Echo chambers can be dangerous for your business and your readers.
If you’re using a content marketing strategy, you need to stay plugged into your industry, reading up on the latest news and sharing that news with your readers. Unfortunately, if you proceed with this cyclical pattern of consumption and regurgitation long enough, you could become trapped in an echo chamber; in other words, you won’t be exposed to new or innovative ideas, and your content will blend in as white noise.
If you want to stand out with your readers, inspire original thoughts, and be seen as a leader in your industry, you need to break out of that echo chamber. So what strategies can you use to do it?
Read a Variety of Sources
First, open yourself up to a wide variety of different sources. Read up on all the industry blogs, like you probably already do, but plug into all your major competitors as well, and don’t be afraid to read some fringe blogs within your niche. The wider your range of inspiration material, the more informed your opinions will be—and the more original content you can create.
Listen to Your Readers
Don’t rely on your own assumptions to guide your content process entirely; instead, tune into what your readers and followers are saying. Conduct interviews regularly and use social listening to determine what’s most important to your fan base, and cater to those needs. It will help you see things from a different perspective, and may spark new lines of thought.
Experiment
Finally, don’t be afraid to experiment. Try creating and publishing new types of content, or tackle angles you’ve never tried before. You should also try to take a nontraditional or controversial stance from time to time; it may be polarizing, but it will help you differentiate yourself from the crowd.
If you need help building or modifying an existing content marketing strategy, contact Quez Media today! Our team of content experts can help you, no matter how much or how little experience you’ve had with the strategy.
