[Issue 37] Creating Content IP
[Issue 37] Creating Content IP
[Photo by Dariusz Sankowski on Unsplash]
The Application: When you approach your content like an asset instead of a one-and-done creation, you are creating IP.
Want to explore this deeper? This essay explores the philosophy of approaching your business like an owner-investor rather than an operator:
Conceptualizing content as “intellectual property” reframes its role in your marketing ecosystem. It’s like a book versus a collection of blog posts, or a name for a systematized process versus a blend of random, undocumented operating procedures.
Intellectual property for your brand provides a centralized theme from which the rest of your messaging and content flows.
Here’s a model for applying the idea:
Start by identifying what makes you different. What stance do you want to be known for? What do you stand against? What is the enemy of the perspective you’ve chosen to stake your claim on? (Jay Acunzo’s premise exercise is a great way to clarify this.)
Distill that single, focused theme into a messaging platform: a collection of phrases, descriptors, signature stories, etcetera that convey your unique perspective. (This will take all of the guesswork out of any piece of copy you have to write for your business, on an aside. Saving you huge amounts of time and guesswork.)
From that messaging platform, develop a number of pillar topics, all anchored around your theme. Start with around a dozen (you can add more as you have time, if you so choose).
Create a long form piece of content around each pillar. Now, your IP has a unifying idea - one that you can own - that is expressed in a range of ways, and is anchored by in-depth content assets that explore every facet of your unique position.
From here, focus less on creating NEW content and instead fully leverage your pillars: zoom in (to extract single, focused concepts) for social media and email content. Then zoom out (expand on the most popular concepts) for new long form content that will “branch out” from the core pillar posts. This is about maximizing distribution. So, don’t be afraid to recycle content and ideas: we all know people need to see something several times before it begins to sink in.
Done over time, this will help establish your position, build thought leadership, and own an idea in the minds of your audience. (All while maximizing the value and leverage of your content, making sure it gets in front of MORE people, MORE often.)