5 Tips for Creating Effective Media

When I talk to business owners today, who desire to acquire customers using media, I realize they ALL desire to create effectively. Creating media takes a lot of time, energy, and effort. It is wise to be effective. Being effective yields you better results. 

When it comes to creating media effectively, here are 5 tips to consider:

1. Start with a clear objective: Before you begin creating content, think about what you want to achieve. I teach my clients to create media using my M.E.D.I.A. framework. This framework speaks to the objective. Each piece of media you create should create opportunities for people to do one of the following:

   - Meet you

   - Engage with you

   - Decide you are the business that has the solution they need

   - Invest in your products and/or services

   - Advocate for your brand

   When you have an understanding of your objective, you will be able to create content that is focused and effective.

2. Know your audience: You want to create media that really speaks to your audience. In order to do that, you need to understand who they are and be clear about the solution they need. You can also consider their age, gender, location, and other demographics, as well as their pain points and behaviors. This is why it is important to engage with your audience and be intentional about making connections and building relationships. Get to know your audience so you can effectively create media. 

3. Choose the right format: The format you choose for your media will depend on your audience and your objective. Some options include blog posts, articles, videos, podcasts, infographics, and social media posts. I always encourage my clients to lean in to their strengths. Additionally, consider how many platforms are favoring video content. You want to create some form of video media, even if it is not your strength. Always be open to trying new formats. 

4. Use catchy titles: A title can make the difference between media that gets consumed by your audience and media that gets ignored. Your title should clearly communicate the value of your media content and draw your audience to click on it and consume it. Remember that less is more. How can you say what you want to say in fewer words? In my experience, people like things that have a number (top 3 things..., 5 ways to..., etc.). People also like tips, hacks, myths, mistakes, and other similar things. You may also want to use a question to grab your audience's attention. 

5. Edit and proofread: Maybe this is the former English teacher in me, but this one is important. Do I get this one perfect every time? No, but I sure do try, Poorly written or error-filled media can undermine your credibility and turn off your audience. Take the time to carefully edit and proofread your content to ensure it is clear, concise, and free of errors. This is just a small way you can elevate your brand using media. 

Overall, if you apply these tips, you will be positioned to maximize all your media efforts and investments. You will be creating media effectively.

For more tips and strategy behind creating media, register for my masterclass: Taming the Content Beast at www.aprilnicolescipio.com/contentclass