What is Content? (And How to Make It Engaging)

If you’re reading this blog post, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess you’re probably looking for ways to make your choir shine online. Whether you're a complete beginner or simply looking to step up your game, you’ve come to the right place. This guide will help you understand what content is and how to create engaging, meaningful content that resonates with your target audience.

But first, a quick refresher!

Who is your target audience? SproutSocial defines a target audience as “the group of people you want to purchase your products or services.” OK, that’s cool and all. But who, specifically, are these people and how do they relate to your choir? 

These people — that is, your target audience — can be anyone who already is or would be interested in hearing your music, supporting your mission and, ultimately, benefiting in some way from what you offer the world. These people might already have a relationship with your organization, having attended concerts in the past. Or perhaps they haven’t been to one of your concerts before, but you’re on their radar because a friend was talking about how amazing your last holiday concert was. 

OK. So, now that we understand the who, it’s time to talk about that what.

What Exactly is Content?

Put simply: Content is anything your chorus shares online that’s intended for your target audience. That’s it! The end. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk. LOL. JK. But seriously. I wish someone had put it that simply when I first started in the marketing world.

Back in 2012, I was relatively new to marketing and, although I felt drawn to the field, the idea of ‘creating content’ was really intimidating to me. “Content is king!” was the 𝓂𝒶𝓇𝓀𝑒𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓅𝒽𝓇𝒶𝓈𝑒 𝒹𝓊 𝒿𝑜𝓊𝓇, and all the buzz around the importance of quality content built it up in my mind to be WAY more complicated and elusive than it actually is.

So, I’m here to demystify the concept of content by giving you real-world examples of what content is, as well as tips for how — and why — to make it engaging.

Why Content Matters

Creating engaging content is crucial because it helps your audience connect with your choir on a deeper level. It's not just about promoting events or selling tickets; it's about building relationships with your audience, and building a sense of community and connection to your organization, its mission and your music.

At the end of the day, people want to gain something from interacting with our organizations online. Engaging content can benefit your audience by being inspiring, informative, and entertaining. And all of these things can help your audience feel like they’re a part of something special, because, after all, they are!

Real-World Examples of “Content” for Choirs

We already know that content can be any piece of digital information created and distributed for your target audience. But what does that look like in practice? To help give you some real-world points of reference, below you’ll find examples of different types of content, organized by the marketing platform (e.g., website, social email). These real-world examples are taken from an existing Chorus Connection customer, the Grammy-winning ensemble Tonality (who also happens to be one of my clients).

These real-world examples are taken from an existing Chorus Connection customer, the Grammy-winning ensemble Tonality (who also happens to be one of my clients).

Website Content - You know all that information on your choir’s website? It’s content. We’re talking:

• Concert landing pages and graphics
• Blog posts and press releases
• Organizational mission, vision, and history
• Staff and singer bios
• Media like videos, photos, audio recordings
• Written calls-to-action inviting visitors to donate

Social Media Content - “Content creation” is most commonly associated with social media, so I'll starting with this platform. Much like your website, any piece of information you're sharing through social media is considered content. I'll use Instagram as an example because it’s my personal fave. Examples of content can include:

• Branded profile photo and bio
• In-feed posts like Reels, photos of your choir, concert graphics
• Social media captions and the calls-to-action you include them
• Instagram Lives; Instagram stories

Email Content - I love email marketing because it’s the most direct way to stay in touch with your existing patrons and supporters. Much like the other platforms above, here are some examples of content you may include in your email marketing:

• Concert landing page links and graphics
• Snippets/teasers of blog posts/news stories to entice readers to click
• Personalized greetings and salutations
• Branded header and footer images
• Campaign-focused header and footer images/graphics
• Media like videos, photos, audio recordings
• Written calls-to-action inviting readers to donate

5 Choral Content Ideas to Engage Your Audience

We’ve covered what content is, who your content is for, and why it’s important to make it engaging. Now it’s time to dive into the how. Creating engaging content takes a little practice, so remember — the goal is progress, not perfection. One thing to keep in mind is that it’s okay to tap into the emotional aspect of music. Like music, emotions are a universal language, and they can help your audience connect with what you're sharing — especially since music is such a personal and often deeply moving thing.

So, here are six content ideas to help get you started with engaging your audience!

1. Behind-the-Scenes Rehearsal Videos

People love to see what goes on behind the scenes. Share snippets of your rehearsals, the friendship between choir members, and the hard work that goes into preparing for a performance. This not only helps humanize your choir, but can also help your followers feel like they’re getting an exclusive look into your world.

2. Spotlight Singers, Stories and Volunteers

Highlight the people who make your choir special! Share stories and testimonials about your singers and volunteers, focusing on how being part of the choir has impacted their lives. Whether it’s a singer who found their confidence through music or a volunteer who has found a sense of purpose in giving back, stories can help make your content relatable and impactful. Send a survey to your choir asking them two or three questions like: “Why does singing matter to you?” or “What does singing in (insert your choir’s name) mean to you?” You can take their responses and turn them into a quote graphic with a photo of the singer, or you could use your smartphone to record a video of them answering the prompt and share that on social media

3. Encourage User-Generated Content (UGC)

Another great way to get content is to invite your audience to share their own experiences and memories about your choir. In your email newsletter, at your performance or on social media, invite your audience to post videos of themselves singing along to your music, to share their favorite choir moments or share a photo of their experience at one of your concerts. This can be a great way to get fresh content while building a sense of community.

PRO TIP: Don’t forget to ask them to @ tag your choir, so you can see it and reshare it and also remember to thank them for their shares.

4. Showcase Past Performances

Use Throwback Thursdays (#TBT) to share clips from past performances or interesting facts and stories about your choir. This not only keeps your content varied but also gives new followers a glimpse into your choir’s history and achievements. And, this is a great way to use historical images and connect with former singers in your choir!

5. Try a Social Media Trend

Joining in on social media trends and using memes can really amp up your engagement! Keep an eye out for what’s popular, and, if you feel like it will resonate with your audience or has the same vibe as your organization, be brave and give it a go. Take this post by the San Diego Master Chorale, for example.

Leading up to their “Stage & Screen” concert, the San Diego Master Chorale (SDMC) creatively jumped on the Barbie bandwagon with this trending template. The engagement rate for this post nearly doubled!

(Fun Fact: SDMC’s Executive Director, Jen Rogers, and her intern Madelyn Stewart created this meme together. Jen also brings her marketing mastery to the Chorus Connection Blog Team. Read more of her posts here!)

Creating engaging content for your choir doesn’t have to be daunting. By focusing on personal stories, emotional connections, and community engagement, you can create content that resonates with your audience and builds a strong, supportive community around your choir — and hopefully have some fun in the process.

What’s an example of content that your audience enjoys? Have you had a social media post perform crazy well when you least expected it? Share your experiences in the comments!