What writers can learn from Netflix
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What writers can learn from Netflix
Think. Write. Lead. - Issue #41
Welcome to this new season of Think.Write.Lead. Yes, starting with this issue, you’ll begin receiving the newsletter on Saturdays instead of Tuesdays. And I’ve moved to a new platform (from Revue to Substack) that will hopefully improve the experience. WDYT? Let me know!
Solo thought leaders are recognized as the go-to experts in their niches because of their content.
So, there are two questions you must ask yourself as a solo content creator:
Do I have enough content online for people to binge read for a whole day or more? (If not, how are they going to see me as an expert?)
Am I making it easy for them to consume that content?
You probably have hundreds of social posts, newsletter issues, videos, blog posts or podcast episodes scattered through different platforms.
And they probably cover 2 or more different topics.
Now, let’s say one of those topics is crypto investments and that someone wants to consume everything you have created around that topic.
How easy would it be? Is your content organized in a central location for people to find?
If not, then you and I should learn some lessons from Netflix.
Have you ever marvelled at how easy it is to find a movie in Netflix?
It’s not just that you can search for a movie.
You can browse by genre, actor, director, topic or what’s similar to other movies.
Netflix doesn’t have just lots of content. They create a content experience, where you can consume as much as you want of whatever you are into.
And they know what you like and keep recommending more. That’s why in a household every person’s profile looks different.
Mine recommends mainly action movies and adventure shows, while my wife’s shows an endless list of chick flicks, and our son’s has animé titles.
So here’s how to do this…
Audit your content and identify the broad topics or categories.
Assign tags with the name of the categories to blog posts and hashtags to social posts. Following the example above, every social post about crypto investments should have a hashtag like #cryptoinvestments. Use a hashtag unique to you so when you click on it, only your posts will show up. For example, adding your name or initials, like #dp-thoughtleadership.
Get the URLs to those hashtags and tagged blogs and make a public list of your topics. Then place a link to those lists on your website, the Featured section of your LinkedIn profile.
Besides topic, you can also categorize content by:
Buyer journey stage (TOFU/Awareness, MOFU/Consideration, BOFU/Decision)
Buyer persona
Content type (video, podcast, blog, etc.)
Whether the content is about a specific product or service (course, book, consulting)
Then figure out some creative ways to package the content and deliver it to your audience.
THINK.
What are my top 2-3 topics I want to be known for and that will fuel my business?
Do I have enough content about those topics and does that content position me as an expert?
Do I have an inventory of that content or do I need to organize and catalogue it?
What systems or processes do I need to create now so my future content is easy to organize?
For example, my Medium articles are always about one of three categories: Thought Leadership, Book Writing & Publishing, and Writing Tips (I also have a short one about Content Marketing). See the lists here (screenshot below).
WRITE.
Make an audit of your existing content.
Write down the categories/hashtags you are going to use to organize your content.
Create a spreadsheet where you list the title of the piece of content, the link, the type of content and the category for each one.
Analyze existing content gaps (perhaps you have too much content about one topic and very little about another); then plan to write that content.
LEAD.
I still remember the old days of cable TV, trying to find a movie by browsing the TV Guide or flipping channels.
Those were dark times, indeed.
But while streaming services are way ahead of the curve, most solo creators haven't even thought about this issue of content experience.
So, this is your chance to stand out from the crowd and create amazing content experiences for your audience.
This is your chance to become the solo expert in your niche.
P.S. This issue was inspired by Randy Frisch's ideas on content experience. Thank you, Randy!
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