Whether you’re promoting your personal or professional brand, we’re all content creators.This means in any moment – and in every moment – we’re competing with Instagram stories, Tinder matches and dancing panda videos. And even the best marketers have a hard time competing with viral bamboo bears.

Creative content is a hot topic because our expectations of the content we consume online are rising while our attention spans are dropping. I can’t even tolerate watching a three-second YouTube advertisement. The fact that you’re still reading this blog (assuming you’re still with me…) says a lot about your attention span. Please stop for a second and give yourself a micro round of applause. Awesome.

As author and marketer Seth Godin says “Marketing is a contest for people’s attention.” So, with all this chaos, how are we supposed to capture, and maintain, anyone’s focus? With creativity. One of the most powerful marketing tools is differentiation, and the best way to have an impact is by being creative.

But what does being creative actually mean? Contrary to the common misperception, creativity isn’t an elite talent reserved for the Andy Warhols of the world. We all possess creative qualities – whether in problem solving, leadership skills, big-picture thinking or even art itself. At its core, creativity is about expressing your individuality and your uniqueness and using it to think differently, act differently and as a result, stand out.

So in a social media context, it means using content creation tools - including your brand voice, visuals and storytelling techniques - to showcase your business’s unique edge in innovative ways.

3 Tips To Get More Creative With Your Content

1. Sound different. When working on your brand voice, identify the qualities that make your business different and write your content with those characteristics front of mind. Are you intelligent? Funny? Controversial? You catch the drift…
2. Look different. We love visuals online, so use every opportunity with your imagery to enhance your brand and your message. Don’t just post the first image that pops into your mind. Think outside the square. Do you want images that match in colours and tones, or images that are more vibrant and colourful? Take a moment to find, or create, visuals that capture attention.
3. Tell different stories. Stories are important online because they give meaning to the messages we share in a memorable way. Stories inspire, teach, educate and entertain us. When you tell a story online, you take your audience out of their world and into a world that you create for them. So, what stories can you tell with your content that will add value? How can you share your knowledge and expertise in a way that truly connects?

Brands that stand out do things differently, so don’t try to be like everybody else. We want difference online; not more of the same. Create content that is unique to you.