Despite being under-staffed, under-appreciated, and overloaded, communications teams are still expected to get results. So they have to make choices.
One of those choices involves deciding on quality versus quantity. The idea is that you should focus on high-quality content, but less of it, rather than lots of mediocre or even bad content.
And that makes sense. But there’s a twist.
What you think of as ‘quality’ might not be quality at all. And you can in fact achieve quality in high volumes.
The Case for Quality over Quantity
There’s no question that a well-done piece of content isbetter than 10 bad ones. It helps you build credibility, cuts through to the audience, demonstrates your leadership, and helps you build trust.
Also high-quality content can be repurposed across multiple channels and for different audiences, maximizing its reach and impact.
But are you using the right definition of ‘quality?’
The Audience Decides
You might assume that high-quality content comes with a big price tag, in dollars, time, or both. Think polished, professional videos, well-designed e-books, slick graphics.
But in reality, quality is defined by the audience, not the budget. Sometimes, the most effective content is simple and raw:
- A CEO’s text-only LinkedIn post sharing a personal story
- A photo celebrating an employee’s contribution
- A short, heartfelt message that resonates on an emotional level
These types of content don’t require heavy resources, but they do require messaging that resonates with the audience.
You Can Have Both
There’s certainly a place for high-production content, but it’s not always the answer. Especially when budgets, time, and resources are tight. Low-budget content with the right message, that tells a story, or that has real emotion behind it can be every bit as effective.
And it takes much less time to create. And that’s where the real magic lies.
You can have both quality AND quantity if you take the right approach. And that’s good, because developing a crisis-proof brand reputation requires a volume of positive news to bolster you against future bad news.
It just so happens that one of the best ways to create high-quality content at scale is through executive branding. If you’d like to talk to me about an executive branding program for your organization, let’s have a quick chat.