In part 1, we examined two very different approaches to the art and science of content creation, strategy, and philosophy. Now it’s time to take a step back and ask why it all matters in the first place. The answer to that question lies in the nature of the Internet itself.

Life might be a highway, but we all have a destination in mind. When we search for something beyond a convenient fact or a particular URL, we’re actually on a hunt for content. It’s you versus the Internet—you want your information, the Internet wants to extract as much revenue as possible from you by getting your eyeballs on all sorts of ads. While that’s not inherently bad, this model overlooks the fact that at some point, questions need answers. You can only click through sites for so long before you just stop trying to find what you need.

Here’s an example culled from my experience working with a major computer manufacturer that illustrates the problem. You’re an IT manager at a large multinational business. You need to inject new life into your data storage framework, because your company’s already outgrown their current storage capacity. This will entail a purchase of millions of dollars, and you haven’t really kept up with the latest and greatest in the storage industry. You go to the manufacturer’s site, find the storage home page…and then all you can find is a bunch of product information and a constant insistence to buy now. Well, that’s not helpful.

You’re not going to spend millions of dollars just off a few specs on a website. But the manufacturer believes wholeheartedly that its audience has the attention span of a Chihuahua on crystal meth. Everything is shallow, in three-word bullet points, and even the datasheets are just content sound bites and feeds and speeds. The potential client moves on to a competitor who can educate as well as sell.

To revisit our metaphor, you’re digging and digging into that rabbit hole, and all you’re coming up with is dirt. There’s no bottom. There’s no destination, no prize, no goldmine of information at the end. Some customers might be okay with short bullet points, but others want much more before opening their wallets. One size doesn’t fit all content consumption needs! Who knew?

So when you’re thinking of engagement strategies, remember the rabbit hole:

• A sound engagement strategy must include a wide range of professionally produced content, from quick info bites to meaty meals.
• Your audience will need different information at different parts of the discovery or consideration process.
• Whether you’re talking to internal or external audiences, there needs to be some payoff to inquiries. Your internal or external stakeholder needs to actually find enough substance to act upon the information in a rational manner.
• Don’t sell your audience short. The ten-second-sound-bite has its place, but don’t assume your audience is incurious or intellectually incapable. Allow them the freedom to access content on their own levels.