Unhealthy Content material Concepts: What to Do When You Cannot Say No

This article was co-authored by Monica Norton.

We’ve all been there.

Someone suggests a content marketing tactic or topic, and you instantly think, “That’s a horrible idea. We can’t do it.

Maybe it’s a new tactic that doesn’t fit with your content strategy. This may be an idea that has already been realized. Or, perhaps, the suggestion requires significant resources and your content and marketing teams are already overloaded.

Instead of giving them an immediate “no,” what if you explored how to turn this disappointing idea into compelling, audience-engaging content? It’s not a pipe dream, it’s a skill set and a framework that you can learn.

We divide the process into two parts: gathering information and developing a communications roadmap. Let’s start by not wasting more time worrying about unexciting ideas.

Part 1: Prepare an informed response to the bad idea

To leave curiosity lead the journey to turn the bad idea into something wonderful or get the alignment to kill it. Follow this framework to make each transformation step useful and effective.

Step 1: Understand the request

“Let’s make a podcast,” suggests the marketing director.

“Let’s create a microsite that talks about our new client,” says the CEO.

“Let’s write a blog post about all the updated features in our products,” says the VP of Product Marketing.

Requests like these ask a question: “Why?” » Try accessing the root of the request. Is the CMO requesting a podcast because he enjoys listening to it? Does the CEO want to celebrate the new customer in a big way? Does the product marketing team think a blog post is the only way to inform customers about new product features?

To gain insight into motivation, ask the applicant a few questions, such as:

Why does this idea come to mind? What do you like most about this idea? How was this idea born? Have you done this or have you seen another company do it?

Then ask yourself what success would look like.

Sometimes your partners, even with the best intentions, propose deliverables that could be better accomplished otherwise. By knowing the context of the request, you can consider other options. For example, this blog post might work better as a newsletter. This microsite might be more successful as a case study on the main site. And this podcast might never deliver the expected result.

Step 2: Determine Intent

Successful organizations have goals that range from company-wide to individual team KPIs. So, focus on the intent of the idea and answer these questions:

How does its goal align with existing goals? Do the goals align? Where did they go and why?

Look for idea overlap or misalignment between what the asker considers success and your team’s KPIs. Now you can evolve the idea into something new.

For example, when our marketing director wanted a podcast, the podcast’s goals and metrics weren’t aligned. The team’s content KPIs relate to driving traffic to the website and funneling people down the funnel to acquire leads. However, the podcast hosting platform only tracked subscribers. We were unable to track any listeners who came to our website or converted into leads. Ultimately, this misalignment contributed to the CMO’s acceptance of not podcasting in favor of activities that better aligned with objectives.

Step 3: Focus on the actual audience

You typically start a content initiative by understanding the needs of your brand’s target audience. However, this is the third step in this framework because your first audience is the one asking for the wrong idea. By understanding their request and expected results, you can then redirect the conversation back to the customer.

Look for opportunities to transform the idea to meet the customer’s desires. Use the “yes and” method with the asker, for example: “Yes, I love your idea for a blog post about product features, and let’s start the post by explaining how our customer can solve their problem. »

Step 4: Identify where the idea fits in the content journey

Now you need to identify how the request fits into the planned editorial calendar. Do you have gaps in content throughout the journey which could be filled with this idea? Can you optimize other assets to meet this demand?

You may need audit your published content to understand what really works for your audience and why. This data can help you move the conversation toward a better idea.

Step 5: Review your resources

Most of the time, less-great ideas come with a ton of enthusiasm and urgency, leading to delays in other activities and stress about how to execute them. Instead of succumbing to this disruption, assess what your team needs to facilitate the conversation about how to move forward:

Do you need more budget or resources? Do you have the right tools to measure the impact of demand? Do you have time to do it properly?

With all the knowledge gained in the first part of this process, you now have enough information to start the next frame and build a better idea.

Part 2: Collaborate to get a better idea

Now you are ready to communicate and collaborate so that you and the applicant can move forward together. You will likely need written communication and face-to-face conversations to finalize the proposal or strategy document, as well as a creative file.

Step 1: State the common ground

Start by stating your alignment, for example: “I’ve spoken to everyone involved in this project, and we all agree on the audience and that we don’t want this project to distract from work this quarter . »

A statement like this provides a solid foundation for the future.

Step 2: Recognize obstacles

Be open about what might get in the way of success. Be frank about uncovered challenges, anticipated problems, and areas of disagreement. Is the budget adequate? Does the overloaded execution teamforcing a redefinition of priorities? You don’t need to spend a lot of time on this step. Simply naming challenges makes it easier for everyone to discuss them and work together to overcome them.

Step 3: Restate the objectives

Next, develop the business case for the revised idea. Present the objectives identified during the information collection stages. You don’t need an exhaustive list. Capture the most important primary objectives of key stakeholders and the objectives expressed by multiple individuals or teams.

Step 4: Find a common goal

If you’re lucky, Step 3 will reveal a common goal or at least identify overlap to create a shared goal or two.

More often, however, establishing shared goals requires an in-person conversation or debate. To make this discussion productive, use everything you learned in step 3 to refine the list. Start the discussion by suggesting three to four likely goals.

Let the requester and other stakeholders narrow the list down to a single, shared goal. (If a goal is not possible, identify a primary and secondary goal.)

Defining the common goal(s) anchors brainstorming in the next step to ensure new ideas can get there.

Step 5: Let the ideas flow

Now comes the potentially hardest and most fun part. Your approach to exploring new ideas will vary depending on your situation, the culture of the organization and the nature of the request.

A brainstorming A session with most or all players will likely generate several options. If the number of participants is too large, brainstorming with a smaller subset may be more productive. In any brainstorming group, include an outsider, that is, someone from your organization who is not a stakeholder or directly involved in the project. This fresh, baggage-free perspective may be just what you need to get that aha moment that often precedes the emergence of the winning idea.

Another option is to start the ideation process by coming up with a short list of alternative ideas. To get buy-in, present more than just your “good idea.” Even if the decision-making process is not democratic, asking for feedback during selection can help everyone support the chosen idea and do their best on the project.

As you work through the ideas generated by the brainstorming exercise or your shortlist of options, orient everyone around the common goal identified in the previous step. Set aside really interesting ideas that won’t achieve this goal to discuss at another time. Redirecting your colleagues toward the goal is also a practical way to prevent new “bad ideas” from emerging.

Step 6: Repeat if necessary

It’s time to admit a hard truth: This process may not be linear. It is completely normal to take two steps forward and one step back. You may need to revisit previous steps or even start again. But even that signals progress: your previous learning makes things easier and faster the second (or third) time.

Step 7: Get a Final Agreement

Although everyone’s journey through these stages may be unique, the feeling of triumph of moving forward in a better direction is universal. At this point, it is useful to summarize the journey and thank everyone for their involvement. You want them to feel invested in the process and the outcome, because you will likely need their help and support in the execution.

Work together to get a better idea

Although the process of gathering information and transforming it isn’t simple, turning those not-so-great ideas into something wonderful is incredibly satisfying. You work together to consider more options and get everyone on board for a smooth transition from ideas to action.

So instead of immediately answering “no” to a bad idea, say, “Come to us. Give us everything you’ve got. Let’s turn the terrible into great to discover the true magic of innovation with top-notch content.

Updated from a November 2023 article.

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Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute