3 Tips for Creating Better Content with Jocelyn Montemarano
Branding with Friends | Episode 38
Never sure what to focus on in your marketing? Join us as content strategist, Jocelyn Montemarano, breaks down the top 3 ways to create compelling content to market your practice in this episode of "Branding with Friends."
Meet Jocelyn Montemarano, Award-winning Content Strategist & Video Podcast Producer.
Annie: Hi there, welcome to a new episode of 'Branding with Friends,' the show where branding meets key business topics. Here you're going to learn tips straight from the experts on everything from CEO Days to thought leadership to podcast hosting. We focus on what you can do right now, and how to use these topics and the power of branding to attract your ideal clients.
I'm your host, branding expert Annie Franceschi of Greatest Story Creative. I help service business owners tell their story and show their value through clear messaging and consistent branding. I'm also a former Disney storyteller, a professional speaker, and the author of two best-selling books, 'Establish Yourself' and 'Permission to Dry.'
And today, I am so excited to introduce you to one of my new friends in the business world. If you are constantly going to the drawing board and not knowing what kinds of content to create for your business, the content that's really gonna move the needle, you're gonna love today's guest.
In today's episode, my guest today is the awesome Jocelyn Monta Murano. Jocelyn is the founder, award-winning journalist, and content strategist, tea lover, and outdoor enthusiast of Connect Through Content. Her mission there is to empower expert entrepreneurs and thought leaders to cultivate a community of aligned clients that converts, so they can get their messaging and innovative solutions to more of the people who need it most. She primarily focuses on supporting her clients by launching and managing a video podcast that allows them to create a scalable content ecosystem across channels, giving them the visibility, authority, and connection they need to power their impact. Amazing, something we all need.
Thank you for joining us, Jocelyn. I'm so glad you're here.
Jocelyn: Yeah, thank you for having me on, Annie. I'm glad that we have connected and that you invited me.
Annie: Yes, absolutely. I think we know each other through Ashley King, right? Like she kind of connected our dots. And she was here on 'Branding with Friends' for CEO day.
So whether this is your first time or you've been with us for almost all 40 episodes, content creation is the name of the game today. And Jocelyn has brought along three, count them three great tips for how to be more strategic about the kinds of content you create. Because I think we all understand what it's like to sit open that camera on Zoom, write a blog post, and just be like, 'What am I even supposed to talk about?' So Jocelyn is going to tell us, she's going to share three big tips. She's going to save that last tip for the end to make sure that you hear the entire episode and get her free gift that she's brought along.
So content creation, let's just start with, I know you've got these tips, but just tell me a little bit. What is content? Let's play dumb here. And like, simplify this because I think that it can be this big jargony word and like what really is content in your eyes?
Jocelyn: Yeah, I love this question because I do think about it a little bit differently than other people. A lot of what's shared in the online business world revolves around content that converts, specific formulas to make people buy immediately, and such. While content does play a role in the purchasing journey, I see content as something much bigger. To me, it's about connection and being able to make the impact I want to make.
Yeah, I love this question. Because I do think about it a little bit differently than other people. A lot of what's kind of shared in the online business world is around like content that converts and like, you know, these specific formulas and things that you know, are going to move your people to buy immediately and things like that. And while content, of course, can play a role in the purchasing journey, I like to think about content as a lot bigger than that, to me it is connection, and it is really a vehicle for you to be able to make the impact that you want to make. Because without publishing content, unless you go and have conversations with hundreds 1000s hundreds of 1000s of people a day, you cannot get your message and your solution to the people that need it most and make that much larger, widespread impact. So really, to me, I view content as a way to kind of scale connection and scale kind of like what types of conversations we would be having one on one with clients or prospects and kind of scale that on our larger way. And that can look like creating some content that is really designed to move somebody through the purchasing journey. But it can also be you know, just content that is providing value and contributing to a conversation and highlighting your thought leadership. Because that's what we do in the normal world. Even when we're not talking about our business and what we do, but we're adding to conversations, we're bringing something there and we're contributing value in our community in whatever form that might look like.
