Mercy Maju

What Are You Using Content to Build?

Maybe the question isn't:

“How do I create more content?”

Maybe it's:

“How do I use content to build the kind of online presence I actually want?”

There's a difference.

One focuses on producing more.

The other gives you direction.

Because you can spend hours creating content and still feel like you're going nowhere.

You can post consistently, come up with new ideas every day and still not be clear about what all that effort is building.

But when you understand what you're trying to build, your content starts making more sense.

Maybe you're trying to become more visible.

Maybe you want people to understand what you do.

Maybe you want to build trust in your expertise.

Maybe you want to become known for something specific.

Maybe you want to attract the right audience, create opportunities or make it easier for people to consider your products or services.

Those things don't happen because you simply posted more.

They happen when your content is working towards something.

And suddenly, content doesn't feel like this endless thing you're supposed to keep producing.

It becomes a tool.

A very powerful one.

But still a tool.

And I think that's a distinction more people need to understand.

Don't just become someone who creates content. Become someone who knows what they're building with it.

There's a Bigger Picture

At some point, I think we have to stop asking:

“What should I post?”

And start asking:

“What am I building with all these posts?”

Because content is important.

But content by itself isn't the whole picture.

You can have hundreds of posts, thousands of followers and even millions of views, and still not have a clear online presence.

What matters is what all that content is helping you build.

Can people clearly tell what you're about?

Are they discovering you?

Are they understanding what you do?

Are they learning something from you?

Are they beginning to trust your knowledge?

Are they remembering what you want to be known for?

Are the right people finding you?

Are they becoming interested in what you offer?

Are new opportunities beginning to come from your online presence?

That's why, for me, the conversation has to go beyond content.

Content matters.

But what you're building with it matters even more.

And I think that's the bigger conversation we need to have.

What Do People Say About You When You're Not There?

Here's a question I've been thinking about:

If someone mentioned your name when you weren't in the room, what would your audience associate with you?

Would they say:

“Oh, that's the person who teaches...

“That's the person who makes...

“That's the person who helps people with...

“That's the person who always talks about...

That association matters.

Because whether you realise it or not, you're building a reputation online.

Every time you explain something, share an experience, demonstrate your skill, give your perspective or help someone solve a problem, you're giving people another reason to associate your name with something.

You don't build that reputation from one post.

You build it from repeated evidence.

One post shows people what you know.

Another shows how you think.

Another shows the work you do.

Another helps someone understand a problem you can solve.

Over time, those pieces start forming a picture in people's minds.

And that's why what you consistently talk about matters.

You're not just creating posts. You're giving people reasons to remember you for something.

Someone sees your post for the first time.

They find it useful.

They click your profile.

Now what?

Can they quickly understand what you do?

Can they see the kind of work you offer?

Can they find more content that helps them understand your expertise?

Can they tell how to contact or work with you?

Because getting discovered is only one part of building an online presence.

Think about a physical shop.

Someone walks past, notices the sign and decides to enter.

But once they're inside, the shop still has to give them enough information to understand what's being sold, see what is available and decide whether they want to buy.

Your online presence works in a similar way.

A post may get someone's attention, but your page gives them somewhere to go next.

They can explore your content, understand your work, learn from you, see what you offer and decide whether they want to stay connected.

Don't just create content that gets people to notice you. Build an online presence that gives them a reason to stay.

That is when attention starts becoming useful.

Your Online Presence Can Become an Asset

Imagine someone discovers your page while you're asleep.

They read a few of your posts.

They understand what you do.

They learn something useful.

They see examples of your work.

They get a sense of how you think.

They discover what you offer.

And by the time you wake up, they already have an idea of who you are and what you can help them with.

That's one of the things I love about building an online presence.

Your content can introduce you to people you haven't met yet.

Your page can become a place where people discover your work, learn from you, understand your expertise and get a sense of the problems you can help them solve.

It can give someone enough information to think:

“I think this person can help me.”

And that is much bigger than simply having something to post every day.

Because when you consistently put useful content, your knowledge, your work and your perspective out there, you're gradually building something around your name.

Something people can discover even when you're not actively talking to them.

You're building an asset.

Not just a page with posts on it.

Think about the last time you discovered someone online and eventually paid them for something.

You probably didn't see one post and immediately send money.

Maybe you saw their content several times.

Maybe you liked how they explained things.

Maybe you checked their page.

Maybe you read their stories.

Maybe someone recommended them.

Maybe you saw their work.

