Part 2 - Format and Topics
In this Part we immerse ourselves in the language and culture of our platforms of choice.
We wish to become native in all the relevant platforms where our audiences hang out. If they are on Tiktok, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for example we can get in front of them on all of these platforms.
However, the way we approach them will be different. The content that works on each platform has to match the culture of the platform.
So in this Part we’ll cover how to nail one platform. Then we’ll apply the method to the others.
Let’s get started:
Formats and Topics
- which platform to start with?
- format and topic worked examples
- how to surface the top content
- gather your lists
Which platform do we start with?
This depends entirely on your niche and where you audience hang out but I would recommend a platform that follow the new rules of Tiktokification.
Namely Tiktok (obviously!) and Instagram reels which has copied the algorithm.
If yours is a purely B2B business then potentially LinkedIn. That said, I’ve personally generated much more B2B work via Tiktok than LinkedIn - CEOs and other leaders see me on Tiktok and then have a team member contact me via email or LinkedIn.
Bizarre but true - the age and positions of Tiktok audience is surprisingly advanced!
For now just choose a platform for the rest of this process. We’ll repeat it with other platforms later so this choice isn’t final or irrevocable.
Immersion therapy
Once you’ve selected a platform we need to learn the language and culture. We need to work out what content performs well on the platform.
We don’t need to get smart. We don’t need to come up with creative ideas. We just need to find what’s working and rework it for our particular business.
We need two lists:
- formats
- topics
Our goal is to collect intelligence about each and then (in the next Part) use this to generate infinite content ideas. We’ll basically be combining both lists to make permutations.
First up though how do we find the content we want to emulate. Let’s learn how to identify it.
I’ll use some of my videos for easy reference and we’ll work some examples together. Here’s a first one:
First up, format. This is a green-screen video. This format is basically a talking head over a website, photo or article.
Green screen video tends to do well on Tiktok because they are raw and authentic but also have more visual elements in the background.
If I see lots of this sort of video doing well in my niche I’d go ahead and capture “green-screen video” as one of my potential formats in my list.
Second, the topic. Specifically this is about ChatGPT giving the result of the UK general election before it happened. Oops. That makes it good for jumping on current trends.
More generally though the topic is “chatgpt fails” or “limitations of AI”. People love it when AI messes up so these videos tend to do well. I don’t do a lot of these videos because I’m pro-AI but sometimes when it’s a real mess like this and I can provide context on why the error may have occurred I’ll use this topic.
So I’d note “chatgpt UK general election fail” as a narrow topic or “limitations of AI” as a broad topic. Feel free to note multiple topics in this way.
Another example: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeqvePhW/
The format of this one is a carousel. The topic is “fact checking memes with chatgpt”
Another:
The format of this one is talking head. The content is a learning framework - in this case it’s my RISEN™ framework. I’d note topic as “RISEN™ framework”.
You’re going to run this exercise in your niche on other people’s content.
You aren’t looking for specific creators. Instead you are looking for popular content. Remember that Tiktokification means that content » creator.
How exactly do we find this content? Glad you asked!
Finding top content in your niche
First method is the simplest. Just use the platform!
This means spending time there. But not just randomly consuming. We need to be mindful.
Remember that you are on the platform as a creator not a consumer. Very different modalities!
Make sure that you have your two lists handy (I use Notion on my phone) so you can quickly note down new formats and topics you see. You can also copy the link into your list so you can look up the content format and topic later if that helps.
Second, be more proactive and use the search bar.
Sounds simple but not many creators remember to do it!
For example if I plug in ChatGPT the top results are:
Immediately I see a cool video topic idea here: “playing 20 questions with ChatGPT”. I note it down.
Do regular searches like this and filter by top to see what’s already working on the platform. Read and watch everything and note down format and topics in your lists.
Third, hashtags.
This doesn’t apply to every platform but for the ones it does it’s a useful additional way to surface the top content.
If I look at who is posting under #chatgpt for example:
Fourth, suggested and similar content.
If the platform makes other suggestions follow them. This is the language your audience is using, reflected back by the platform.
If I follow “chat gpt down” we get these suggestions:
Right OK yes I’m turning up in all of these which initially I found annoying and then increasingly hilarious. So I’ve put my silly face in each screenshot!
Continue on in this way, building your two lists (Format and Topic) up.
Aim for 5-10 formats and a many topics as you can find.
This is a time consuming process but once done you’ll have an extremely powerful asset for dominating the platform with your content.
In the next Part we’re going to take your two lists and run them through AI prompts to create a content matrix for your platform of choice.