Content Challenge #1 – Anti-Hype
In Buzz Marketing | 22 comments | permalink
Do you ever wish you could create killer new ideas for blog content, articles, emails, videos etc?
I don’t… but that is because I am special, even my mommy said so.
Seriously though, writer’s block and a lack of good content can kill a web business faster than **insert witty analogy here**.
So I am going to provide some content challenges for you guys n gals.
Your Content Challenge
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to take the blueprint I provide and go create a blog post, article, video, email etc… whatever best suits your biz.
The blueprints are easy to follow, just follow the instructions.
So here is the content challenge, which I lovingly call: “The Anti Hype Content Blueprint”:
Blueprint: “X Reasons X is Overrated”
Simply replace the first X with a number, and the second with a keyword.
TIP: The keyword should be a hot topic in your industry that is being super hyped.
So, if you were in a video game niche, you could use the next big game release, same for movies, same for music… if you are in a sport niche and your team just signed their most expensive player to date = perfect.
Perhaps there is a new technology, a new Apple product, a new car, a new piece of software, Facebook update, Obama speech etc…
You get the idea.
Just find what the people in your niche are going crazy about, and if you think the hype is unjustified, then you are onto a winner.
So for example:
“3 Reasons Modern Warfare 2 is Overrated” (video game the world is talking about)
Or you can change things up slightly:
“5 Reasons I Won’t be Buying the new iPhone”
Remember, the angle and headline are the most important parts of any piece of content, so get these right, and you have done the hard part.
To write it, just create a simple intro, such as:
“The whole world is going X crazy, so I decided it was time to add a little sanity to the X hype madness, here are the 7 reasons I think X is overrated and why I won’t be buying it”
Then grab a notepad and brainstorm some reasons why it might not be as good as people think.
If you are struggling, go to a popular forum on the topic, and you will find some people who feel the same way.
Why Does The Anti-Hype Content Blueprint Work So Well?
This is powerful stuff…
If you get it right, you could have a server-crashing monster on your hands.
Controversy is a powerful tool, and people love to be rebels and not conform to what corporations tell them to.
ALSO
What do all hyped topics have in common?
People are searching for information on them like crazy in Google.
So, with a bit of luck, you could get thousands of free search engine visitors per article with this method.
Create your content, then link to it in the comments below and I will personally critique the best ones.
There are no longer any excuses not to create kickass content.
Dean
**Insert ethical bribe disguised as a PS here** PS: If I get 10 or more comments in this post, I will do another Content Challenge soon.
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22 COMMENTS
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I’ll be using this today and could probably create no less than 30 pieces of content from this one little idea… 10 topics spun in 3 different content forms.
Thanks D.
- Todd
Todd Herman´s last undefined ..If you register your site for free at
Todd,
Great to see that someone is gonna take action on it, awesome!
There are many, many ways to modify it slightly to create new content, but I didn’t want to overly confuse people on my first published blueprint.
You can go past tense as well…
e.g 5 Reasons I Didn’t Buy the X
or “3 Reasons I Don’t Own a X”
or even “5 Ways the X is Gonna Suck”
Good luck and keep us informed Todd.
Dean
5 reasons why skin lotion should be chosen wisely or not at all.
Todd,
That would work, but this blueprint in particular is designed to tap into existing mega buzz.
Hype = tons of people talking about it, commenting, linking, searching, googling etc… so best to focus on something that is new, super hyped, and either just released, or will be released in the coming weeks or months.
Dean
http://www.wuup.co.uk/3-reasons-why-google-wave-is-overrated/
Had a go with your template, fun!
alan´s last blog ..3 Reasons Google Wave is Overrated
Alan,
That is a great effort.
I ReTweeted it for ya.
Best of luck.
Dean
Cool! will try to implement on my own site! Thanks for the idea
Great post Dean, I have used similar techniques to good effect in the past and this has served at a reminder of how powerful this method is.
Simple psychology but it works every time!
