Where does the "quality" of content come from?

It's often said that "content marketing requires high-quality content." We also frequently hear that the need for high-quality content will only grow stronger going forward.

But what exactly is "high-quality" content?

Some think it's something that moves people emotionally. Others believe it's something that surprises the world. Some consider it something that gets shared. Some envision high-quality photos or videos, while others imagine flashy, tech-driven gimmicks.

All of these perspectives are certainly valid.

But what's often overlooked, precisely because it's so fundamental, is that it must "effectively convey the intended message." As we often experience in daily life, even among close acquaintances, "effectively conveying the intended message" is difficult. This is even more true when communicating with strangers. Therefore, mastering this fundamental aspect actually forms the foundation that supports "quality."

For those with experience creating content professionally, this is common knowledge: to ensure "the message you want to convey is properly understood," you need a "framework" centered around what you want to leave in the recipient's mind.

Ideas that appear to spring from sudden inspiration are actually built upon a framework invisible to outsiders. In fact, the more novel the idea, the more likely it is constructed from a robust framework.

Another essential element is calculating how the message will be received. How will the audience feel? How will it resonate with them? This requires fully engaging your imagination.

Let's examine this in a bit more detail.

Point 1) What do you want to leave behind?

To effectively convey your message, the sender must first clearly define what they want to communicate. This column is a perfect example: even when you start writing thinking, "I've got a great idea!", it often doesn't come together coherently enough to be properly understood. Ideas that sparked excitement during brainstorming sessions, or those that suddenly popped into your head, often transform unexpectedly when you actually start writing. When this transformation doesn't converge positively, and elements become disjointed fragments, it's usually because the "core message you want the recipient to retain" hasn't been defined.

Another common pitfall is cramming in too many things you want to convey. When unrelated topics or fragments of elements are haphazardly packed together, it leaves the reader wondering, "So, what exactly are you trying to say?"

Trying to forcefully connect these disjointed fragments one by one usually results in something incoherent—something where the core message remains unclear.

Point 2) Calculating How It Will Be Received

Just as important as clarifying "what you want to convey" is calculating how it will be received. Any content must be planned based on the premise that "what the sender intends to convey rarely gets through to the receiver." You must keep in mind that sometimes, the message can even be interpreted completely differently from the sender's intent.

For example, consider characters and text. The placement and layout balance alone can make it appear as a message from the company or as dialogue from the character.

Or, the amount of keywords and key messages within the entire content. A slight shift in balance can make it feel pushy or just right.

After planning content, it's essential to step back and review the plan from a third-party perspective. However, professionals are human too. It's surprisingly common during production to overlook things the audience doesn't yet know or fully understand. Mutual checking on these points is also a crucial task for the content team.

Both points are so fundamental that some might think, "What's the big deal?" But in the planning process, refining these aspects has become just as important as competing with ideas. Moreover, these are skills that only come with extensive practice.

The rise of blogs and social media has increased the number of people writing. On Instagram, everyone casually edits their photos and uploads beautiful works. Illustrator, Photoshop, digital SLR cameras, design templates encountered everywhere. Now, anyone can possess production capabilities on par with advertising creators.

However, to consistently produce high-quality content that truly becomes an asset, it seems necessary to discern whether someone has experience training in the points mentioned above.