By Rahul Bhatnagar
To speak in creative terms, a content maker is always passionate about pulling out high quality content for the audiences. However, if we were to speak in the current context, the increasing volume of content available and decreasing attention span of the audience, has put the content makers under tremendous pressure to deliver high quality high frequency content, so that their audiences don’t switch to other channels for similar material/information. Though content makers usually take sides with quality in the discussion, one can no more negate the importance engagement value of a content piece holds today.
The debate between quality and quantity has raged ever since the game of content began. Let us try to understand the challenges a content maker faces while trying to balance the two, and some easy solutions that can bring the best of both worlds.
Importance of creating quality content
There is no formula to produce a content piece that can be regarded as ‘high in quality’. Any content that’s relatable, unique, informative yet engaging enough to make audiences talk, consume or write about them can be called high-quality content. It is indeed the quality that makes or breaks the image of a content maker. Hence, it is only the quality of a content piece that can give you the authority to be a leading name within the business you are in, as audiences are driven by trust.
The perplexity arises when one has to define quality. Afterall, what seems amusing to one might seem monotonous to another. As the perception of creativity differs from individual to individual, it’s a content maker’s quest to find what audiences may like in the already existing content ecosystem.
Content quality vs content quantity: A complex dichotomy
While content quality reflects how effective or engaging a content piece is, the content quantity decides the frequency with which one is uploading content. The dichotomy arises when one has to balance between something that’s subjective and something that’s factual. It would be unrealistic for us to rely solely on the former as quantity is a clear predictor of web traffic growth. The more you publish, the more traffic you will get if the content is of quality.
However, how much content is enough is also subjective. While there is a certain sense of satisfaction to a content maker when upload is frequent, there is also a certain sense of hesitancy. Perhaps what if the audience is bored or has all its expectations already met after a series of content uploads. It’s challenging to keep the audiences at edge or have their comfort zone met with content uploads in intervals.
Bring the best of both the worlds
While both the terms seem contrary, they are indeed different sides of the same coin. It is important to understand how a content maker can leverage both worlds and make the art of creating content effective. In order to achieve this balance, content makers need to establish quantity parameters that lead to quality content. Once they start to frame a publishing schedule for themselves, they are naturally inspired to achieve high standards of quality for each content piece. This allows content makers to better engage with their readers and increase audience traffic towards their channel. Having said that, dividing up a long content piece into smaller sections is ideal as today audiences do not have time to sit and watch/read an entire piece of content. Alternatively, pushing out content that will be delivered as a series makes it easier for audiences to consume content. This allows content makers to manage both the quality of the content and the quantity of the content more effectively. Thirdly, in addition to making use of content creation expertise, it is important for content makers to readapt their existing content. From changing the mode of medium to exploring existing content from different perspectives, there are numerous ways to readapt existing content.
Using analytics to understand the kind of content the audience is seeking helps the content maker understand how much of what type of content should be produced. According to recent research, the best time to upload content is between 9AM to 3PM while for YouTube it’s ideal to post between 2PM to 4PM during weekdays. Having said that, visual content seems more engaging to audiences. As per social media week report, over 78% people watch online videos for entertainment and information purposes.
Who leads the content game?
As both seem to have an important role in the process of content creation, it is necessary for content makers to be ‘on the go’ and produce content which is original yet witty. While quantity has the capacity to increase awareness and engagement metrics, quality has the potential to bring organic conversions to table. With visual content becoming the most engaging format among audiences, content makers with creative block can try switching to a format that does have a history of working out- funny or witty or memes. As we are in the times of peak content, content makers need high-quality content to stand out from others while it is also true that one cannot rely on a ‘great’ piece of content once a month when the storage life of content today is of a few days.
The author is Rahul Bhatnagar, writer-director, UNSORTED and chief content officer at natak pictures.