Howdy, folks.

Like clockwork, Baby #2 arrived last Monday for the Martin household.

Cue the laboring on Labor Day puns.

Momma and baby are healthy, and we’re adjusting to being a family of five (Lucy, the Goldendoodle, included). 🐶

That said, time has been in short supply the past ten days, so I’m kicking off today’s ‘Original Idea’ with a ~~lazy~~ creative way to share insights from several of my favorite ag content creators (and many of whom inspired/motivated me to start Magnetic).

Today’s estimated read time: 4.3 mins

Let’s get to the goods…

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One Original Idea: Ag Content Creator Knowledge Drop

‘Imposter syndrome’ ran deep in the early days of Magnetic Ag for me.

Who was I to start an ag newsletter… or dare I say, an ag media company?
Was I crazy to think this could fill a void and resonate with folks in the industry?
What if the puns fall flat?

The inner critic and self-doubter were working overtime.

But a small group of people (whether they knew it or not) inspired me to give it a shot.

Watching others build up niche audiences via interesting, original insights gave me hope that I could do something similar.

I reached out to several (but not all!) of those in my Ag Content Creator community to get their insights as many of you have shared your desire to pump up your content creation and audience-building for a personal brand or your company.

Here are the two questions I asked:

What’s been the most valuable thing that happened for you professionally since building your audience?
What’s a tip you’d give to someone (or a company) who is starting at square one to build an audience and create content?

Let’s just say that the responses were 🔥

So in order to let these words of wisdom really shine, I’m only going to share three responses today and will continue to share more over the course of the coming months.

There are lots of marketing and audience-building golden nuggets in these answers…

Go digging ⛏

A Tip For Those Just Starting to Build an Audience/Create Content:

From Janette Barnard of Prime Future:

Just start. Find a manageable cadence and hit publish, even when you feel all the nerves to hit publish and have more questions than answers. Just start.

From Tim Hammerich of the Future of Agriculture Podcast:

Try to be valuable to one person. There is plenty of content out there that tries to appeal to the broadest possible audience. One person who finds your content remarkable is far better than 1,000 who see it as generic. That one person will spread the word and give you something to build off of. Also – and this is cliche because it is true – consistency over time is the key. It’s also the hard part.

From Sarah Nolet of Tenacious Ventures + AgTech… So What? Podcast

There are so many reasons to not start building an audience, so the key is to systematically break these down. Here are a few common objections my brain throws at me, and how I have gotten around them.

→ Stuck defining a specific persona for your audience? Skip it and learn out loud, writing for yourself and sharing your hypotheses, reflections, and questions.

→ Worried about not being an expert? Use your personal experience to come from a place of credibility, as no one can question your expertise about what you’re thinking, feeling, or learning.

→ Don’t have the infrastructure set up properly? With two clicks on Twitter or LinkedIn you can hit publish and let the algorithms do the rest.

Ultimately, I’ve found that my best content comes from following my energy. If I feel like I’m really struggling for motivation, or only writing because I’m “checking the box,” it’s a strong indication that I need to switch topics. You’ll hate every minute of it if you don’t genuinely give a shit.

I told you these were 🔥, didn’t I?

Three Interesting Finds

1. I’m just going to leave this right here…

Aaron Orendorff

@AaronOrendorff

Don’t call it “content” marketing … just marketing.
Ridiculously amazing content — the kind that floors your audience and demolishes what competitors put out — empowers everything.
It’s a moat. One of the few remaining (unfair) competitive advantages.

August 5th 2022

Retweets

Likes

2. Tilting Content Like A Boss

If you’ve followed me much, you’ve probably seen me reference The Tilt.

I came upon the content news and knowledge site after reading Content Inc.: How Entrepreneurs Use Content to Build Massive Audiences and Create Radically Successful Businesses.

The author, Joe Pulizzi, shares a ton of interesting insights into how content can serve as the foundation for a thriving business.

His take with ‘The Tilt’ is that you have to approach content with fresh eyes for your audience:

“The content tilt is that area of little to no competition on the web that actually gives you a chance to break through the noise and be relevant. It’s what makes you so different that your audience notices you and rewards you with its attention.”

I’ll be writing more about this in the future and its specific application to content and marketing in agriculture. Stay tuned.

3. B2C, B2B, B2F (farmer), or …

What if the right approach was really what my pal Greg is dishing below:

GREG ISENBERG

@gregisenberg

There is no B2B or B2C anymore
There is only B2C. Business to community
You’re selling to a group of people with an identity, shared values and shared language
You’re selling to tribes of people

September 13th 2022

Retweets

450

Likes

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