Annie: And so and really like in the nuts and bolts of it is just to you know, define content in a very physical sense to it's, it's everything from the blog post you write, to an Instagram post or an Instagram story, a LinkedIn post, you know, many of my clients LinkedIn is probably their primary function here. Things that you share on Facebook, things that you share in your email newsletter, so it can be writing, could be audio could be video. So that's what we kind of broadly mean when we say content. It's like we're seeing any sort of like the sort of subject matter that goes into all of these formats, right, these different ways, if not so much, rather than today's conversation is really not as reliant on the format, which is I know your specialty is video podcast, sort of a similar strategy to what I do here it was for branding with friends.
But this conversation is much larger because it's really about what kinds of things should I be filling that blog post with, that video with, that podcast series with, to make it make sense for my business, make it worth my time, and make it, you know, as they say, convert. So that being said, you know, I know we've got these three tips. What's that first place we should start if we're a coach or consultant and we care about using our time efficiently on creating content?
#1 Action TIP
Define your mission — your content should align to your mission, not "what you do"
Jocelyn: Yeah, so the first place I normally encourage my clients to go is to think bigger than what they do. A lot of times, especially when we're going from zero to our first six figures, we spend a lot of time just marketing kind of what we do, that actual vehicle. So that would be, for example, me specifically talking about tips for starting a podcast and like, you know, kind of all of these very specific things related directly to the vehicle of the podcast or the video podcast. But I really like to encourage my clients, especially as they kind of are shifting into a more thought leadership content and coming into their own, to step out of just what they do and reframe their whole content strategy around their mission. Because that gives you space as a leader, as an expert, to evolve. And that's what we want to be doing. We don't want to say, "I'm an expert at this, this is the way, it's the only way," and that's where my business ends. There should be space in your business where you're constantly evolving. So I love positioning the content strategy more around what is that big mission that you are on in your business?
What are you always going to be working to achieve? Today, for me, that looks like a video podcast to offer and supporting my clients with that in that capacity. But tomorrow, that could look very different. It could be a totally different offer, it could be another offer that also supports my mission, which is really getting powerful solutions out into the world.
So when we lead with that mission as kind of the key piece of that content strategy, it gives us a lot more space. And it also allows our clients to care more because my clients don't just care about launching a podcast, they are not the type of people, for example, who care about having a top-rated podcast or the most reviews or any of these things. They view it as a way to get their work into the world. And I'm attracting those types of people because I'm leading with my talking about that.
Annie: That's the destination of where they want to go, right? I have a friend named Adele who said, like, "You gotta stop talking about the plane and talk about Bermuda and the beach. I care less about the plane. If you tell me one more time about how the plane is..." She was right. Yeah, so I don't care. So you would define... you would say, "This is like define your mission, basically, that you should or lead with your mission." For this first tip.
Jocelyn: You've got to weave that in a lot more because so many people are, and that is going to attract value-aligned clients and really make a difference. And not just like the type of people that are generally interested in what you do, but the type of people that share the same values as you, share that same mission, and are really driven by that inherent nature of a specific mission a lot more than just a general tool or a vehicle that you're using in your business. And that plane analogy's perfect. Nobody cares that we're getting on a United plane, American Airlines. We want to get to Bermuda, right? Talk about Bermuda.
Annie: And, you know, for me, it's like talking about Disney World, right? Like, that's my end result. But you know, something I will... I don't want to say push back, but I want to add to this from the branding perspective from coaching clients, is I think that sometimes people almost, in my experience, I've had a lot of clients who kind of do too much of this and not enough of the "this is clearly what I do" and that context is really important. And they, like, I see a lot of issues that their businesses do and set up to have like an offer, and they're so all about the mission of transformation.
But without both, I think both are really essential. And I think you've kind of explained that there is a foundation-building step here of being clear on what you offer, making sure people know what you do, that you do branding or you do this podcast hosting thing, because just talking about powerful solutions and having an impact doesn't make any sense without it being tied to what you actually do. It's the alignment. So I think it's both, but I love that, you know, we're really speaking to people who, okay, you've mastered... most people know what you do. What's that next level, right? What gives you that jumping-off point? So if you are in that space of, like, if you are very clear on what you offer, you're saying, because it's like most people in your network, you're confident they know what you do, they know that you have a great signature offer. Cool. Take this to the next thing.