Cheers
Derek
APD Internet Marketing´s last blog ..Your Route Plan For Internet Marketing Success – Part Two! October 09
Derek,
Absolutely.
When it comes to headlines for content & video, there are so many basic, yet powerful psychological elements at play.
For example, check out this mind busting headline:
“10 Blogging Techniques You SHOULD Already Know”
Thanks for the comment.
Looking forward to you creating some content for APD marketing with one of these blueprints.
Dean
10 reasons the skin lotion you use could kill you and your best friend. But wait there is more. Now your Grandma might die also.
Todd,
Yikes, I thought I was a bit crazy. I can’t say I have seen the skin lotion/death connection in my previous works
Dean
How about
7 our out of 6 people have told me that xx lotion made them feel better so I said 7 people can not be wrong.
Makes people say what. My daughter and I do this all the time 7 our 5 or 13 out of 12 you get it. I say it when everyone is drinking to see how many people say “hey” lolololol
Well it is certainly a departure from the blueprint, but hey, you know your niche better than me.
Looking forward to seeing what you create.
Dean
Im going to try it over the next few days and create relevant articles and videos based on it just to test it thanks
Check out my post about the “5 reasons why web/graphic designers are overrated”
http://sean-blake.com/blog/
nice idea.
maybe, “5,000 reasons why school sucks and I don’t want to go tonight” ahahah
seriously, nice post though
Sean,
Congrats, very good post.
Congrats on taking action, you just joined the 5% club… action takers.
I promised a free critique for people that took action and linked it here:
1) Be wary of long intros… Anything over one paragraph as an intro is a risk. Luckily, yours is a solid intro, but still, in future, try and edit it down some more and keep it shorter.
2) Great use of images to “chunk” the content. This is key with lists, and the fact that each image is the same size, is very easy on the eye. PS: Where did you get those images from?
3) Good use of H3 tags, both for SEO and dividing the content into neat sections.
4) Your third item in your list is one I discussed with a friend this morning… he is gonna refer his clients to me for marketing advice… feel free to do the same
I will make it worth your while.
5) I like your writing style, you are not ashamed to admit past mistakes, and your writing style is edgy and interesting… sounds arrogant, but I see a lot of my style in there… I might sue ya
hehe
6) Great that you used a call to action at the end (key for ANY blog post)… I would have preferred it if you had used a blog comment CTA insted of a Twitter one.
A friend of mine found that “Leave a comment so I know you exist” works pretty well. hehe
Sean,
Seriously bro, you are a talented guy.
Keep em coming, and stay in touch… oh, and if you wanna do some biz together, you know where to find me.
Dean
PS: this was Sean’s post: http://sean-blake.com/blog/5-reasons-every-independent-webgraphic-designer-is-overrated/
Check it out and leave your comments below.
I have many close friends who are designers, I will pass it on to them for their 2c
Here come the fireworks.
Dean
Hey sean, I read your post! Very good
all your experiences are true and I have experienced myself.
Good Stuff
alan´s last blog ..3 Reasons Google Wave is Overrated
Thanks Alan! When you said “What are they offering that email does not offer already?” that is EXACTLY what I thought. All wave is as far as I can see, is a glorified cloud that will probably be used as much as Google Orkut.
You are using a technique called Overturn, which is when everyone zigs, you zag. What I love about ur stuff is u do what u say. Here’s another tactic from De Bono that might be useful for you. It’s called Lateral Thinking and u just take a topic say football and fuse it with a totally unrelated topic. Let’s say sushi. BANG! You get a totally new topic – What’s Sushi Got to Do with Beckham?
I’ve just bought the tickets to the Dubai Summit, just to hear u talk. Hope I can meet u.
Kishore Dharmarajan
Eureka LLC, Dubai
Hey Dean,
Jut thought I’d through this one in the mix…
18 Rock Songs you will never see on the X-Factor or American Idol…
http://evenflowdave.com/18-rock-songs-you-will-never-be-on-the-x-factor-or-american-idol/
evenflowdave´s last blog ..18 rock songs you will never be on the X-Factor or American Idol