quality, adding real value, serving your audience.
3. Authenticity Beats Perfection
Viewers want to connect with a person. A story. Something real. That’s why authentic, imperfect content resonates more than hyper-polished, impersonal content.
My two largest posts on LinkedIn are both about bad news and/or disappointment. That is hilarious to me, but not unpredictable. Why? Because we crave authenticity and even vulnerability in a day and age where we’re always trying to frame ourselves in the best light or put ourselves on a pedestal as subtly as possible.
Was I trying to get reactions with a LinkedIn hook that said: “I have a big and unfortunate announcement today”? No. That post actually didn’t feel good. I felt a bit exposed if I’m being honest. But I felt obligated to post it to represent the same people in my shoes that were in too much pain to post their similar situation. What felt encouraging was seeing a couple others in my network over the coming months share posts structured similarly to mine.
Of course, it doesn’t have to be a negative thing. Think about your favorite creators. My guess is that they have gotten really good at being as authentic as possible, and I’d bet that the majority gives positive vibes.
Tips for being authentic:
Share experiences: This is similar to my tip above…. Was there a lesson you learned (good or bad)? Share it! Tell the story in a way that your audience can abstract it and apply it to their situation.
Drop production value: Every once in a while, just turn on the front-camera and film something, then post it with no editing.
Limit CTA’s and selling: Not every post needs a CTA. You don’t have to talk about your product or service each time either. Keep sales CTA’s under 20% of your posts.
4. Value Over Virality:
Going viral can be a blessing and a curse. There’s this guy who went viral for trying to eat nasty stuff, and I’m here for it. I laugh super hard at each of his videos. But consider this: the moment he stops eating nasty stuff and trying not to throw up, he ceases to be relevant to the masses. Going viral, more often than not, can put you into a small box with the wrong audience.
So, rather than trying to constantly chase trends and go viral, focus on value.
Here are different types of content that will help you add value to your audience:
Education: teach the audience something new or provide them with knowledge or skills they didn’t have before. Examples: how-to’s, webinars, white-papers, comprehensive blog posts.
Entertainment: help the audience have a little fun. Examples: funny videos/pictures/memes, funny behind-the-scenes videos/photos. Use viral trends sparingly here.
Information: provide factual data and insights that help the audience stay up-to-date on a particular subject or industry. Examples: reports or analyses, infographics, breakdowns, state of the industry, relevant news updates, reposting trending topics.
Engage: drive interaction, conversation, and participation from your audience to help create a sense of community. Examples: posts that highlight open-ended questions, soliciting topics your audience wants you to weigh in on, live Q&A, UGC (share your story, hashtags), surveys/polls (make sure to share results!).
Aggregate: Save your audience the hassle by curating and collecting content or resources from various sources to present them in a concise and organized way. Examples: Lists (i.e. best of, worst of, most helpful, etc.), weekly or monthly roundups of key creators or news.
Sell: (yes, your product/service is valuable!!!) Directly promote your product or service with the goal of converting the audience into customers. Examples: feature highlights in real-world scenarios, discount offers, case studies.
Inspire: (great opportunity to be authentic here) Motivate or encourage action by tapping into emotions or aspirations. Examples: share stories, founder journeys, mission-driven messages.
Demonstrate: Showcase how something works or how to use a product or service, often through tutorials or product demos. This is a place where you can show your process for something that the audience wants to know how to do. Examples: How-to videos, product or process walkthroughs.
Collaborate: A way to increase reach by working with other industry experts, influencers, or even audience members. Examples: Guest blog posts, podcast interviews, collaborative social media content, takeovers.
Challenge: Push boundaries, ask tough questions, or encourage users to think differently or take part in a social/interactive challenge. Note: the more customer-centric this is the stronger it will be (i.e. a health challenge that anyone can do even without the company’s service/product). Examples: 30-day challenge around your customer’s pain points, debates, hot-take thought leadership pieces.
Testimonial/Advocacy: Showcase customer stories that vouch for your brand, product, or mission. Examples: reposting unsolicited user-generated content, case studies, customer testimonials, or success stories.
