Forget AI, robots, and the potential for CBD oil to change the world for a moment.
I realize these are hot topics right now, but in the big picture, they are still way out there while most of us are still somewhere over here. I’m not against long-term planning or getting in front of trends with the potential for big payoffs.
Rather, I’m simply taking a practical point of view about getting back to basics as we head into 2020 — the start of a new decade.
A New Decade Means New Opportunities
If you thought the twenty-teens were crazy, just wait. What’s coming in 2020 and the next 10 years will blow all of our minds.
No, I don’t have a crystal ball, but I do have perspective.
I belong to a part of the human tribe that knows what life is like with and without Facebook, YouTube, the iPhone, pop-ups, Uber eats, double opt-ins, and Amazon Prime. That puts me and my cohorts who share this unique point of view in a very powerful position.
Here’s why.
We are both tech-savvy and human savvy. We understand that fundamentally, we are all part of Nature and Nature — last time I checked anyway — hasn’t changed all that much, global warming aside.
I’m talking about the natural rhythms and seasons we experience over the course of a life:
- Childhood
- Teen years
- Young adulthood
- Parenting/not parenting
- Second act
- Grandparenting
- The Rolling Stones on tour
You get my point.
What was true for us at 17 is not true for us at 36 or 45 or 54 or 68. What’s been true for the Internet these last 10 years will not be true for the Internet in the next 10 years. What was true for our businesses when we first started is not true for our businesses 7, 10, 12 years in.
Preparation — and a willingness to shift our sails for what’s coming — are key.
Will you choose to extend your adolescence into the 2020s? Or will you realize, Hmm, that was fun and it worked for awhile, but it’s time to shift, time to take a different approach to serving my clients and customers?
3 Questions to Ask Yourself as 2020 Approaches
As a content marketing strategist, I’ve identified three essential questions worthy of thinking about, wrestling with, and ultimately answering in the next 90 days as you prepare for the start of the new decade, the 2020s.
1. In what ways are you inspiring your clients and customers with your content? (Notice I didn’t say offers.)
With so much information available to us 24/7, and so much of that information being negative, being a bright spot in someone’s day can go a long way. If your content makes people feel uplifted, appreciated and acknowledged, it’s a pretty good bet that they will remember you.
2. Are you struggling to scale your content? (If you aren’t, chances are high that you’re not moving fast enough.)
My friend Kim Doyal is a master content creator. She stands behind the hashtag #EverythingIsContent. The truth is, all companies large and small are in the content game today. If your organization can’t keep up, look to bringing on qualified content creators to help amplify your content assets.
3. How will you tell a different story in the next 3-5 years than everyone else in your industry? (Not just a variation of the same story everyone else is telling.)
Finding that one true story for your business that’s different from everything else on the market can take time, but investing the time and resources to get clear about your story can make a huge difference long-term.
Gary Vee of Vayner Media is a great example of someone doing this. His company is constantly writing its story within the online marketing space using Gary’s personality and personal journey as foundational pillars to growing the company. That story didn’t happen overnight and will evolve in the coming years while remaining true to its core. There’s only one Gary Vee, he’s playing that up to the hilt, and it’s working.
Uncertainty Isn’t Optional
We all know uncertainty is a way of life these days that will only amplify in the next ten years. Starting with these questions will give you a good baseline for your strategic content planning moving forward, ideally assisting you and your efforts as you navigate deeper into the 21st century.
With a little focus on the basics — or as Vince Lombardi liked to remind his players before every practice and game. “Gentlemen, this is a football” — when we are clear on our business’s basics, the rest can come together and our future can be just a little more certain.
