Views going down? Engagement not what you hoped? You aren’t the problem, and neither is your strategy. It’s your content.
Before you freak out, your content is bad; it’s just boring. Or it’s not connecting with your audience. That’s why you need to be making unselfish content. Seriously, creating content for your audience is a game-changer. And sometimes it just takes a quick perception shift.
Let’s break down what counts as unselfish content and how to (easily) work it into your current strategy. (And, before you ask, yes, the grammatically correct version is selfless content. But the other content experts are saying “unselfish”…so we are, too.)
What is Unselfish Content? 🤔
Unselfish content is content that centers the audience instead of you, the creator. This content is still about you, your life, and your interests. But it also helps your viewers do or accomplish something. Tutorials are a form of unselfish content; you’re creating the video and showing off your skills, but you’re doing it to help people. Unselfish content has to give the viewer some kind of value.
To give you a rubric, unselfish content should make the audience feel:
- Included
- Educated
- Inspired
Don’t worry about accomplishing all of these in one video! Focus on nailing one within your content.
✨ Creating Unselfish Content ✨
Making unselfish content is a lot easier than you might think. A lot of heavy lifting can be done just by reframing the videos you already enjoy creating! But it won’t hurt to come up with some other video concepts.
“What About Me?” 👑
When you start planning, scripting, or voice-over-ing (that’s a verb, right?) your videos, ask yourself a few questions.
- What’s in it for the viewers?
- What is the audience getting out of this?
- How can I include my viewers?
- How can I make this video about my audience?
To create truly unselfish content, you have to center the audience from start to finish. Make sure your video will give them something or make them feel like they’re part of the story.
Reframe the Topic 🖼️
You don’t have to create a whole new video strategy to make your content unselfish. Instead, reframe your videos so they clearly give the audience something.
Let’s use the most selfish video type as an example: a vlog. Usually, your audience can’t get anything “useful” out of a vlog, so they’re a hard sell. Here’s how you can take your vlogs from self-centered to inclusive.
Instead of “My 5-9 Before My 9-5,” you can make “The Morning Routine to Survive a Day in Corporate”. Instead of “Run Errands With Me,” your vlog can be “Hunting for the BEST Sunscreen”. It’s a subtle change, but it clearly focuses on the viewer and what they’ll get out of your video. Depending on your video, you might just have to change that opening line or the opening text!
Answering Questions 🤓
You can reframe your videos until you’re blue in the face, but at some point, you’ll also have to include actual content your audience wants. Yeah, your vlog sounds like it’s for them, but is it really? What are you sharing that’s going to include, educate, or inspire them?
One easy way – actually, the easiest – is to think of questions that the audience might have and answer them. They don’t have to be super complex questions. If you’re sharing your experience at a new amusement park, talk about what you thought of it and how much you spent. Now the audience is getting something of value (the experience and price) along with your video. And it keeps you from having to answer the same questions in the comments!
You can even do this in your voice-over! Try to add context and information that your viewers would want. Literally imagine you’re watching a similar video; write a list of what you’d want to know and address the most important.
Tell a Story 💬
Creating some kind of conflict in your content is a great way to create more unselfishly. Maybe you aren’t teaching your viewers anything, but you’re entertaining them. And, depending on the conflict, you’re including them!
Let’s use a mom vlogging her back-to-school shopping process as an example. “Come Back to School Shopping with Us” does include the audience…but “Back to School Shopping on a Strict Budget” adds some flavor. There’s depth. There’s urgency. We want to see what this mom gets with this budget. And maybe learn how to shop on a budget in the process!
Unselfish Content Pillars 🏛️
To create unselfish content, you don’t have to completely readjust your content. But, if you want to incorporate more unselfish content into your profile, there are a few content pillars you can focus on!
- Tutorials. Any tutorial is considered unselfish content because you’re helping the audience. Just be sure to frame it correctly!
- Reviews. Post videos reviewing local restaurants, new movies, or anything. You’re helping educate people, and might help them save money!
- Advice. Pick something you know a lot about. Cats, fashion, food, anything! Start creating content where you give advice on this topic.
Like we said, you don’t have to change your niche to create unselfish content. But if you want to try out something new or love the idea of making content with clear value to the viewer, these are some easy niches to try out.
Let’s Recap 📝
Unselfish content might be about you, but it centers the audience. It leaves your audience feeling included, educated, or inspired. You don’t have to completely redo all of your content and create a whole new strategy to make unselfish content. But when planning, filming, or editing content, ask yourself what’s in it for the viewers. Prioritize giving them something.
Most of your content can easily become unselfish by reframing the topic, addressing questions the audience may have, and adding some kind of conflict. Don’t worry about doing all of these at once. Just use one for your videos! If you do want to pivot and create more unselfish content, tutorials are a perfect place to start. You’re teaching the audience something. Not only is that educational, but it might be inspirational and inclusive if you play your cards right.
Need a more unselfish content inspo? @inspiredmediaco on TikTok is THE go-to.
Learn more about storytelling (and content planning) in our storyboarding article. If you’re new to planning content in advance, you can steal our content planning process. Take advantage of the rest of summer with our 2025 summer content calendar!
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