The other thing is, like, just don't forget about the clarity. Like, that's my mission, and helping people be more clear about their story. That is a huge part of what, you know, but you've got my gears turning, too, because I feel like I'm at that point within my business that most people know I do branding, they know I have a solution. And I think you're right. And I think I'm organically leaning into what you're saying. But I think the strategy of really leaning into it is important. So I'm really glad you brought that as our first mission, the first action step, which is to define your mission. And so making sure that the kind of end result is something you are constantly leaning into and flying, and that you can't do that without those initial branding steps of, well, what do you want to be known known for? How are you marketing that? How are you packaging what you do?
So, rah rah rah, yes. This is 201 to me. Don’t forget my 101 people. I think you’ve been a great example of this.
Jocelyn: I’m really glad you brought that point up. Because it’s about leading with that mission.
So, again, somebody else's mission, who is like, you know, the number one podcast in your category, or something that's going to speak very differently and influence their content really differently. So I love just that you brought that up, just to clarify for me. You were still like, yeah, yeah, still being you're talking about what you do. But now it's like in the context of your mission, as opposed to just like the basics or the 101 of what you do. It's like, no, here's the direct connection between my tool or my vehicle that I use in my business, and this big mission, and this is why you should care.
Annie: So the connection is, people don't care and people don't invest. Or they're like, yeah, that sounds great. That feels great. I can't tell you how many times I see people go after the mission side of their marketing, but they don't drive. They hardly ever talk about what they offer or define it. And so nobody buys from them. They're like, "Why does no one buy from me?" And like, because you're never selling anything? Because you're never connected on that side? You're just thinking past feeling. Great, I love you're making me feel good about stuff. I'm very much about sleaze-free selling too. And there are lots of ways to do it as a warm invitation. But if you never talk about what you offer, no one's gonna go, "You're waiting on someone to knock on the door. Go. I love this. Please tell me what you sell." Like, that's not gonna happen.
Jocelyn: Yeah, yeah, exactly. Exactly. So I'm really glad you connected the top there. Certainly kind of what I meant is just you need to make sure that your content kind of is connecting between what you do and that big picture mission.
Annie: Yeah, I think it's, you know, we were saying like lead with your mission, or maybe it's like level layer in your mission is kind of like what I'm hearing you say? Yeah, that's a beautiful term for it, for sure. So we don't lose that really important footing. And I love that. So that's the first place we start. What's the next thing we should do? Okay, we're starting to incorporate our mission more in the content. So it's got this broader, more aspirational kind of element to what we're talking about. And not just, "Hey, I do branding, right?" Or, "Hey, I do podcast strategy." So what's the next thing we should consider?
#2 ACTION TIP
Create an ownable experience — a content strategy that can only come from the unique combination of your strengths, experiences, and contribution to the world
Jocelyn: Yeah, the next piece that I love to recommend is really thinking about what can make your content really ownable to you. And again, this is another layer or another up-level piece because there's a lot of nuance, and it often doesn't happen overnight. Because, you know, typically when we're starting in business, we get templates, and we let somebody else teach us some principles that could be really helpful, or something like that in terms of creating content. But when we can get to a point where we can say, "Okay, what is my unique strength that I can bring to content? What is something that really lights me up? What is the way in which I like to show up? And what is just really inherently ownable to me as an individual leader, because of my unique experience, expertise, clientele, all of these different factors that nobody else has?" So how can I turn that into something that's really ownable? And for most people, when I'm working with clients, what I recommend is thinking of like, what a branded content series would look like in terms of making that ownable experience.
So what I'm really getting at here is kind of like thinking about, "Okay, if I were to publish the same type of content either weekly or monthly, depending on how big it is or however frequently, but if I were to publish almost like a series like this, "What would that look like? How would it be different than what's out there? How would it be something that somebody else couldn't really even copy, not that they would be trying, but just couldn't because it is so inherently ingrained in who I am as a leader?" And then turn that into the series. And what happens is you'll notice your community really loving it because it's just oozing with your personality. It's something that they're coming to know and expect and look forward to. And it becomes a lot easier for you to create as well because you've given yourself this one structure or this one template, or however you want to think about it in your head, to create from again and again. And it makes it just a lot easier to get into that more ownable place of like, "This is my little thing, my piece of the internet here."
