Success Advice
4 Steps to Creating Epic Content According to Stan Lee
content builds relationships, relationships are built on trust and trust drives revenue.
According to Andrew Davis (bestselling author), content marketing is important because “content builds relationships. Relationships are built on trust and trust drives revenue.”
In line with this, Disney’s documentary on Stan Lee (aptly named after him) is a masterclass on exactly what it takes to achieve those results in your business, as it relates to the following principles.
#1 Authenticity
In order to build relationships with others, we must first get to know ourselves. This is because “a healthy relationship only thrives when two people can show up as themselves” (Ibinye Olayide (Marriage and Family Therapist)).
We see this in action through Lee’s life in that he describes himself as being “miserable” before he eventually decided to write the kinds of comic books that he would want to read.
Not only did this cause him to fall in love with the comic book industry again, it attracted a like-minded readership that has gone on to span multiple generations which has led to adaptations to multiple mediums (including film and television).
This can be incorporated into your content marketing strategy by taking note of the kind of content that grabs your attention or that you enjoy and finding a way to put your own spin on it.
If you already have a preferred platform you can do that there or, like Stan Lee, don’t be afraid to create something new that is more true to who you are.
#2 Relatability
Another key piece to the puzzle of building know, like and trust with potential clientele is the ability to tell relatable stories.
This is because “neuroscientific research shows that narratives trigger the release of oxytocin, the neurochemical associated with empathy and connection [causing] our brains [to] sync up, or ‘neuro couple,’ with that of the storyteller” (Caitlin Bell (psychologist and copywriter)).
Not only did Lee achieve this by writing the kinds of stories that he would want read, he also did it by focusing on making his characters more relatable and representative of his audience.
With this example in mind, it becomes clear that it is important, not only to be authentic, but to weave your story into your content in order to build connections with your audience.
This relatability factor can also be taken a step further by highlighting audience members through testimonials and/or case studies so that they can see themselves in those stories and feel represented.
#3 Bucking trends
According to Steven Bartlett (entrepreneur, podcast host and author), “Habituation is a phenomenon in which the brain adjusts to repeated stimuli by ignoring or downgrading their significance [which] is the enemy of effective and successful storytelling and marketing”. The antidote? “Tell stories in an unrepetitive, unfiltered and unconventional way”.
In other words, buck trends. As previously mentioned, Lee did this by making his characters more relatable. For example, although they were superheroes, he gave them flaws and “real life problems”.
He also made them more representative of his audience by creating characters who were teenagers, female and from other ethnic backgrounds (e.g. Spiderman, Captain Marvel and Black Panther respectively).
In addition to this, he grounded them in the real world by setting them in places like New York, rather than fictional cities, like Gotham City, and “made their dialogues more sophisticated” instead of using the simplified language that was traditionally used in comic books.
What this demonstrates is that sometimes jumping on bandwagons does more harm than good. While it can be tempting to fall in line with algorithms, challenges and other types of trends that we may see pop up, it is important to innovate in order to set yourself apart and remain distinct from others within your industry.
#4 Impact
Another way that Stan Lee bucked trends was by tackling real life issues such as bigotry, drugs and war. This is because he believed “if you really want to change things and make them better, you’ve got to plunge in”.
Hence why Marvel always “tried to find some little moral besides [characters] running around and fighting”. This is in line with, mental and emotional advocate, Michelle Stinson Ross’ thoughts that “…your content has to be more than just brilliant– it has to give the people consuming that content the ability to become a better version of themselves”.
Such impact can also be made in your work by highlighting larger issues in your content. You could then take it a step further by showing your audience how partnering with your organisation can help to either alleviate or eradicate them in the long run.
Storytelling “helps create bonds with the reader and get complex information across,” making it “a powerful tool for content marketing” (Caitlin Bell). This can be achieved in a number of ways including being authentic, relatable, innovative and having a deeper why (mission/vision) that acts as the north star of your content.
It is my hope that this article will help you to implement this within your current content marketing strategy.
Success Advice
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We’re constantly told about how stores are closing down and how shoppers prefer online options, but is it worth questioning this theory?
In 2024, you’d be forgiven for thinking that physical shopping is a thing of the past. We’re constantly told about how stores are closing down and how shoppers prefer online options. But is it worth questioning this theory? (more…)
Success Advice
How to Alter Your Business Approach With Technological Advancements
Keeping up with technological trends has become a challenge for almost every business owner.
Technology’s evolution has impacted everything, and business is no exception. Keeping up with technological trends has become a challenge for almost every business owner. Entrepreneurs unable to do so are being wiped out of the market.
There is no doubt that AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) have taken over the business world. These technological advancements are impacting decision-making, success percentages, and other entrepreneurial aspects.