Document: (at the risk of repetition) Raw documentation of the brand or founder’s journey, emphasizing transparency and authenticity. Examples: vlogs, behind-the-scenes posts, or “day in the life” content.
Tips for focusing on value:
Variety: Put out a wide variety of content using the categories above.
Audience-Centric Focus: Fight to keep serving your audience top of mind when creating content. They will feel it.
5. Platforms Will Change
Let’s say you had content you wanted to get out to the world. How would you go about that? Telegram? Telemarketing? MySpace? How about a big “no” to all three of those! Why? Because platforms change!
Founders that keep a pulse on where their ideal customers are meeting and hanging out online, and adapt to those macro trends will remain relevant while those who are stuck in old formats will fall behind. So, it stands to reason that content strategies need to evolve with trends, feedback, and platform changes.
When I was trying to decide on a platform for my last startup, I was doing everything to stay away from TikTok. In my mind it was the platform for teenage girls to do weird dances. But the platform had changed. COVID brought a massive wave of people to the platform, and my ICP at the time was included in there. When I realized this, I decided that TikTok had to be the platform I would focus on despite my apprehension. The result was an engaged following that dove registrations and web traffic for our product which was a massive win.
The lesson in here is two-fold:
Demographics shift from platform to platform. Sometimes this is fast and other times it is gradual.
New platforms can pose a massive opportunity for founders that see a trend unfolding and “skate to where the puck is going.”
Tips for adapting your strategy for maximum distribution:
Scout New Platforms: Periodically check in on new platforms to see who is on them. Look at the latest research to validate your findings.
Pulse Check: Keep a pulse on trends and best practices and adjust your content output accordingly.
Audit Results: Regularly audit your content performance and be open to experimenting.
Correct Platform(s): Make sure you are distributing your content on the platform where your customers are spending time on. If you think a new platform will pull your customers and audience to it, consider spending 20% of your content resources on building a following on the new platform but do NOT abandon your hard-earned audience on your original platform.
6. Community > Metrics
It feels good to be seen by someone. Think about some of your favorite creators. Have they ever responded to your comments? If so, how does that make you feel?
When I launched my TikTok content strategy I spent over 36 hours natively in the app the first week which resulted in my thumbs starting to lock up from responding to all the comments. The thumbs took the hit, but the young community was beginning to thrive. This was simply because I engaged quickly with almost all of the comments. I genuinely wanted people to know that I saw them.
The way you engage with your audience (especially on social media) actually sets an incentive structure for future posts. If you don’t engage with your audience when they comment, it trains them and other followers to not comment on future posts (or at least to not expect you to respond). However, when we, as creators, are intentional to provide thoughtful interactions with our audience in the comments it encourages more engagement which drives exposure.
But something more interesting happens, too. I have personally witnessed that it helps your audience view you as an approachable friend which will only help increase brand loyalty.
This really comes down to whether you’re sparing or generous with placing dignity on people. No, I don’t think that’s too deep or taking it too far.
A few seconds you take to respond can be the beginning of a great relationship between a stranger and your brand.
Tips to building community within your audience:
Comments: Spend a ton of time in your comments section! Respond to everything in the early days and try to maintain this as long as possible. Never give it up fully.
Engage: Create content that fosters discussion and encourage conversation in your comments section.
Exclusivity: Consider whether or not a more exclusive, or higher commitment (paid), community is right for you. This would be in addition to a broader social channel.
Conclusion:
Content creation, especially for founder-led brands, is an ongoing journey that requires more than just inspiration or a few viral moments. Remember… we’re planting seeds in an effort to grow a massive harvest down the road. Consistency, patience, authenticity, value, adaptability, and community are the fundamental "laws" that are going to drive your long-term success.
Remember, the most impactful content strategies aren't built or executed overnight. They are the result of steady, thoughtful work that prioritizes the needs of your audience over vanity metrics or trends. By adhering to these laws, you'll create a brand presence that not only reaches people but resonates with them.
The growth may feel slow at times, but if you trust the process and commit to adding real value, your content will pay off in ways that are worth the wait.
