Content Strategy for Digital Events: Part I – Content is Still King

Content Strategy

What’s more important: your digital content platform or your digital content?

To no one’s surprise, there’s been a tremendous surge of interest in digital platforms as a complement to – or a replacement for – face-to-face events.

However, in the desperate scramble to identify the right platform, the preeminence of content is all but lost.

The best platform in the world can’t make up for mediocre content. Only better content can do that.

What are folks saying about digital content?

Not much.

What absolutely everyone is saying is that you don’t just take your face-to-face content and put it online.

Unfortunately, that seems to be what everyone is doing.

Industry tech gurus have consistently been saying that tools, like platforms, are just that: tools. And they’re quick to point out that a tool is only as good as the person using it.

These tech gurus readily acknowledge that:

  1. Content is King (i.e., more important than which platform you choose)
  2. Content is not their area of expertise, and
  3. You should be talking to content experts about that.

Every single industry tech guru I’ve talked to lately tells me that they’ve been fielding lots of inquiries about virtual platforms, but no one’s asking about what to do with their content.

The platform providers I’ve talked to are overwhelmed with all the request for information from prospects regarding features and benefits and pricing. No one’s asking them about content, either, and frankly, they don’t have the time to get into it.

These platform providers also readily acknowledge that:

  1. Content is King (i.e., more important than which platform you choose)
  2. Content is not their area of expertise, and
  3. You should be talking to content experts about that.

Finally, most of what’s been published (or webcast) lately about getting up and running on digital platforms ignores the topic of content completely or only deals in the vaguest of generalities.

Why aren’t we talking about digital content?

Our industry has always had an ambivalent attitude toward content, in general. We mention content all the time but do very little about it. We’re obsessed with every detail of our events, it seems, except for content and outcomes, which are explicitly linked. Everyone talks about how Meetings Mean Business, but few event professionals can say, with any certainty, what’s the business value of their particular event.

There’s also a dearth of professional expertise when it comes to content. We hire professionals to plan and execute our events but we won’t hire learning or content professionals who plan and execute content for a living.

Before you focus on your digital content

Doing digital content right isn’t rocket science. We know how to do this because digital content has been around as long as digital platforms.

The good news for event professionals is that, as with many other event elements, there’s a process for that. And event professionals are great at process.

Before getting into how to do digital content right, you have to take a step back and determine whether your face-to-face content is any good.

If your face-to-face content isn’t any good, it’s not going to get any better by putting it online, in fact, it’ll make it worse.

Designing and delivering digital content is much harder than designing and delivering content face-to-face, where you can get away with a lot more. The digital environment is much less forgiving.

How do you determine whether your face-to-face content is any good? Hopefully, you have an evaluation process in place that tells you. The question you want to answer is, “Is my face-to-face content resulting in individual or organizational performance improvement.” That’s the only criteria that matters, really.

If you can’t answer that question, you can’t say with any certainty whether your face-to-face content is any good.

Don’t fret. Your content can likely be salvaged – even improved – if you follow a sound content development process.

For a free copy of our program evaluation template, email info@event-strategy.net.

WARNING: If you choose to put your face-to-face content online without first determining its value, you may do irreparable harm to your event, your brand, and your reputation.

There’s a saying among content professionals, “No content is better than bad content.”

So keep in mind what’s at stake by using bad or mediocre content and ask yourself if it’s worth it. Because there’s no taking it back.

Also, good content doesn’t necessarily mean “more” content. It means the right content, delivered to the right audience, through the right channel, at the right time.

So take a step back before you migrate your face-to-face content onto your digital platform. It’s not that easy. It’s also not that hard if you follow a tried and true process.

Besides impacting performance, the goal of your digital content should be to attract and retain a customer, a member or a community. Because ultimately, digital content is about building trust. And trust, especially in the digital world, is an increasingly rare commodity. Good digital content can be a differentiator for you and your brand, if you take the time to do it right.

For Content Strategy for Digital Events: Part II – Before Your Event, click here.

A slightly edited version of this series appeared on https://www.northstarmeetingsgroup.com.