The Quest for Great Content
"Water Water Everywhere But Not A Drop to Drink" - “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
I don't know about YOU but this is how I feel most days when it comes to sourcing and sharing content with my network. On the one hand, there is no shortage of articles, product information, research, data etc. available to us and on the other hand how do YOU choose or know what to share?
While I am FAR from figuring it all out, I have managed to come up with a few "go-to" tactics to source content that I am not only excited to share, but also gives me a chance to add my own spin or comments to. These haven't failed me yet and I am always surprised that somewhere in that "sea" of information is always something new for me to learn or that inspires me.
Here are my Top 6 Picks for Finding Great Content
My main source for content is shamelessly stealing from others. What I mean by that is, there are several people in my network that not only post consistently, but post good content that always peaks my interest. These can be people in my industry or company that I know personally as well as influencers that I follow and have never met. Some of this content is original (i.e their own blog posts) or it can be articles that they have found in their various news feeds and posted.
Couple of cool things about sourcing from others:
They have already waded through the sea of content and you know it is worth your time to read it. They have earned your trust.
When you share the article, you can give the person who posted it a "shout out" (i.e Thanks for sharing @firstnamelastname. I found this article really helpful). You can also go on to say what you personally found useful about it. It not only shares great content with your network but gives some visibility to this connection as well. WIN-WIN.
If it is an "industry article" your contact no doubt is a part of a group or subscribes to an on-line publication that you may want to subscribe to as well. For example, I recently shared a post by Vincent Brissot of HP that I really enjoyed on Sales & Marketing. It came from a site called B2C and I was able to signup to get their newsletters. I would not have otherwise found this source for content if he hadn't posted and if I hadn't taken the extra step to dig.
My Next "Go-To" Are Sites That I Can Usually Find Inspirational Material. Not only am I looking for content to share, I am often looking to learn and be inspired. For me, I have found that spending a few minutes scanning Harvard Business Review, Inc. Magazine, Forbes Magazine, CRN Magazine or Thrive Global will often result in at least one article I connect with and want to share. I am sure there are a TON of others - would love to hear what I could add to my list!
I follow several LinkedIn Groups and Hashtags which I repost, like or comment when I see something good show up in my feed. Some groups I am a part of is Harvard Business Review, Whole Hearted Leadership, Writing on LinkedIn. Here is a snap shot of the groups I am currently following:
I subscribe to LinkedIn Newsletters like #Dailyrundown. It sends me a notification each day and I typically repost the Idea of the Day. Here are a few others:
I do go out to our internal HPE and HPEFS intranet and post what has already been "approved" or ready for all employees to pick up. Many companies now a days have their own social media content readily available for their teams to share. It has gotten very sophisticated over the years and includes not only company news and product information but also industry insights. My one tip I have for this (ok...let's call it what it is...my pet peeve) is not to get lazy and just hit "share". Find a way to personalize the post so others can get your "spin" on why YOU think it is important for them to know about it.
Follow your customers and shamelessly interact and repost what the company is posting. Since HP is my customer, I repost and tag a lot of stuff from HP Channel News, HP Inc, and other BUS that have pages on LinkedIn. Boosting and highlighting your customer content is always a good thing.
In Closing...
As I have said many times before, the best "gut check" for sharing good content is posting stuff you wish others would share with you. One of MY goals is to be the person who others can rely on for good, diverse content and they know if they take the time to read what I post - I have already waded through the sea of information to make it easier for them.
I also recognize that my "Top 6 Picks" aren't rocket science and I am sure I am missing a TON of great sources for content. I would love to hear about what works for YOU and share YOUR "go-to"... never fail... sources. It's an art not a science...it is constantly evolving...and that's ok by me!
Leadership Questions of the Week for YOU:
Are YOU more of a consumer of content, just plain overwhelmed, or afraid you will share the wrong things? What steps do YOU think you could take to make the leap to post/share more with your network?
If YOU do share/post from time to time, have you stopped to think what YOUR top 6 picks would be that YOU would share with others?
Of the Top 6 Picks above, which one was your favorite and did it give you some ideas on how to narrow down or find content that you haven't taken advantage of already?
One of the big things I DON'T have on the list above is Podcasts. I know a lot of people subscribe and get a lot of value out of them. Since we have been working from home lately with no "commute" or "plane time" have you found it tougher to carve out time for Podcasts? Would you add them to YOUR Top Picks List?
What newsletters, groups, hashtags, or influencers would YOU recommend I add in?
Thanks for reading and remember…YOU make a difference!
Please continue the conversation by liking…commenting or sharing this article. You can also follow me on twitter @marciedwhite
