So, you’re pretty well established in your content strategy for 2024. You’re posting consistently, you’ve nailed your brand voice, and you’re producing high quality content. But you’re still not seeing the results you want for engagement and growth? It might be time to start your journey towards value engineering for your target audience.

Value engineering in content creation is, essentially, identifying specific factors at play to maximise the value provided by pieces of content. Think of it as a strategic approach that, through a process of analysis, scrutiny and feedback, magnifies outcomes with minimal additional effort, without compromising quality. Basically, it is the process of streamlining your efforts to maximise value for your audience and optimise your use of resources. Wins all around!

So, how do you get the ball rolling?

Identify what your audience wants. What do they want to experience? What do they want to see, read and hear? Specifically, what do they want from your brand, and what do they want from your brand in the context of your social media platforms?

Don’t think about what your audience desires in isolation – this is important. Seek as much input and diversity of thought as possible. Talk to your team, friends, family, look to what others in your industry are doing, and most importantly of all, speak to your audience! Don’t be afraid to ask about what they want, and then show them how your brand can provide this.

Once you understand your audience’s desires, identify the barriers that they face. What is preventing them from getting what they want and where they want to be? Are they short on time? Resources? What is standing in the way of their desires? Once you have identified these blockers, start to really hone in on how what you have to offer can help them overcome them, including any negative self-beliefs and biases that influence them in believing they can’t reach their desires.

Now that you’ve got the basics down, deep dive into their internal world and beliefs. By identifying how they think about themselves and their abilities to reach their desired outcomes, the easier it is to create content that resonates with their self-identify. Consider the vehicles and platforms they use and the role these play in belief development, who and where they look to for information and inspiration, and use this to inform and engineer the value that your brand offers.

So, whether you’re a new brand on the block or just about ready for your long-service leave, the best time to reflect on your content and start your value engineering journey is now. Go on, go create that value!