If your brand’s content falls flat, take a leap of faith to fix it
The currency of digital marketing today is fast becoming quality content given the amount of time people spend on their phones inside one of a small handful of destinations like Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube or Snapchat. It’s through smart, highly authentic videos, pictures, and words that consumers are discovering and connecting with a brand’s DNA while they tune out more traditional ad mechanisms.
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In some respects, it’s remarkable how fast brands and their content efforts have shot to the top of the pecking order. I’ve been working in the branded content business for over ten years now, which seems like a light year. But let’s not forget that the idea of blending some form of a commercial entity and media dates back decades to the earliest black and white TV soap operas.
Sadly, for enthusiasts of this space, content marketing – though critical – still rarely delivers on its potential.
Why?
For starters, there’s a fundamental schism between how marketers and publishers behave. The former typically build their efforts around their products, their timelines and measure against their needs. Whereas content experts put their audience first - meticulously dissecting what topics and ideas interest them.
Money, too, is a factor. Good content can be expensive to produce and distribute. And it works best when focused on not just an audience, but a sub-audience; one that may have limitations in scale, but is where the magic happens of building loyalty and trust.
Those who deserve to be heralded – GE, Red Bull, Patagonia, Bevel – clearly understand that relationships with customers are built on trust, and trust is based on truth, honesty and authenticity. These types of publishers have a keen sense of who they are and who they want to engage with at a sub-cultural level because that’s the type of specificity and focus it takes to get content to hit its mark.
Most brands get a failing grade on content. But there is hope, if brands are committed. To create a sustained content program that can work effectively at all points in the customer’s path to purchase, marketers must do three things:
- Embrace a core belief or position; take a stand and have a strong, unique point of view.
- Understand deeply the audience and its various sub-audiences that matter most to your objectives and develop a brand voice that speak to them in a genuine way.
- Value quality or quantity in your production efforts and challenge your creative teams or partners to drive smarter, 'stop-me-in-my-newsfeed' ideas that can be translated throughout your audiences.
Of course this is easier said than done. We haven’t even mentioned the fragmentation of digital media as a real challenge in finding your audience and sub-audience.
However, adopting a rigorous editorial mindset for a brand can have tremendous impact.
Kayvan Salmanpour is chief content officer at iCrossing