Creating Content Momentum: Is There Really A Formula?

It turns out that yes, there is. And as with all the great things in life, it is really pretty simple. I attended a fantastic session at INBOUND 2016 titled “Creating Momentum: Mobilize, Motivate, and Maximize Impact to Make Your Organization Unstoppable,” led by Alesia Latson, founder of Latson Leadership Group. I’d like to share the simple formula I learned during this session to amplify the promotion of all the great content that qualified prospects should see.

The simplicity goes back to basic physics: Momentum= Mass x Velocity. But how do we translate this for marketing? Here are three steps for doing just that:

Step 1: Attract Critical Mass

You can attract fans and followers by being a great influencer. We are influenced by people who we feel follow the “BLT Principle” (and no, this has nothing to do with a sandwich):

• Believe: The message needs to make sense and be believable. We should be selling the problem, not the solution. How? By honoring the past. Acknowledge the past, but make it easy for people to let go of the way it was done before. Then, look for trends arising in the present. “What could happen in the future if…?” Then give an easy first step. Make it as easy to engage as possible.
• Like: It isn’t about pleasing everyone. Every interaction is an opportunity to build, squander or damage your reputation. You should keep in mind the “7-11 Rule” — within the first seven seconds of meeting someone, you leave 11 impressions. First impressions are lasting. This can be particularly important in the high use of video in today’s marketing efforts.
• Trust: Be sincere. Be reliable. Keep your promises. Show your competence. Care.

Step 2: Create Velocity

Reduce the friction, embrace conflict and champion the differences. Our brains have a very basic need during conflict: fight or flight. How do we combat this? Make prospects curious, not furious. Help them engage in a different perspective.

According to www.changingminds.org, there are two principles to use to create curiosity: simulation and partiality. I highly encourage you to read this article from them on how to better create curiosity and velocity for your content. 

Step 3: Develop Speed

By definition, you can’t have motion without some kind of speed. And if you want to gain momentum, you have to get moving quickly. That is never truer than in marketing! In order gain speed with content, be clear on the message. If action is involved, be clear on what to do and NOT do. Use a comparison to give clarity. Giving feedback to those who engage will encourage more engagement. Provide affirmation on what is going on, as well as information on what can be improved upon. Acknowledge others and let them know their efforts matter.

By putting these three steps into action, you’ll be well on you way to getting more of your content in the right prospect’s hands, increasing engagement and converting more prospects into customers.