Factors That Make Quality Content Resonate

Let's be real. No one cares about your content. Harsh? Maybe. But it’s the truth. They’re not opening LinkedIn hoping to see your latest thought leadership post. They care about themselves. Their deadlines. Their pain points. Their goals. If your content doesn’t speak to that, they’ll scroll right past it. Most people on this platform create content that they care about, not what their audience needs. That’s why so many posts die in silence. No engagement, no shares, no impact. The posts that do go viral? They hit a nerve. They spark emotion. They solve a problem or offer a perspective people didn’t realize they needed. Recently, I shared a post about how being laid off is personal, not business. How disorrienting it can be and leaders should handle them with more empathy. Guess what happened? That post went viral. Thousands of reactions, shares, and comments from people who felt validated. Why? Because while it was from my personal experience, it wasn't just about me. It addressed a real issue people were struggling with and spoke to what they couldn't put into words themselves. The secret to content that resonates? Make your audience feel seen. 👉 Speak to their struggles. 👉 Solve their problems. 👉 Say what they wish they could. Your content isn’t a diary. It’s a service. Make it useful. Make it real. Or don’t post at all.

Raising kids is like building an audience—logic might get them to listen, but it's the love and honesty that make them stay. You can teach them all the facts, but it's the moments you share from the heart that truly resonate and shape who they become. Here's how you can translate parenting to audience-building: 1/ Speak from the Heart Connect on an emotional level. Write with passion and empathy. Heartfelt content engages and inspires your audience. 2/ Share Personal Stories Personal experiences build relatability. Share your journey, struggles, and victories. Stories create a deeper connection with your audience. 3/ Be Genuine and Vulnerable Authenticity attracts genuine followers. Show your true self, including your imperfections. Vulnerability fosters trust and engagement. 4/ Prioritize Emotional Impact Craft messages that evoke emotions. Focus on how your content makes people feel. Emotional resonance leads to stronger audience connections. 5/ Engage with Your Audience Interact and respond to your followers. Show that you care about their thoughts and feelings. Engagement builds a loyal community. 6/ Focus on Values and Beliefs Share your core values and beliefs. Align your content with what you stand for. People are drawn to brands and creators with clear principles. 7/ Create Meaningful Content Offer content that adds real value to lives. Address needs, desires, and aspirations. Meaningful content keeps your audience coming back. 8/ Embrace Creativity and Passion Let your passion shine through your work. Creative and heartfelt content stands out. Passion is contagious and attracts like-minded people. In 2024, let your heart lead the way to attract and grow your audience.

Most Content Gets Ignored. Here’s What Actually Makes People Stop Scrolling. Every day, people scroll the height of the Empire State Building on their phones. That means your content isn’t just competing with others in your industry—it’s competing with everything. So what actually makes someone stop? Here are the five types of content that break through the noise. 1. The Pattern Disruptor Most content looks the same. The brain tunes it out. Disrupt the pattern, and people stop. - A contrarian take that goes against common wisdom - An unusual visual, a surprising stat, or a story that feels offbeat - A title that makes people think, “Wait, what?” Example: Instead of "How to Be More Productive," try "Why Productivity Hacks Are Keeping You Broke." 2. The High-Stakes Story People are wired to pay attention to conflict, tension, and transformation. If your post feels like a story, it keeps people hooked. - A personal failure that led to a breakthrough - A client’s dramatic before-and-after - A behind-the-scenes look at something people don’t usually see Example: "I lost my biggest client, my revenue tanked, and I almost quit. Here’s how I turned it around in 60 days." 3. The Data-Backed Insight Opinions are everywhere. But hard data makes people take notice. - Counterintuitive stats that challenge assumptions - Unique research that isn’t common knowledge - Side-by-side comparisons that make people rethink everything Example: "Studies show that adding just one word to a LinkedIn headline increases profile views by 70%. Here’s how to do it." 4. The Screenshot-Worthy Playbook People save and share high-value, tactical content. - Step-by-step systems that solve a problem - Swipe files, templates, and frameworks - Breakdown of strategies that are working right now Example: "The exact content strategy I used to grow from 0 to 100K followers. Step by step." 5. The Hyper-Relevant Trend Timely content spreads faster than evergreen content. - A major shift happening in your industry - A cultural trend that ties into your expertise - A reaction to breaking news with a unique angle Example: "LinkedIn just changed its algorithm. Here’s what it means for your content strategy." Your Content Dies If It Blends In If people scroll past your post, it doesn’t matter how good it is. Make it impossible to ignore. Which one of these are you using?

