There are three basic routines for content creation. If you understand them, you can avoid taking 10 years of detours!

There was no trap in the world, but when more people did it, the trap was created; there was no road in the world, but when more people walked on it, it became a road.

This golden combination is called routine.

Nowadays, young people smile smirk when they mention routines. Little do people know that those who understand the routine are the smart ones. Once you understand the routine, you will have mastered a set of methodology that can solve a large number of problems.

To put it in a more pretentious way, routines are rules that are generally applicable within a certain range. If you master and skillfully apply these rules, you can become a veteran in a certain field.

It sounds tempting.

Since everything has its routine, there should be routines for creating content as well. I have actually summarized 3 of them, and I hope they can help some people.

It should be noted that these three routines are mainly aimed at corporate content, not media content.

Routine 1: Information and emotion

This first routine is aimed at the content itself.

The essence of this routine can be expressed by a formula: content = information + emotion.

Good content, information and emotion are indispensable. Just like a person's two legs, if one leg is missing, he can't run far. For content that won’t go far, there’s no other way than to stay where you are and enjoy yourself.

The so-called information is to tell others what it is, what is available and how to do it, specifically various brand imprints, promotional discounts, action buttons, etc.

The so-called emotion refers to various stories, scenes, interactions, and visual impacts.

for example:

In a soft article, information is the introduction of the product, the experience effect, the purchase method, etc., and emotion is the beautiful words, stories, etc.

For a poster, information is discounts, activities, QR codes, etc., and emotion is slogans and visual creativity, etc.

In a video, the information is the brand’s logo, mascot, etc., and the emotion is the story, picture quality, etc.

For a game , information may be the logo and the final action button, and emotion may be fun, simplicity, etc.

Dividing content into two elements, information and emotion, is not just for fun, but has a physiological basis. The human brain is divided into two parts, the left brain and the right brain. The left brain is responsible for processing data information, while the right brain is responsible for processing emotional information. The left brain is rational, the right brain is emotional. When we consume content, our left and right brains work simultaneously and in parallel.

If the content only contains emotions or only contains information, it is either for geniuses or for idiots.

For example:

What a genius needs: 100% information + 0 emotion = instruction manual, analytical diagram, ingredient list, doctor's handwriting...

What brain-dead people need: 0 information + 100% emotion = chicken soup for the soul, bad jokes, porn...

The more rational the content, the narrower the audience; the more emotional the content, the wider the audience. When creating content, the goal is to express information emotionally and blend rational content into emotional content.

Information is the skeleton of content, and emotion is the flesh and blood of content. Information outputs data and logic, and emotions output fun, creativity, style, aesthetics, as well as laughter and tears.

Emotions are like water and information is like a boat. If a ship wants to sail fast and go far, it needs the propulsion of water, which is why storytelling is advocated all over the world.

Routine 2: Static and dynamic

This second routine is mainly aimed at iterative updates of the content system.

General content systems (websites, apps, public accounts, Weibo, etc.), especially social media content, can be divided into two parts. One part is flowing and the other part is relatively static.

For example, the content of a public account is fluid when pushed daily, while the brand stories in the menu bar are static. There are also some relatively static ones, which are column contents with fixed time.

Sometimes when we are creating content, we get stuck in the quagmire of programmed operations. We’re thinking about how to update today’s content at daybreak, and we start working on it after breakfast. When it’s almost time to publish, we quickly sort out some details, send it with one click, and we’re done. Yay!

A year later, the wrinkles on my face have formed a clear "miserable" character, and the busy life continues.

If you only create flowing content, then the content will only become a passer-by in your life and will eventually be gone forever.

Flowing and static content are so-called flow content and stock content. Why is it divided like this? The main purpose is to guide the accumulation of thickness of the content system and gradually increase the influence of the content.

So, how do traffic and existing content grow a content system?

Two small methods:

1. Screen and retain high-quality content

Among the updated content that is usually updated, some high-quality content that is not very timely can be settled into static content and reorganized and laid out. This can be understood as content reuse.

2. Plan the stock content system

Traffic content often needs external help, such as riding on hot topics, clinging to big names, etc. Existing content can be produced independently and multiple classic topics and series can be planned as signature content in a content system.

When we create content, we are not only supplying it to the outside world, but also enriching our own content reserves; we are not only feeding our fans, but also growing ourselves. Traffic content is like eating. The purpose of eating, in addition to maintaining daily metabolism, is also to assimilate and promote the growth and development of the content system. Otherwise, you will be like a patient with hyperthyroidism, who consumes as much as he eats and becomes weaker and weaker.

For example, the traffic content of Logical Thinking is 60 seconds of language every day. But the content library behind it is constantly expanding, including free content that responds to keywords and paid content in the app, with a huge storage capacity.

The continuously accumulated stock content should gradually form a pool and become the source of traffic content, allowing the displayed traffic content to form its own bloodline, with a fixed field and unique style.

Routine 3: Fragments and Systems

This third routine is mainly aimed at building a content system.

Many martial arts novels have a plot like this: a martial arts secret book is divided into two halves, and a villain only gets one half and tries hard to practice it, but ends up going crazy and becoming possessed.

This story tells us that it is dangerous to receive incomplete training and education. We are bombarded with fragmented information every day, and fragmented learning has become a habitual action for many office workers. However, few people can achieve success in fragmented learning, and at most they can only gain a little knowledge. Those who really want to stand out will still spend money to participate in various systematic courses and complete classes.

Having said so much, what does this have to do with content creation? Is it also necessary to provide systematic content to fans when creating content? Why?

For one reason only: you need to use content to cultivate better fans.

In fact, when companies create content, they are largely engaged in education. What to educate? The concept that the enterprise should advocate.

Every corporate brand has its value. Whatever products it sells and whatever services it provides are all for the purpose of helping others. Why do you sell this kind of stuff? Why provide this service? Why should we advocate a certain lifestyle? How do you help your fans? What changes will happen to fans’ lives after paying the bill?

This series of questions must have answers and appear in your content system. You never know which day or which fan will find you and place an order through which path.

In fact, in the eyes of companies, fans can be divided into good and bad. This kind of good and bad is distinguished according to the strength of the relationship. The strength of the relationship can be reflected in the distance between the fans and the company. Just like a concentric circle, the fans further out are of lower quality for the company. You can also say they are more ignorant and need to be nurtured.

The closer the fans are, the more they understand the company. To understand means to know more about the company. And the fan A at the outermost edge has just stepped into the company's content system. When he sees the innermost fan B loving the company to death, he might laugh and say "silly B". In fact, A has not yet reached B's position. If he successfully reaches B, he may also become a "stupid B".

Whether fans can successfully move from the periphery to the core depends on whether the content system is well constructed. In addition to being able to attract fans, a good content system should also have the function of guiding fans.

A complete content system requires the following two things:

1. Completeness: Are the content sections complete enough to meet the different levels of needs of different fan roles?

2. Relevance: Are these contents closely connected to build bridges for fans?

These two dimensions can be woven into a network, allowing fans to slowly move from the periphery to the core. The road may not be easy, but it must exist.

To summarize the above three routines, the first routine is aimed at the content production level, and the last two routines are more inclined to the content strategy level. The three routines actually have their own meanings. Only when the inside and outside cooperate with each other can the power of the content be maximized. Without the content of the strategy, it is like a cloud leaving the ground. Where it will float to is up to fate. In content marketing , we can see those crazy, cool and awesome works, but they are just a vanguard. The conversion logic behind them is a more challenging part.