It’s time to break out of the blog. Content Marketing is much more than churning out social media posts, unopened emails, or blog after blog. In this piece, we’ll be showcasing three examples of organizations that engineered an unusual twist on content marketing services to reach their audience—in places they weren’t expecting it.
If your content isn’t performing, you might be thinking too narrowly. That’s where a content marketing agency can bring a fresh perspective and encourage you to consider the possibilities of different kinds of content.
To get the most out of your collaboration, it’s important that you first do some preliminary thinking.
The Broader Functions of Content
The brilliance of content marketing is that it can do so many things for you—reaping big-picture benefits that go beyond driving clicks. Good content marketing can and should:
further your brand positioning
support your product
lead people down the marketing funnel
answer frequently-asked questions, and/or
make customers happy to read it.
Our most basic rule for knowing when content is up to par? It has to be engaging. Yes, this can mean several things. Ask yourself: what does engaging mean for your particular audience and the particular channel you’re using? Decide if your content is aiming to be useful, informative, shocking, offering a deal, or simply entertaining. All of these are engaging in different ways.
What Are You Trying to Accomplish?
A well-conceived content strategy can tackle just about any big picture goal. For example,
Does your brand have an image problem?
Is there consumer resistance to your product?
Are you launching into a new vertical?
Is your product so new that you need to create a category for it?
Maybe you’re struggling to differentiate yourself in the marketplace?
Case in Point #1: A Dating App that Addresses a Major Hang-up
In the crowded world of dating apps, Hinge has flourished. But it faces another, larger challenge besides their vast competition: large numbers of people don’t enjoy dating and many have been burned through dating apps, especially due to “ghosting” (when users ignore former dates and just stop communicating altogether).
One of Hinge’s key aims is to discourage ghosting and make their users feel safer. To bolster this message, Hinge created an entire podcast to bring these stories into the open. “Ghost Stories” features real people reuniting with someone who ghosted them. Afterwards, they feel better about dating and so, coincidentally, does the listener. The audio medium of a podcast also nicely coincides with one of the app’s most unique features: audio prompts.
Understanding the Audience for Your Content
Hopefully, you already have a good idea of your customer personas. Understanding who you’re creating content for and what kind of content they like is essential before you invest in a content medium.
If your goal is to differentiate your brand, you might want to look for types of content that are being neglected. If everyone in your space is posting Twitter memes, maybe you should explore the idea of a mobile game or documentary short. It might just be the thing to make you stand out from the pack.
Case in Point #2: Converse and… Music?
Take the Converse shoe company – makers of the Chuck Taylor All-Star, a perennial staple of hipster fashion. Converse recognized its indie-rock-fan customer base and started Rubber Tracks, a Brooklyn recording studio that records bands for free and promotes their music.
Acting as a de facto record label isn’t exactly a one-to-one connection for a shoe company to make and the move surprised a lot of fans. But it actually makes perfect sense as a vehicle to reach their audience, reinforce their brand identity, and win new customers by helping them discover up-and-coming bands.
How to Deliver Your Content to Your Audience
You’ve got the perfect content for your target audience. Now how do you make sure they find it in the vast ocean of competing information? You’re probably already on Social; maybe you’re at events where your customers are. But if you really want your content to make an impact, each of its parts has to be of an organic whole, including how it’s delivered.
Case in Point #3: Toby and the LA Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team has an active Twitter presence, which it uses to distribute a series of videos that take fans behind the scenes. Dodgers fans are highly engaged on Twitter, equally verbal in showing their support and criticism for the organization.
Enter: Toby, a beagle who became an internet sensation when his owner posted a video of the pair cheering on the Dodgers during the pandemic. In response, the team sent a care package – which never arrived. Turning this PR flub into an opportunity, the Dodgers invited Toby to the stadium for a “Very Important Pup” experience (which, of course, they filmed).
Recognizing the internet’s insatiable hunger for cute animal videos (while also playing off the famous “Dodger dog” stadium food), the team used the very delivery system that often portrays them as just another faceless corporate sports franchise to soften its image.
Of course, the team had already laid the groundwork that allows a well-executed, well-timed piece of content like this to take off. They promote their social media channels throughout Dodger Stadium, during broadcasts, and on merch, and the story was picked up by all the sports blogs, ESPN, local news, etc. They were ready for virality.
Sure, not every company has a major league baseball team’s reach. But consider this: Toby was already a viral hit before the Dodgers reached out. The team saw an opportunity to build off his success. Perhaps a savvy animal rescue organization could’ve seized the moment to bring Toby over to their cause.
How Do You Measure Results?
How do you know when your content is working? This isn’t just about hitting the viral jackpot; sometimes it’s as simple as your podcast winning a new subscriber. A steady climb in engagement means you’re doing it right. That’s an ever-increasing audience to market your products to, and since you’ve shored up goodwill and addressed possible resistance with your content strategy, it’s an audience that is now likely much more receptive to your message.