A successful harvest
Here at Dreamland we are always discussing new ways to adapt what we do to better fit our clients’ needs. During these discussions there always seems to be one or two new bits of jargon that seem to stick around. This week there is one that I just can’t seem to shake and it’s probably for a good reason. Harvesting content. It’s something that almost every individual struggles with when it comes to creating a digital extension of themselves. Yes, you have your Facebook, your Linkedin, YouTube, blog, etc., but how much content is truly of value to anyone? If your last blog post was 6 months ago is it really doing you any good?
Harvesting content is not a simple task. I liken it to a farmer raising his seasonal crops. The first challenge for that farmer is to simply select the crop that will grow best given his soil, region and other variables. The same rules apply for growing your own content. You must first select what type of content is going to help you best achieve your objectives. Whether it be a strong blog, a podcast series, or a channel on YouTube, all of these media have outputs whose efficiency on delivering the message varies greatly depending on the message you are trying to convey.
Growing your content
Let’s use the example of a farmer trying to decide between mass production or growing organically. Both have their benefits and drawbacks. Mass production will probably result in less work for the farmer because he will be able to reduce his labor through using pesticides and other modern techniques to assist with his harvest. However, at the same time organic produce sells for much more per pound and also is a hot item. Once again this concept translates directly to how you want to grow your own content. What is more important quantity or quality? Can you achieve both at once?
I believe that you can. The strongest harvest of content is grown organically. Content that is developed organically is original and nearly impossible to duplicate. Does it take work? Yes! Are there efficient ways to develop a large quantity of quality content? Yes!
We have found that when it comes to growing strong quality content, one of the most effective means is through a radio show or podcast. Think about it. Every 15-20 minute podcast averages almost 6 to 10 different blog topics. That is a massive quantity of quality content grown organically in almost no time at all.
