Why most companies are TERRIBLE at content

Keep your head down. Follow the rules. Do as you’re told. Play it safe. Wait your turn. Ask permission. Learn to compromise. 

According to Casey Neistat, this is terrible advice. 

Sharing your message with the world (and growing an audience while you’re at it) is more accessible than ever. But it starts with doing what you ‘can’t’. 

What does that mean for your marketing strategy? Let’s dive in…

As buyers continue to run away from ads and accounts that are “too corporate,” embedding real creators into your content marketing strategy is becoming more important. 

Many brands are already embracing “creative” content — working with filmmakers, artists, actors, and sponsoring influencers — but they still aren’t getting the attention (or growing the audience) they want. 

Too often, content strategies incorporate these creative aspects… but lock them in a brand bureaucracy dictated by increasingly strong guidelines and strict scripts and systems that slow (and water down) content initiatives. 

This is where Casey has cracked the code.

By doing what he “couldn’t” —  becoming a filmmaker despite not having gone to film school, growing an audience despite having no experience, creating podcasts and television shows despite not having the ‘right look,’ he broke normal conventions and grew his audience to over 12 million subscribers on YouTube. 

So how can you help your organization break past brand bureaucracy and grow an engaged audience of future buyers? 

It starts with stepping back from branded content and enrolling the right help. 

Find people with a creator mindset. 

This doesn’t mean you have to pour tens of thousands into influencer marketing — you might have creators on your team already. 

Look for people who: 

• Understand platform nuance (what pops off on Reddit is very different than what works on LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, etc)

• Understand human psychology — knowing how humans on the other end of the screen will react to content is a skill very few people have (but creators do)

Once you’ve found the right person…LET EM’ COOK.

The fewer guidelines and restrictions you can give, the better. Encourage them to create content they know will resonate,  without making them follow strict systems and brand colors, sounds, images, and logos.

You need resonance. And that’s what creators know how to do. Leverage it. 

The takeaway: Work with creators on your team, in your space, and in adjacent niches to create original, engaging content without the brand bureaucracy restricting their output. 

That’s it, ya’ll. Happy creating!

Paige Peterson
Newsletter Aficionado, Sweet Fish

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