Annie: Yeah, I love that, like my piece of the internet. And I'm hearing a lot of like, this comes again from having that foundation of knowing what it is that you can do, knowing yourself well enough, knowing your practice well enough of what you're trying to accomplish. And what could that branded series look like? In my book, "Establish Yourself," I call these consistency containers. So it's sort of a container to help you be consistent in your marketing because it's so hard, right? And like, you're kind of preaching to the choir here. Like "Branding with Friends" is a system, right? It's a repeat. We're coming up on three episodes because I have a system and templates and a format that really works for me and is unique, you know, really mashes up all the things you were saying, but that ownable experience.
Give us another example or two from your clients. Like, I would love to hear. I think this is one of those because it is so highly customized, right? Like, what's unique to me? Give me another example or two that maybe isn't like "Branding with Friends" so we can help folks conceptualize it.
Jocelyn: Yeah, so I'll give you an example of a client on social media because I know a lot of people are kind of on social media. And even if you don't have a podcast or anything like that, you can get started with this type of thing on social media or to your email list. So one of my clients is a mindful eating dietitian. And, you know, a lot of what's in the space is like healthy swaps, so you can trade this food for that food. It's a lot of information, and it's a lot of similar information because, of course, in the nutrition industry, there are, she, right? Yes, yeah.
So one of her branded series that we conceptualized was about mindful eating. So every one of these, they were just social media posts, was just one simple mindful eating practice. And it was something that not a lot of people were doing in this space, but it was really about getting people to be in touch with their body before, during, and after their meal experience, so they could cultivate a much more positive relationship with food. So each one was just like a 30 to 60-second tip that they could implement.
Annie: Was it writing? Like, what was the format for the content?
Jocelyn: Yeah, so we've actually done a couple of different formats of it just to hit it from multiple different angles because we know reels does really well. But she built her business with photos and graphics before reels were a thing. So that does perform really well. So we usually kind of cycle through them, and we'll map out six months' worth of this and then repeat it in a different format so that there's lots of variety.
Annie: And we're big on repurposing. See our episode on that. Yeah, yes, we're not here to create a bunch of stuff. We're here to tell you to create strategic stuff, reuse it smartly.
Jocelyn: Yeah. And when something performs really well, you have to remember not all your audience sees it, not so give it some space. You don't need to do the same thing five days in a row. But we're like, "Great, we have done this as a carousel. We've done this as a graphic. We've done this as an email. We've done this as a reel. We've done this as a long read for you.
Annie: Right, like most of us just share it one time. Like I've definitely adopted that. Like you gotta share things multiple times because you're right, most people don't see it the first time or the second time or third time.
Yeah, different formats people consume differently, right? Yeah.
Jocelyn: And that touches on a really important concept here of this kind of ownable experience. When you take this approach with content, you're looking for series like this that you can do. It should be really inherent to your approach. And when you have these fewer concepts that are really inherent to what you do, they're better and stronger, and that's what you want to repeat. It's not always about creating net new things.
So these are the strong ideas. These are just, you don't need 500 different ideas. You need the two or ten or twenty concepts that are really, really important. So how can you kind of take those concepts, present them, and reuse them again and again in this?
Annie: Yeah, I'm reluctant to do that. But it's like, you've got to. I call it playing your hit song. It's like, you've got to pick your lyrics and go perform it everywhere you go.
Jocelyn: You have the best analogies the plane hit song.
Annie: Well, when you spend two years writing a book, you identify all the analogies and metaphors you can possibly think of. But that is absolutely the thing. It's like, you know, I always think of The Beatles, like their first single, which I think was "She Loves You." I'm sure the comments will get me. I'm totally wrong. But their first single that made them a huge hit came out in 1962 in the UK. It wasn't a huge hit here in the US until two years later. Like, people don't remember that, right? They just remember The Beatles. But it's like one example of, you know, we know the tour bus, we know that, like, you've got to go out there and play the gigs and play the song.
And if you constantly change the lyrics or you change the melody, no one's going to sing it back to you. And that's the moment you want is when people start singing your song back to you. They get interested in the whole album, they want to buy the t-shirt, they tell their friends, like, all that stuff. But it never happens without the clarity and the consistency, without the commitment, you know, say like, commit to playing your hit song. It's just that simple.