Before running content for three $1B companies, I worked in music, events, film, and television. Unlike majority of my peers, I didn't grow up writing stories or dreaming of becoming the editor in chief of a fashion magazine. I wanted to be George Lucas or Steven Spielberg. For the longest, I believed my lack of journalism or writing experience was a weakness. But as time passed by, my past experience has proven to be invaluable. One of the ways my consumer media experiences has paid dividends is by seeing and treating B2B 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 — even when it exists to serve a product. This product mindset manifests in many ways but none is more prominent than my understanding that an audience "hires" content to do a job for them. And that the best content fulfills more than one. I've compiled these jobs-to-be-done into five dimensions and plotted them in a graphic to help y'all grok them. 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹: Centers on delivering valuable information, insights, and knowledge to the buyer. It encompasses educational content, thought leadership pieces, data-driven analyses, and other forms of content that primarily aim to convey ideas and facilitate learning. 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹: Revolves around creating emotionally engaging and immersive content experiences that forge meaningful connections with the audience. It involves leveraging storytelling techniques, visual aesthetics, and multimedia elements to evoke emotions, capture attention, and leave a lasting impression. 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹: Recognizes that content consumption is often a shared experience, influenced by social dynamics and interactions. Social media platforms, online communities, and user-generated content all facilitate social experiences around content, fostering engagement, discussion, and collaboration among audiences. 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹: Involves optimizing content formats and delivery methods for various physical and virtual environments in which content is consumed. It considers factors like device compatibility, ambient conditions, and immersive experiences. 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹: Focuses on tailoring content pacing, length, and delivery schedules to align with a buyer's consumption patterns. Real-time engagement, on-demand access, and binge-worthy content experiences all fall under this dimension, shaping the temporal aspect of how audiences consume and interact with content. This is an approach that's helped my content stand out in an ocean of copycat content (h/t Ryan Law for the term) — from Eventbrite to Udemy and Hopin to OpenPhone — and it's guaranteed to persevere the era of content entropy brought on by generative AI. So it's my gift to you, as I head into the Thanksgiving holiday break, feeling grateful for the opportunities I've had so far — and all that are still to come.

Great content need guardrails. What content resonates with your audience? In order to deliver great content, you must be able to articulate what "great" content looks like. After two years of working with partners, sponsors, and guest presenters, we have a good sense of what content will perform well with Exit Five. Now, of course, there are always surprises and you don't always know for sure what will work or flop, but one of the best things about publishing regularly - and IMO - one of the tricks in this content game, is having lots of reps with content and knowing what your audience wants. I can often predict which content will be successful before we ever publish it now - this comes from hundreds of posts in our community, on social media, webinars, podcasts, etc. I wrote down some guidelines. We'll call these Guidelines for Content That Resonates with Our Audience. Or as the young kids might say, "Will This Slap?" 1. B2B Marketer Insights: Everyone's looking to level up. Dive into how we can enlighten our audience on key B2B topics, making them the smartest people in the room. Help them be more successful at work. Bring in experts with unique insights, not the same things you can read online for free. 2. Value Over Pitch: Winning isn't about the hard sell; it's about overwhelming your audience with value. Demonstrate your expertise, stand firm in your unique approach, and subtly introduce your company/product as the key to solving their challenges. You happen to work for a company that provides a solution, but that's only a small detail. 3. Set the Stage, Then Dive Deep: Start with the "why you, why now" by highlighting the overarching trends that matter to B2B marketers. People need to know the stakes. What's going on in the market? Why does this matter now more than ever? How can you create urgency? How can you make this relevant today? 4. You Are Taking to Your Peers. Get in the weeds. Readers and listeners are your peers in marketing. Don't treat them like morons. They will sniff through your BS and they don't want to be sold to. They love specific examples, results, numbers. They want honesty - not "everything is awesome!" Be real. Talk about other companies in the space. Admit you have competitors. Talk to them like you're having lunch with a group of peers, not presenting to an anonymous crowd. 5. Value Will Lead to Engagement: If you deliver value, people will remember you, find you, and reach out to try your product. It always works this way. A great valuable talk with no CTA will outperform a shitty sales pitch with a strong CTA every time here. Do you have guardrails for your content? What do you think about these?

