The #1 Reason Content Fails
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Social media is a game of inches.
Microscopically good decisions can add up to create content that goes viral, while a few poor decisions can doom the very same piece.
Let’s dive into an example.
Last week I came across two tweets that at first glance look nearly identical.
But one tweet flew and the other one failed.
Check them out here.
Tweet 1:
- 2,333 impressions
- 1 Retweet
- 15 likes
Tweet 2:
- 120,300 impressions
- 52 Retweet
- 661 likes
Why such a drastic difference?
CONTEXT.
The opening line of Tweet #1 references a “PKM Stack”, something I’d never heard of. Turns out that means Personal Knowledge Management.
Because I haven’t heard of PKM, my brain tunes out immediately.
The human brain hates confusion and loves comfort. So I scrolled on, unaware of how or if the content could be useful for me.
Tweet #2, on the other hand, references a “Tech Stack”. And I know what that is.
But still, why should I care about this particular tech stack?
Miguel follows up the jargon with a reason: This is what he’d use for his next side project.
Aha! That’s a huge piece of context that immediately tells me why I should care.
If I’m looking to start a side project, Miguel’s hook gives me the quick context my brain needs in order to sift through all the internet noise.
Miguel also follows his simple Tweet with a call-to-conversation (CTC) which got a ton of other people involved and sharing their tech stack for side projects.
You can’t share your PKM stack if you don’t know what the heck that is.
Similar content. Yet, so different.
→ Today's action step: Take a look at the next 2-3 pieces of your upcoming content.
Does your opening line answer the following questions?
- Is it clear who I’m talking to?
- Is it clear what I’m talking about?
- Does the group from question #1 know why they should stop and read?
These are 3 simple questions that can mean a 60x difference in the number of people who find value in whatever you create.
And that’s all for today, friends.
See you next week.
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