In our previous blog post, we discussed a few methods to make your content marketing more memorable. Many small businesses and organizations are currently struggling to rise above the daily flood of online content, and many are finding themselves lost in the mix and unable to significantly connect with new followers and potential customers. Small businesses and organizations often have drastically less resources to devote to marketing, so it becomes more important than ever to develop ways to make a marketing campaign more memorable and engaging than the rest.
What Need Is Being Fulfilled?
One of the fundamental keys to any successful marketing and advertising campaign, regardless of the method or platform, is a clear understanding on the part of the small business owner or marketer on what need or desire is being fulfilled by their products or services and to then stress the worth of said product or service in the marketing. This concept, which on its face sounds incredibly simple and obvious, is nonetheless still ignored, overlooked or abandoned by many experienced marketers and entrepreneurs hot on the pursuit of a unique or exciting new marketing campaign, often with disastrous results. What can you do to ensure that no matter what your small business does to boost your content marketing, you are making a compelling case for the value of your products or services?
Maintaining The Core Of Your Marketing
When we think of memorable marketing campaigns or engaging content marketing, we often think of campaigns or content that don’t seem to really be about the product or service being offered at all. We may consciously remember a funny television advertisement, more specifically the elements of the ad that were so entertaining, yet we usually don’t immediately think of the underlining themes of the ad that pointed out the value or usefulness of the product or service being advertised.
A Progressive Example
A great example is the “Flo” series of advertisements for Progressive Insurance. Fans of the ads may instantly remember a funny, often self-deprecating series starring the helpful, almost artificially cheerful progressive insurance salesperson/agent/mascot Flo. However, they do not consciously realize that in every ad, embedded within the comedy routines and amusing one-liners, is the core message that Progressive Insurance products are flexible, affordable, and reliable. While the character may be funny and likable and sometimes even irreverent, she’s also a strong and compelling brand ambassador for Progressive, which is reflected in the ongoing success of the campaign.
Demonstrate Your Value
While your small business may not be able to afford a series of professionally-produced television advertisements, the same principles should carry over to your content marketing. No matter how funny, compelling, or interesting your posts may be, they all need to have a clear and compelling case for the value of the product or service being marketed embedded at their core. If you don’t understand or can’t effectively explain why your product or service is valuable, then even the funniest, most engaging content in the world isn’t going to bring in more new customers, even if it provides a temporary boost to your follower count. In the end, you will entertain and temporarily engage your followers, but the effect will be shallow and ineffective in achieving your primary goal of growing your business.