Is Your Content in the Goldilocks Zone?

The Goldilocks zone… that interstellar sweet spot where a planet is neither too close to nor too far from the star that it orbits, and can therefore support liquid water and possibly life. Astrophysicists are hard at work as I type scouring the skies for heavenly bodies that are not too hot, not too cold, but just right.

If you are a marketer, you should be looking to position your marketing content in that same kind of place. Too often, content is cold and lifeless. It may be safe —  meaning that it resembles all the other content that is flooding the internet, so it won’t get you fired —  but it’s also unlikely to get you remarkable results.

On the flipside, some companies decide to break free of the content crowd and in doing so, produce something that is — to continue the space metaphor — really out there. Their content is so “hot” that the target audience can’t grasp it. Nor can anyone else, for that matter. The marketers take great pride in their groundbreaking piece, but it doesn’t deliver great results.

What you want (and need) is to have your content in the “habitable zone” that is somewhere in between the two (and too) extremes. Clever without being too cute. Eye-catching without being obnoxious. Unique without being obscure. It’s not an easy place to find, but it exists for every type of content on every topic in every market.  

To locate it, you just need to loosen your grip a bit without taking your hands off the wheel entirely, and start exploring. You’ll know you’ve arrived when instead of getting bored, blank stares or confused, furrowed brows from your prospects you start seeing grins and subtle nods. Welcome home, Goldilocks.

Blindfolded at the Archery Range

Blindfolded at the archery range. It’s a visual that’s either amusing or alarming, depending on whether the archer is facing you. If you’re a “creative,” you know the feeling. Either because we don't ask the necessary questions or the client doesn't fully share their opinions, perspectives, and expectations for a project, we are notching, drawing, and releasing in the general (VERY general) direction of the target. And unless we get really lucky, we’re just as apt to hit the bull in the neighboring pasture as the bullseye.

Been there. Done that. (Missed the target, that is. Have never hit a bull, to my knowledge.)

In some cases, we realize we are blindfolded only after we’ve delivered a first draft and the client comes back with a laundry list of changes. Then, with our vision restored, we’re able to see, to our great embarrassment, that the target is behind us.

So how can this scenario be avoided? On the creative side, I think sometimes we’re too quick to say, “Got it,” when in fact we definitely don’t got it. (Guilty!) Sure, if there are aspects of the project that our own research will clarify for us, that’s great and it will save the client some time. But I've learned there’s no shame in asking a few questions. In fact, there’s no shame in asking a whole slew of questions if doing so helps us deliver excellent work.

On the client side, it seems that there are two primary reasons for a lack of clarity on project direction: either they are too distracted or are being too deferential to provide the necessary input. And I can say that with confidence because for many years I was a consumer of creative services rather than a provider. Clients who are busy juggling multiple projects sometimes don't give adequate direction. And those who feel that they should defer to the creative’s “vision” without first sharing their own are often short on details as well.

So… In our shared goal to get to a great finished product as efficiently as possible, we should all speak up. That bullseye is much easier to hit when we’re facing downrange with an unobstructed view. ;^)