Adapting to these developments is integral to business success. Let’s explore how you can accomplish these milestones.
Embed the strength of AI and ML.
AI has modified business operations in major ways. For instance, companies have employed bots for customer support. These bots go through an effective learning process via Machine Learning before being able to answer like humans.
Bots can also perform detailed data analytics and make business moves with high success percentages.
ML is used more for the analysis of data chunks and generating successful predictions. This simply means that business owners do not have to worry about large-scale financial losses.
In terms of deployment and usage, a reputed company like Netflix employs machine learning for decision-making.
Blockchain is increasing the count of business opportunities
Tampering of financial transactions is quite common and causes severe monetary damage to customers. With the rise of digital payments, this risk has increased.
Blockchain is used to elevate your experience for monetary transfers. It combats penetrating events to extract confidential customer information.
Most business sectors are using block chain but finance and supply chain management sections have a higher count. These two corporate sections have several monetary deposits and withdrawals taking place.
In terms of percentage, approximately 72% and 5% of finance and supply chain firms have implemented block chain successfully.
Dedicate Yourself to Continuous Learning and Individual Development
You invest in learning some of the very important skills, including digital marketing, financial management, and how to gain customers as an entrepreneur.
You need to set up your knowledge base about doing business on Coursera and Udemy with the basics that are necessary for the business, building further by networking with experts through webinars.
Besides, Agile methodology will introduce elasticity to your company: this review and feedback system with further correction regularly will allow for enhancing efficiency and promptly reacting to the market.
Developing key skills to achieve goals
Running a business successfully is not only about having niche/domain knowledge. Business owners need to have communication / soft skills as well in addition to niche information.
Here are some key technical/domain-related areas that business owners should have a strong grip on.
Data Storage on Cloud: These days, companies do not store their data on physical servers. Therefore business owners should know how data is stored/edited/removed/updated via AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and other platforms.
Data Analysis/Interpretation Qualities: These days, data is as precious as gold. Business owners with data analysis abilities make correct predictions. As a result, their ventures grow in volume.
Development/Coding Knowledge
Programming knowledge gives business owners an edge whether the application is developed in-house or outsourced. It assists in getting updates deployed and handling application underperformance without getting professional support every time.
Hacking proof framework
There is no benefit of having an advanced automated system if can be penetrated. Successful business owners have above-average knowledge of cyber security and hacking attempts. They are able to choose top-notch anti-hacking software without much of an ambiguity.
Communication Abilities/Soft Skills
Here are some key communication qualities that business owners should have:
Communication/Conversation: Business owners should use to-the-point sentences in both written and oral communication.
Issue Resolution Abilities: Business owners should be able to drill down to problems and solve them. This is done successfully only if an entrepreneur has in-depth business domain knowledge.
Agile Implementations
It is mandatory for business owners to have knowledge of iterative/agile models. With such a competitive environment, it is impossible for business owners to succeed without adopting an agile framework.
Create a productive well-crafted Business Strategy
A productive business venture starts with a clear vision. The first factor making a business successful is the idea behind it. It helps with endless growth and combating competition successfully. Katherine Philips once mentioned that business goals are inevitable if goals are set concretely.
- Goals should be based on smart achievements instead of complexity. Focus on the value that each one of them adds.
- Business objectives should not be vague. Key indicators should be constructed to measure the success/failure of each milestone.
- Be realistic when setting goals. Do not aim at impossible milestones since they can be demotivating.
- Milestones/goals need to be time-bound. Set a completion deadline for each one of them.
- Business goals should not be alien. Owners can think out of the box but not be obsolete / unrelated.
Create a productive well-crafted Business Strategy
Business owners cannot succeed without having a network. Some tips help in this case. Attend conferences and professional gatherings to connect with other entrepreneurs.
Here are some other related points business owners should pay attention to.
- Attend meetings and conferences to stay updated with trends and meet business owners who already have well-set ventures. This helps in enhancing the learning curve of new / growing entrepreneurs.
- Being a part of business communities/groups is very productive. When one shares opinions and discusses decision-making tactics, it helps in preventing errors and enhancing success rate.
- Even the most experienced business owners have mentors as learning never stops. Take part in mentorship programs so there is an assurance that you are following the correct roadmap.
Conclusion
There is absolutely no doubt that business dimensions have evolved with technological advancements. Successful entrepreneurs have grabbed these changes in due course of time and continue to evolve. On the other hand, people following old paths and conventional steps fade out of competition. In a nutshell, keep an eye on the processes and practices you follow as these factors decide success rate.
Success Advice
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Motivation
From Couch Potato to Go-Getter: A Step-by-Step Motivation Plan for Everyone
By understanding what motivates you, you can turn your dreams into reality
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