When it Comes to Content, 'Done' is Better than 'Perfect'

Content doesn't accomplish anything sitting in your phone or your laptop. It only delivers value once it's shared with your audience. And if you are a startup brand operating on a shoestring budget, it's very likely that you don't have the resources or time to create slick, Hollywood-quality videos and images. However, a lot of content doesn't see the light of day because its creator doesn't think it's "perfect" enough to share -- especially when it comes to videos, where people are putting themselves out there for everyone to see.

Case in point: Last month at one of our sessions, one of my colleagues showed me a video interview that she did with a supplier of some truly innovative products.

"That's great stuff!" I told her. "Did you post it?"

"No," she answered. "I don't like the beginning. Plus there is some background noise toward the end."

What she was referring to was the four seconds the video ran before she started her intro, and then about three-quarters through the video, you could hear an announcement over the loudspeaker by one of ECRM's client service representatives letting buyers know that their 10-minute meeting round was ending in two minutes.

Because of these two minor issues, some great content -- in which the vendor explained the product and how it would be packaged and merchandised for retail -- almost didn't see the light of day. 

Afraid to pull the trigger

Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common occurrence among many people, particularly those who are new to creating content for business. They want each post to be perfect, and so they either spend a ton of time editing it, or else they never post it at all because it's "not good enough." But in this day and age where authenticity is respected -- along with all of the spots and blemishes that come with it -- it just doesn't make sense to fuss with any one piece of content THAT MUCH. Sure, if it's a corporate marketing video, that's one thing -- you are spending money and/or time and resources on it and you want it to be perfect. But for quick videos or photos or micro blog posts, it's crucial to prioritize delivering value over perfection. As long as it delivers value to your audience, it's perfectly okay if a piece of content is less than perfect. After all, you'll be quickly following it up with another piece of content. And another. And another. When it comes to social media posting, frequency and consistency is key to engaging and building trust with your audience, and that means the velocity of posting counts.

As long as it delivers value to your audience, it's perfectly okay if a piece of content is less than perfect.

At ECRM's Skin, Bath, Cosmetics & Natural Beauty session this past June, in two days I shot, edited, and posted video interviews with buyers from Rite Aid, The Vitamin Shoppe, Wakefern, Meijer and 99 Cents Only Stores. They were by no means "perfect" in quality, but they still received a large viewership on LinkedIn because when retailers of that caliber have something to say, people in the industry want to hear it, regardless of whether or not it's a Hollywood-quality editing job. 

Look at it this way: What has a greater impact for your business -- one piece of stellar content created in a month, or 100 pieces of less-than-perfect content delivered during that same time period, each of which delivers value on a topic of interest to your audience? Of course, as a content marketer, I'd prefer the latter. 

You don't need much in terms of time or resources to create content that delivers value. I use my iPhone 8 and the iMovie app for shooting and editing videos, and my laptop for long-form content. That's it -- that's my entire content arsenal. Even if I did have the tools to shoot and edit perfect videos, I wouldn't have the time to spend editing them. The only way I've been able to post more than 300 video interviews over the last year and change is by editing them on my phone soon after recording them.

Minimum Viable Product

That's not to say you don't aim for high-quality content. Indeed, I want every post I create to be stellar. But you need to find the balance between quality and frequency that works for you, your Minimum Viable Product, so to speak. Instead of beating one piece of content to death, with each piece I post, I evaluate which aspects of it need to be improved, and aim at improving it on the NEXT piece of content. If I say "Umm" too many times in Video 1, I try to say it less in Videos 2, 3 and 4. This way, by the time I reach Video 20, that issue is taken care of (for the most part, anyway) -- and meanwhile I've created 20 pieces of content.

Instead of beating one piece of content to death, with each piece I post, I evaluate which aspects of it need to be improved, and aim at improving it on the NEXT piece of content.

This is important with social media, where frequency of posting counts -- as each post that you make is only shared with a portion of your audience. So if you want to reach as many people as possible, you need to post regularly, and that means you can't spend too much time fussing over any one particular piece.

Trust me, your audience accepts the fact that you are not a seasoned filmmaker or editor, and they are not expecting perfection. They want your authentic content, with authentic topics, and authentic people. In fact, if a piece of content seems too polished, they will take it with a grain of salt.

So stop worrying about getting each piece of content perfect, and go to work getting it DONE!