But you'd be, I mean, I'm sure you hear, like, it's not, people don't want to do that. They don't do anything with that. They would say, like, "Please let me rewrite this song 20 times a week and never tell anyone when I change." They're like, "No, please just go."
Jocelyn: Yeah, no, I love this analogy because I think there's such pressure in the entrepreneur, especially online business world, to publish daily, to publish all this new stuff. And, you know, the work I do with my clients, I'm like, "Publish one really strong piece per week." And then, you know, my job is taking that and leveraging it and reusing it. Yeah, but that's the whole point, spend your time creating something better and something meaningful, like this hit song analogy that you're using here. And that's going to lighten up your workload so much, and it's going to push you to be a better leader at the same time. It's kind of like simultaneously.
Annie: I love it. I love double-dipping, yeah, quadruple-dipping. Like, that's what this system is for me. I get to, like, network with people, get more visibility. Like, it's all there.
So, so far, we would say, you know, layer in your mission, create an ownable experience. I know we've got that third tip. But before that, I know people are gonna want to learn more from you. And I know you brought something along. So what is that that people, through the links wherever you're watching or listening to this, can get to know Jocelyn a little bit better?
What have you brought along for Branding with Friends folks?
Jocelyn: Yes, so I have an email series, where I share how you can cultivate a community that converts. Community is really at the heart of what I do, I believe, especially in this era of algorithms, new channels and platforms popping up, you know, weekly, feel like all the time it's like do I need to be on Tik Tok? Do we need to be on clubhouse? Having a community that is built around your brand and coming and seeking your brand out I feel is like one of the most important things that we can do.
And anytime you invest in your community and really cultivating that digital relationship with them, it's going to provide an ROI, whether that's next week after you publish a piece of content or three years down the road when you launch a new offer, and you have people lined up waiting for it.
So in my email series, I share insights and stories for how you can really cultivate your own community through your content. And if you choose through a video show, which is how I help my clients
Annie: I love it. practicing what you preach, I appreciate it.
And if this episode has gotten you thinking, oh gosh, I don't have the fundamentals down. I'm not branding myself with a clear offer, and putting out what I am and like what is my mission? How do I articulate these things? That's what I can help with through branding services and business coaching, you can always grab a free consult with me if you go to greateststorycreative.com And get that big red button in the top right corner.
So with that we said layer in your mission, create that ownable experience? And what is that third and final big action tip for coaches and consultants when it comes to content creation? Yeah, so the best thing you can ask yourself constantly, is what can I add to the conversation that is already happening within my niche that's going to really help you uncover ideas and not just post the same Google information that everybody else is posting. Now I do want to, you know, set the context for this too.
#3 Action Tip
Add something new to the conversation in your industry — don't simply repeat what's there, look for what's not being talked about, what you disagree with, a different way to approach the status quo
Jocelyn: Yeah, so the best thing you can ask yourself constantly is, "What can I add to the conversation that is already happening within my niche?" That's going to really help you uncover ideas and not just post the same Google information that everybody else is posting. Now, I do want to, you know, set the context for this too.
Sometimes we need to provide context, so we do need to share some posts here that lay the foundation and are just like pure information that, you know, other people could share. But when we're thinking about, okay, how can I really show off my unique perspective, my unique approach, the way I think as a leader in my business, and how I approach my subject matter, we want to start looking at, like, okay, what can I add to the conversation?
And I think this, for me, is really about kind of like, you can be scrolling your own feed and see something and be like, "Oh, I really agree with that," or "I really disagree with that," or "Oh, those are some great tips. What would you add?" That way, you don't feel like you're competing with somebody else. Like, pretend you're in, like, a circle conversation, a roundtable conversation with other people in your niche. You wouldn't go and repeat the same thing that they just offered. You wouldn't repeat the same tips, you wouldn't repeat the same stories, or, you know, whatever it might be. You're going to add something on top of that.
So look for those moments, especially as you are consuming maybe some other people's content in your niche, and not feeling like you need to copy or that you need to compete and be better or challenge what they said. But really layer on that nuance, be like, "Oh, she touched on these things that were so interesting, but she didn't mention this. And that's so key here," and get really excited about that. I think that that's really important.