At some point, you moved from:

"Who is this person?"

to:

"I like what this person does."

Then:

"I think I can trust them."

And finally:

"I want what they're offering."

That's a journey.

And content can be part of that journey.

Good content doesn't always demand the sale immediately. Sometimes it prepares people for the sale.

“Solve People's Problems With Your Content.”

You've probably heard this advice before.

But what does it actually mean?

It doesn't mean you have to solve someone's entire problem with one post.

Sometimes, it simply means helping someone understand something they didn't understand before.

If you're a baker, you could explain why a cake sinks in the middle or what causes a cake to become dry.

If you're a cloth stylist, you could show people how to choose a style that works well for a particular body shape or how to combine colours without making an outfit look too busy.

If you're a digital marketer, you could explain why a business is getting views but not enquiries, or what might be missing from its online presence.

If you're a nutritionist, you could help someone understand what a balanced meal actually looks like or clear up a common misconception about a particular food.

If you're a purpose and identity coach, you could help someone understand why they feel stuck, how to identify what matters to them, or what might be keeping them from making a decision.

See what is happening here?

You're not just creating content to fill your page.

You're using your knowledge, experience, skill or business to help someone move from “I don't understand this” to “Now I get it.”

Your content can answer questions.

Clear up confusion.

Help someone avoid a mistake.

Show them a better way of doing something.

Help them make a decision.

Sometimes, the problem you're solving is even smaller than that.

Someone simply wants to know what to consider before taking the next step.

So instead of only asking, “What can I post today?”

Ask yourself:

“What can I help someone understand, do, avoid or decide today?”

That's when you start seeing content differently.

You're not just creating posts.

You're using content as a vehicle to help people.

What Are All Your Posts Building?

Imagine every post you create is a block.

One block doesn't look like much.

But if you keep laying blocks without knowing what you're building, you can eventually end up with a pile of blocks. 😂

That's what random content can feel like.

One post about your business.
Another about your personal life.
An educational post.
A sales post.
A trend.
A motivational quote.

Individually, none of these posts may be bad.

But collectively, what are they building?

Your content shouldn't always feel like a collection of unrelated posts.

Over time, someone should be able to look at what you've shared and get a clearer picture of what you do, what you know, who you help and why they should pay attention to you.

That's when your content starts working together.

One post introduces an idea. Another builds on it. Another answers a question. Another demonstrates your expertise. Another gives people a reason to consider your offer.

Each post may have its own job, but they should be helping you build something bigger.

That's something a lot of people miss.

They're focused on creating the next post instead of thinking about what all their content is building together.

Content is a vehicle, not the destination.

Yesterday, I came across a lady's page. She produces peanuts in bulk and sells to individuals and companies, whether they need a small or large quantity.

What caught my attention was how she turned the things already happening in her business into content.

She shared videos of raw materials being offloaded.

She shared snippets from the production process.

She showed the packing process.

She even shared some of the experiences that come with running the business.

She wasn't just posting because she needed something to put on her page.

She was using content to show people what she actually does.

And I think that's one beautiful thing content can do for you as someone with a business, skill or service.

You don't always have to sit down and think, “What can I create today?”

Sometimes, you can simply look at what you're already doing.

What are you working on?

What happens behind the scenes?

What do you know because of the work you do?

What are you learning?

What can people see you doing?

Content gives you a medium to bring people into your world and let them see what you're capable of.

The content isn't the destination. It's the vehicle that helps people discover the person, business, skill or expertise behind it.

The Post Isn't the Prize

A post getting 500 likes isn't necessarily the win.

I know that sounds strange because we're constantly looking at numbers.

Views.

Likes.

Comments.

Shares.

Followers.

And yes, those numbers can tell you useful things.

But imagine you create a post that gets 20,000 views and not a single person who needs what you offer discovers you.

Then another post gets 1,000 views, but three people who genuinely need your service find you through it.

It depends on what you wanted the content to achieve.

That's the point.

A post isn't automatically successful because it has big numbers.

Sometimes the real result is that someone discovered you.

Someone understood what you do.

Someone trusted you a little more.

Someone realised they had a problem you could solve.

Someone decided to follow you.

Someone eventually became a customer.

The post is not the destination.

It's the vehicle that helps you get there.

You don't create content just to have posts sitting on your page.

You create it to help people discover you, understand you, trust you, connect with you and, ultimately, take whatever next step makes sense for your business, skill or service.

So don't get so focused on the post that you forget where you're trying to take people.