Yesterday your posts were hits. Today they're misses. Why isn't your content resonating? It's not your message, but the delivery. There's too much noise. Not enough substance. The word you put out into the world are the connective tissue between you and your audience. Stop putting out emoji-heavy, AI-generated garbage and lean into these 4 keys to successful content: 1. Learn to tell a story: "The most powerful person in the world is the storyteller. The storyteller sets the vision, values, and agenda of an entire generation that is to come." - Steve Jobs Give your message a perspective. Paint a picture. Here are two hooks I used this past week that 4X & 5X'd my typical impressions: "The 8-figure cold email format that changed my life..." "Last week I flew 1,693 miles for the worst sales presentation of my life." Both were curiosity drivers because there was a 1st person narrative. There's a story about to be told. 2. Keep it simple: "Simplicity Is the key to brilliance" - Bruce Lee Clarity trumps clever every single time. Don't get caught using $10 words when a $2 word will do. A confused mind always says no. 3. Enthusiastic engagement: Engagement is a two-way street. Ask questions, invite opinions, and encourage interaction. Your goal is to spark a conversation, not just broadcast a message. Then go out and do the same on content that interests you. It'll come back 10X. 4. Authenticity Above All: Share your experiences, your failures, and your successes. Be real. Your audience will reward you for it. Remember, attention is the new currency. Everybody is vying for it. To cut through the clutter, it's not enough to have something valuable to say; you need to say it in a way that resonates. Your voice is unique. Use it not just to speak, but to be heard.

🎯 𝐈𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐞? 𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚎’𝚜 𝙷𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚘 𝙼𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝙼𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 🎯 In a world where everyone is posting, sharing, and commenting, it’s easy for your content to get lost in the sea of information. But what sets apart content that resonates from content that simply exists? 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀: 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. 1. 𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆: Your content must align with your audience’s interests and needs. If you’re not speaking directly to them, they won’t listen. Start by understanding who your audience is and what they care about. Dive into their challenges, and offer insights that address their specific pain points. 2. 𝑽𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆: Offering value isn’t just about sharing information; it’s about solving problems. Ask yourself, “What can my audience take away from this post?” Whether it’s a new perspective, a practical tip, or a deeper understanding, your content should always leave your audience better off than before. 3. 𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕: Content shouldn’t be a one-way street. Engage your audience by asking questions, encouraging comments, and fostering discussion. When you involve your audience, you build a community, not just a following. 𝘙𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳, 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘴 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘥. 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘦. ------------------- If you're just coming across my post. 𝐌𝐲 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄. 𝐄𝐝𝐚𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐂-𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬. 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬. ----------------- 🟢P.S: What’s one strategy you use to ensure your content resonates with your audience? Drop your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to learn from you! #20daylinkedinchallengewithhaoma #growth #Career Development #Marketing

Quality Content > Quantity of Content What’s more important: posting frequently or posting with purpose? Flooding your feed with low-value content does more harm than good. It weakens your brand and leaves your audience disengaged. Instead, take a step back and follow this 5-Step Process: STEP 1 - Post with intent. > Every post should serve a purpose. > Focus on adding value instead of filling space. Example: A post that answers a common client question builds trust. STEP 2 - Prioritize conversation over visibility. > Create posts that encourage interaction. > Ask questions or offer insights that spark discussion. Example: Instead of an update, pose a challenge your audience faces and offer solutions. STEP 3 - Focus on consistency, not frequency. > Don’t feel pressured to post daily. > Consistent, thoughtful content builds trust over time. Example: Weekly posts that go deep on a subject can generate higher engagement than daily surface-level content. STEP 4 - Analyze what works. > Check which posts get the most engagement. > Use that data to guide future content. Example: If a post about solving a client problem resonated, create a series based on that. STEP 5 - Engage meaningfully with responses. > Reply to comments with intention. > Build relationships through thoughtful replies. Example: Turn a comment thread into a real conversation. 1 powerful post can lead to deeper connections than 10 superficial ones. Even if it means posting less often, you’ll make a bigger impact. Remember, the goal isn’t to post more— It's to start real conversations.

The highest-performing content taps into human psychology. Here’s what it often includes: - Emotion – Content that makes people feel something (inspired, curious, seen) is far more likely to be remembered and shared. - Relatability – When someone says, “This is so me,” they’re more likely to engage. Mirror your audience’s experiences and language. - Storytelling – Our brains are wired for stories. They create connection, improve retention, and make complex ideas feel personal. - Social proof – Reviews, testimonials, and case studies build trust. People want to know others have walked the path before them. - Clarity + Curiosity – Keep it simple but make them want more. Clear message, compelling hook. The best content isn’t always the flashiest. It’s the most emotionally intelligent.