Creating great content for social media can be a tricky endeavor. It requires the perfect balance of creativity, research and strategy to make sure your posts will stand out from the crowd. But what happens when you decide to let a committee create your content? While it may seem like a good idea to get input from multiple people, creating by committee often leads to lackluster results that miss their mark with audiences. Here’s why you should avoid creating social media content by committee.
First, the traditional approach of looking for trends and following them can lead to generic posts that lack authenticity. Without the initiative of a single person, it can be hard to get an idea off the ground. At best, you’ll create something that looks like everyone else’s content – at worst, you’ll be left with an overthought post that fails to capture the attention of your audience.
Second, it’s easy for a committee to fall into group think, where everyone is just patting each other on the back and compromising on ideas. It’s an environment where no one wants to be critical, so good ideas can get lost in mediocrity.
Finally, with a committee in charge of content creation it can be hard to find someone who is truly accountable for the end result. It’s important that your team has someone who is super-versed in the predictive content model, which merges content creation with scientific methodology. This model begins with research about the format and analysis of the specific nuances and attributes that drive viral performance.
From that research, the creator develops a hypothesis about what makes that format successful based on data, not personal preference or group think. The next step is data-driven ideation and single iteration production planning, with the creator vetoing bad ideas. The objective is a single perfect post, quality over quantity.
The process concludes with careful review of the results and revision (if necessary) of the hypothesis. The person accountable should also take the time to teach others on the team about how to create better content, so everyone can be learning from each other.
If you want to make sure your content never goes viral, let a committee create it. You’ll likely end up with mediocre results that won’t capture the attention of your audience. Instead, focus on having one person accountable for the content and strive for a predictive content model – look for what’s powerful, not just what’s trending. With the right approach, you’ll be sure to create content that will stand out from the crowd.
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