Annie: So, to me, it's about adding something new to the conversation in your industry. And I think that's a really great, you know, whether it's an opposing thought or an additional thought or something. But this idea of, one, I love that, you know, you wouldn't repeat yourself, you wouldn't say this sort of basic one-on-one stuff to the people who are already in your industry, even though this content is for your client. But you would start to talk about, like, kind of your formation of your own philosophy.
And this is a step that I don't see so many business owners that I come into contact with are just really even unclear on what their business does, let alone like what their philosophy is. And I think that this, you're kind of teaching a practice in a way of paying attention to what the conversation is, and starting to critically ask yourself, "What is missing here? What do I believe about this? Am I practicing this enough?"
And I think, for me, that was a nuance I missed for the first half of my business. I've been in business for almost 10 years. And what really has crystallized for me and having to write a book, I know I was joking about having to create frameworks and analogies and metaphors, but it really did. It pushed me in a way that I think you're suggesting, which is looking around in your industry and saying, like, "What is not working about it? What have I found to be counter to that or supportive of it, right?"
And so what I put in "Establish Yourself" are things that I have tried myself and learned that I feel really works, and it's not. And re things that I have tried myself and learned that I feel really works, and it's not. And I feel like I've had more interesting things to say and shaping my business identity and what I talked about on content, and even in these conversations have changed so much because I have started to think more critically and to share those thoughts publicly. And that has brought more, not less, people into what I do and helped me be more known for this area.
So it's less about, like, you know, yes, you have to layer in that contextual understanding. But this really is that, what can you add new to the conversation because you have those thoughts? But I think just so many of us don't stop to really think that their philosophy is even wanted in this conversation space. But I think that's such a powerful note to end on today of, you know, layering in the mission, creating that ownable experience. And then that last piece of, like, part of how you do that is bring your original critical thinking into it. And if you're not already doing that in your business, that's going to be a real game-changer, let alone how you talk about your content.
Jocelyn: Absolutely. And it just makes your content a whole lot more interesting because it will become, especially as you practice this, just so much more different than what is already out there. So you're really contributing something, and you're contributing it in a way that is meaningful. And again, coming from your strengths, your experience, your own expertise and work that you do, which is different than everybody else's. So it's a great practice, and it's a good way to look for ideas. When you're just feeling like a great way to write a book, just immerse yourself.
Yeah, I mean, it's a creative practice. Yes. And apologies to our listeners and watchers because, of course, the folks are doing the leaf blowing right outside my window as we're trying to share important tips here. Come on, I should tell them that I'm recording Ready with Friends. You shouldn't have this. But apologies, at least we're right here to the end. But Jocelyn, thank you so much for being with us. I think these were all great tips. And I'm hoping that people will listen to them and learn that it's not about creating any content. It's creating content that aligns with what you do and sharing it in thoughtful ways. So thank you again for joining us.
Jocelyn: Oh, of course. Thank you so much for having me, Annie.
Annie: Yeah, we hope you guys enjoyed yet another episode of Branding with Friends. So many thanks to my special guests, Jocelyn Monta Murano and have connected your content. I hope you'll tune in next time where we're going to tackle another topic where branding and business meet. Till then, I'm Annie Franceschi of Greatest Story Creative. You can find all our episodes, branding resources, and so much more on our website, greateststorycreative.com. Thanks for stopping by.
“Branding with Friends” Episode 38
Show Notes + Resources
Here are 3 key tips for content in business:
Define your mission — your content should align to your mission, not "what you do"
Create an ownable experience — a content strategy that can only come from the unique combination of your strengths, experiences, and contribution to the world
Add something new to the conversation in your industry — don't simply repeat what's there, look for what's not being talked about, what you disagree with, a different way to approach the status quo
Resources:
Sign up for Jocelyn’s Community That Converts Email Series: connectthroughcontent.com/email
Connect with Jocelyn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/connectthroughcontent
Dive deeper into branding and growing your greatest business with Annie Franceschi:
• Subscribe to the Greatest Story Creative newsletter to have new episodes of “Branding with Friends” sent right to your inbox the day they premiere!
• Find past episodes at BrandingwithFriends.com
• Connect with Annie for consultations, resources, and more here on greateststorycreative.com
• Follow Annie & Greatest Story Creative online:
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--- LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/anniefranceschi
--- Instagram - @annie.franceschi
To learn more about content creation or to seek Jocelyn’s help:
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