Marketing Content With a Job to Do: Giving Every Post a Purpose
Blogtober! Day 8 of 31 · Tue, Oct 8, 2026
A lot of content gets made because it's time to post. The calendar says Tuesday, so something goes up, even if no one's quite sure what it's meant to do. When a piece of content doesn't have a job, it's hard to know what to make in the first place, and even harder to tell afterward whether it worked! It can make you ask yourself… Well… why are we wasting our time here?
That's what this second week of Blogtober is about:
Content with a job to do.
The three jobs your marketing content can do
Most content falls into one of three jobs. Some pieces can do more than one, but it helps to know which job matters most before you start.
Bringing new people in
This content helps people who don't know you yet find you and get a sense of who you are.
It might be a post that answers a question your ideal customers are already searching for, a collaboration with another business that introduces you to their audience, or a short video that shows what you do in a way people want to share because wow, that’s pretty cool!
Building trust with people who already know you
This content helps people who are already following along feel more confident in you.
It might be a behind-the-scenes look at how you work, a story from a client or customer, or a post that shares your point of view on something that matters in your industry/hobby. Trust usually builds over time, so this is the job most content ends up doing. Usually, if we see you do it enough, we believe you.
Inviting someone to take a next step
This content gives people who are ready to join your journey and support you a clear way to move forward. It might feel icky to you — but your community WANTS to help you succeed! So, it is important to have this.
It might be an announcement for a new offer, a reminder that booking is open, or an invitation to join your email list or come to an event. The next step should be easy to see and easy to take.
Why giving your content a job matters
When you know what a piece of content is for, a few things get easier…
It's easier to decide what to make, because the job tells you who you're speaking to and what they need from you. It’s a program now, hopefully a fun one!
It's easier to keep your content balanced, so you're not only inviting people to buy from you (being a billboard) or only bringing in new followers who never really engage with you.
And it's easier to tell whether something worked, because you're measuring it against the job you gave it.
As much as having goals and systems in creative work can feel like we’re putting on pressure to be perfect, you’d be surprised how many of my clients feel MORE creative and free when the job is clear.
Where your content shows up
Content isn't limited to social media. This is why I use the general term “content”! What kind comes to mind for you? Content shows up all across your business, and each place tends to be good at certain jobs:
Social posts are often great for bringing new people in and building trust day to day.
Your website builds trust and gives people a place to take their next step.
Emails and newsletters build trust with people who already know you and make it easy to invite them to what's next. It’s a personal invitation.
Blog posts can bring new people in through search and build trust by sharing what you know.
Photos and video carry every job, since they're often what people see first and remember most. They can be placed pretty much anywhere.
Events and in-person moments build trust face to face, and the content you capture there can bring new people in long after the day is over.
What's your content's job right now?
All week, we'll keep building on this, from the questions your customers already ask you to what a content system looks like and how to know if your content is doing its job.
Think about the last thing you posted. What job was it doing?
Share it in the comments if you'd like. I'd love to hear it.
If you’re part of this blog challenge,
I think we’ll all have a similar answer!
This post is part of the Ultimate Blog Challenge, where bloggers publish a new post every day this month. It's not too late to join in, and you can catch up on Day 7 here.
Day 8, done. Twenty-three to go.
