Written by: Vickie Sullivan | March 05, 2019
How a Good Content Idea Goes Bad
Call me positive Polly, but I hate to criticize someone’s writing or work. But I gotta make an exception with this Fast Company article on lessons learned.
Yes, this article is interesting. Not because of the lessons learned, though; it’s because of the people interviewed, including the co-founder of Box and the CEO of Eventbrite. Frankly, the “lessons” here are pretty lame – such as you have to go all in and learn to negotiate early and often. Everyone says this stuff. Not a good incentive to make me go listen to the podcast.
The article is a great example that what industry celebrities can do that we mere mortals cannot. That being said, don’t throw this baby out with the bathwater. The “lessons learned” format for content marketing is legit; we just need to up the game.
Listen: Why You Want to Use the Lessons Learned Format
One idea: Change the view from 30,000 feet. Focus on the distinction between the status quo and what really happened. You can simplify a nuance with a clever label. But show an interesting distinction, then tell the cool story.
Articles like these can tempt us into thinking we can phone in our insights. The sad truth is, though, we can’t get away with generalized ideas, even with cool stories. Don’t. Even. Think. About. It.
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