Why 4,000 Blog Posts Aren't the Answer

May 10, 2022

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LinkedIn comments can often be more entertaining and insightful than the original post. I stumbled across this comment last week, and I couldn’t help but laugh out loud –

“If people will just read my more than 4,000 blog posts, they'll find all the answers they need.”

Just to be clear, you know that I’m a knowledge-sharing champion. Blog posts are one invaluable tool for getting useful information into the hands of the people invested in learning.

I understand the intent behind the funny comment but imagine plowing through 4,000 blog posts. Each post is a single topic, how-to-do-something piece. No one in their right mind would squander their time to search through 4,000 blog posts in hope of an answer.

Most of us are going to become overwhelmed, discouraged, or distracted pretty quickly.

What's Missing

The more I write for our blog and consume the posts of others, one thing has become abundantly clear. Even the most practical, useful words without context are wasted. They simply add to the overwhelming What Do I Do With This Now syndrome.

I’ve encouraged companies to make knowledge-sharing with their customers a commitment. Today I’m adding one piece of advice to this recommendation.

Give each piece of content you create a purpose, a job to do. Make What Do I Do With This Now clear, relatable, and actionable.

How to Give Your Information a Useful Job to Do

1. If you’re creating content, be clear about the purpose of the piece. What problem does it solve for the reader or viewer? You don’t have to literally say “this is your problem and I’m here to solve it”, but you do want to frame the information so that your audience knows you understand where they are right now.

Relate one piece of information to another. Your audience wants to clearly see how you're delivering the outcome they need. Dot-connecting is more mental bandwidth than they are going to invest.

For example, in last week’s email, I said that every company should make knowledge-sharing a priority. I pointed to the firmly established habit of customers doing their own research long before they are ready to buy from you. It’s a problem we all have (whether you realize it or not).

To overcome the What Do I Do With This Now syndrome, I could have included an action item for you to relate this customer behavior to your company’s current buying trends. Perhaps --

List 5 things your customers want or need to know before they buy your product or service.

Do you currently deliver this information in a way that prospective buyers can easily find and consume it?

Does it show them you understand their need and how your solution will make their lives better?
Do they know what to do after they’ve engaged with your information?
What does buying from you look and feel like to your customer?

2. If you’re consuming a piece, ask yourself how this insight applies to your problem, opportunity, or need right now.

Consume with consideration, not race-scrolling to the end.
Come back to your company’s strategic goals. How does this new piece of information contribute in some way? It might be a specific action, the answer to a thorny issue, or an insight that causes you to pause and rethink a decision.
Is this information useful someday but not today? Bookmark it or save it.

If 4,000 blog posts seem a bit overwhelming, you’re not alone. Simply create and consume with the job to be done in mind.
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P.S. --

Thanks as always for reading.

If you see the value in sharing your knowledge but aren't quite sure where to go next, I would love to help you get started.

Linda Rolf
Fractional CIO
Quest Technology Group
407.843.6603
www.quest-technology-group.com

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