How to create content about topics you know nothing about
In the words of Internet people, “being delulu is the solulu”, but delusion can only get you so far.
Welcome to the Business of Storytelling. In my last post, I wrote about employer branding and how companies can use storytelling to attract talent. Today we’re discussing how to become knowledgeable enough about any topic. Subscribe to get future posts directly to your inbox. Follow me on LinkedIn to stay in touch.
Anyone who has ever worked in marketing has likely been asked to produce content about a topic they’re not an expert in. Or maybe you’re working in an industry you’re new to. Or you’ve been asked to edit, or worse, ghostwrite an article on behalf of someone who is an expert on the topic, but is too busy to write the article themselves.
I’ve been in all of those situations, but nothing brought me more panic (and excitement in equal measure) than the nearly two years I spent working in a government press office, writing thought leadership articles and press release quotes on behalf of actual Cabinet Ministers.
I remember the first time I told my mum that an article I wrote for the Secretary of State was published in The Sunday Times, and she asked why my name wasn’t next to it. Oh, the humble life of a behind-the-scenes press officer. Cue the violins.
It wasn’t all heartbreak though. Those experiences shaped me into a better marketer, and improved my research (or Internet stalking) skills. I learned how to write in anyone’s tone of voice, which comes in handy when I need to draft a quote for one of my clients, who might be a tech CEO, or the Managing Director of a creative agency.
Knowing how to quickly educate yourself on any topic is an important skill to succeed in marketing, writing, job interviews, dinner parties, first dates (if you care to impress), and life in general.
Here are some tips I’ve developed and practised over the years.
1. Go straight to the experts
If you’re working with an internal team and you have direct access to experts in the company, reach out to them, but be mindful of their time. Let them know the key points you’re focusing on, who you’re targeting, how their insights will be used, and how it will benefit them. People are often happy to contribute when they know what’s in it for them.
Ask for a 15-30 minute call (I prefer calls because I find it easier to understand their thoughts and express myself on a direct call with a person). If they don’t have time for a call, send them three to five questions you need answers to. Your questions should be framed in a way that allows you to capture the information you need. You can ask the expert to send their answers in bullet points if that’s easier.
Try any of the following questions:
How would you describe [X] to someone who’s never heard of it?
What do you think makes [X] unique?
Why should people care about [X]?
Who do you think would find [X] most interesting?
What difference does [X] make to people?
These questions are a great starting point; they help you determine your target audience, the story’s unique angle or proposition, and how to relay the key messages in a simple way.
If you’re lucky enough to secure a call with a colleague, ask follow-up questions and be prepared for the conversation to take a new direction (as long as it’s still relevant), and enjoy it. You don’t need to follow a rigid order of questions you’ve prepared.
When I worked at ustwo, a digital product studio, I wrote case studies about an EdTech platform, an app for robot vacuum cleaners, and a fitness experience created by combining game design principles with product design. I knew nothing about these topics; all I had in my arsenal was access to the clever technologists and designers who built the products.
2. Get into podcasts
The bad thing about podcasts is that there are too many. This is also the great thing about podcasts. There’s probably a podcast episode about whatever niche topic you need to learn about.
I’ve always been an auditory learner, so podcasts are my favourite way to understand a new industry or subject matter before starting a project. Listening to a podcast is easier than forcing myself to sit upright at my desk and read the client’s entire website, or click through a 15-page deck about their core values.
Because there are too many terrible podcasts, I tend to judge which ones to listen to by looking at their ratings on Spotify. I also read the episode description to see who the guest is, where they’re located, and what they do for work. The quality of guests says a lot about a podcast.
I’m not ashamed to say that I also judge podcasts based on their name, episode title, and cover art. Far too many podcasts are poorly branded (this is why you should hire creatives, sorry not sorry).
Last year I was wrapping up a project with a nonprofit that creates paid internships for diverse talent, and my work was heavily focused on LinkedIn Ads. I spent three months deep in the world of internships and campaign analytics.
The following week, I started a brand strategy project for a family law firm. I knew nothing about the legal industry and there I was, preparing to help a team of lawyers determine how their firm should sound and feel.
So, here’s what I did to get my head in the game.
I listened to a podcast about a family law firm in Australia. Of course it was a different cultural and legal context compared to my UK client, but I learned about their approach to family law, what exactly family lawyers do, and the type of cases they work on. Then I was able to contextualise my client’s own approach within the industry.
Of course, I still completed the usual process of auditing my client’s internal and external materials, doing competitor research, and interviewing their team. But there’s something relaxing about learning from a podcast while making breakfast; it eases me into work mode.
As always, with podcasts, take everything with a pinch of salt and apply it to your own scenario by looking out for common themes and learning from opposing ideas.
3. Online stalking, formally known as “research”
In my first post about how to find a story in anything, I mentioned that Twitter (now X) can be a gem for finding new information, if you can look past the drama and inconsistent opinions on the platform.
I love trawling through the Internet to find information about specific topics I’m working on.
This is especially helpful if you don’t have direct access to experts or thought leaders.
If you have no idea how to identify the experts, search for a relevant hashtag or topic online, see whose name keeps coming up and who is actively involved in the conversation, then read more about them and their work.
Once you know who the experts are, type their name into a search engine, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. Search whether they’ve written any articles or have been interviewed about the topic.
The Internet is even more of a minefield than podcasts. So, search for specific keywords by entering the words or phrase inside quote marks. For example, type: how to build a "design system" into Google. This ensures that your search results explicitly reference the terms you’re searching for.
Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Business Insider are my go-to online publications for research. Oftentimes, journalists have already distilled complex information in a way that is easy to understand.
If you’re writing about the expert themselves or on behalf of them, look through their social media. LinkedIn and Twitter are my top choices if I want to understand someone’s tone of voice and the type of language they use or don’t use. Depending on the work you’re doing, Instagram can also give you a glimpse into people’s interests and how they present their ideas.
Online research is the easiest way to gain access to expert insights without contacting the experts directly; just make sure you’re able to express their knowledge in your own voice.
There’s something freeing about not being an expert in a particular topic. It means you have a wonderful opportunity to learn and tell stories in a way that is accessible to most people.
As a non-expert, you can find interesting ways to bring a story to life simply because it’s new to you and you’re learning about it for the first time. So, it’s easier to put yourself in the shoes of someone who is also discovering that topic for the first time, which means your content will resonate strongly with them.
Being a great marketer requires you to be resourceful. Do the heavy lifting, take what you can find from other sources, and turn it into something beautiful.