Creating killer content is about “quality” and not “quantity.”
When the web first appeared, marketers threw up their arms and yelled “Hallelujah”. Salvation had finally arrived in the guise of an unlimited marketing opportunity, one that would reach everyone in the world and instantly make them your customer.
Not so fast! Those who knew how to spin their webs, creating killer content, grew fatter than those who just stuck their web properties up in the corner and stood back to wait.
The sit back and waiters learned that even when you have a net you might not haul in any fish. Why?
You’re not using the right bait.
And that means you’re wasting your time. You’re wasting your hard earned money and you’re most certainly wasting your ammo.
General Does Not Necessarily Mean Opportunity
Do not confuse general targets with opportunity targets. A rifle, well aimed, with the right ammo, aka, message, will be much more effective than the scatter of a shotgun with bits and pieces flying everywhere.
Refinement is never-ending.
Einstein who apparently knew a thing or two said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Who are we to argue with him? Especially, because it is a proven argument. Just because you keep on doing something over and over again does not mean you are doing it right. The same principle applies when you are focused on creating killer content.
Content Marketing is Not A Shouting Contest
When it comes to your content marketing, just yelling the same message, using quantity and not quality doesn’t work. In fact, an old saw in advertising says, “nothing kills a bad product quicker than good advertising.” A similar thing can be said of your content, nothing will keep you standing still longer than content that goes nowhere, targets no one specifically, has nothing intriguing or educational to say. And worst of all is a yawn!
The Early SEO Gurus
The early SEO Gurus and web marketing experts fell in love with the concept of SEO. It was the answer to everything. Just say your name and your claim non-stop and your ranking and your success would go through the roof. But they soon agreed there was a whole lot more to making it happen, especially as the web went from the early adopters to everyone.
The truth is you need to do much more. You need to make what you post spreadable, repeatable and actionable. You need to load your web with clickbait and keep it fresh and fast and fun.
Being Everywhere Will Get You Nowhere
Going to LAX and boarding every plane at the gate won’t get you to your desired destination. In the case of online marketing, your place of choice is engagement. 8 seconds is a blink of the eye in the real world and an eternity on the web. Roving eyes are tough to hold in place and once they’ve moved off your message they’ve moved on. Sayonara, Adieu, Adios, Goodbye.
You Gotta Be in The Right Place at The Right Time
Being in the right place, at the right time, with the right audience is the winning combination. A client of ours hit it on the nail when they started the “Dress Up Your Pet,” movement in America. And now it has spread around the world. When they first began selling designer sweaters, Halloween costumes and Hawaiian shirt collars and leashes, our initial store buyers gave us that look. You know the one. Big eye roll. That look quickly left their faces replaced with looks of shock as Poochi products flew off the shelves. Why? These business owners knew their audience and client and marketed directly to this small industry niche. They ignored the rest.
Creating Killer Content isn’t Great if It Isn’t Interesting and Relevant
There is just no point in trying to market poor content. In the above business, the guiding principle was simple. The targeted audience was women. Specifically empty-nesters, grandmas, widows, single women who refer to their pets as fur babies, and to themselves as dog Moms. It was a group that responds more to cuteness than utility. We oriented their content towards this audience of women. We helped the customer focus on the value of cuteness over need. We focused on impulse power over considered thought. Our targets were drawn to puppy cute articles and animal videos. And that is what we served.
Simply put, once we knew who the target was we could track where they hung-out. It was an audience based-approach with specific content designed to invite their own emotions into the sales cycle. We were well on our way to creating killer content that sells.
How to Be Irresistible
Be your own harshest critic. Not easy to do but necessary. If your content doesn’t immediately draw your audience in, go back to the drawing board. Ask yourself this all-important question:
Does What You Are Saying and How You Are Saying It Attract or Repel?
Let’s take the Poochi example again. We made the website was rich with videos of puppies playing with babies. The cutest breeds in the world. Fashion hounds, dog tricks.. See. We made our content something for our audience to look forward to. We knew what they liked and gave it to them.
Coverage Doesn’t Assure Penetration
Never forget that your flies have the attention span of a gnat. Which means that your outreach isn’t really reaching anyone. Where you place your message is easily as important as the message itself. Just because you’ve everywhere doesn’t mean you’re anywhere.
I’m doing to you what you should be doing to them. Supply data that I know that you need. And I know if I don’t know what you need – well then, I need to find another gig.
Think about your audience long and deep. When the client first conceived of Poochi we talked to everyone and everyone knew someone who loved their pet more than anyone in the world.
Bingo. Man, that’s like being given a metal detector when your out prospecting for gold.
Here’s The Truth. Blunt. Direct. Unvarnished
The web, social media, twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, all of them in truth are “terra incognito.” An unknown land in a rapidly evolving atmosphere. So in truth, everything is an experiment. And even when successful, the web is a fickle thing. Keep trying then evaluate, then adjust, that is my job.
Remember My Space, Navigator and AOL. Those are just to name a few that I can still remember. That’s how quickly the new becomes old, the effective becomes irrelevant and yesterday’s hot property becomes today’s cold fish.
Are We Suffering from Blog Clog?
The web gave millions a chance to have a voice. Blogs are all over the place. Quick, hurry up do a blog and make big bucks, and millions did. But just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do it. First, you need something to say and figure out where to say it and who to say it to.
Think Outside The Box
Our understanding of this pet business led us to bring the pet industry into the fashion industry, the gift industry, the housewares industry, the children industry. It was all about opening up our minds and blowing out the traditional markets. Our blog had bite.
Recruit Influencers
People with a following can lead a lot of people to your content. Seek them out and contact them. Think out why they should care about what you are saying. You can find them on related blogs and articles. Learn all you can about them. Ask their counsel and advice. You will be shocked how freely some people will share with you.
When my marketing company was heavily into environmental products and clients we produced a blog called, “America the Green.” Everyone was thinking green, experts, influencers and manufacturers were all eyeing the market and the opportunity. We made it fun, lively, informative. We created a free-forum and invited audiences and guests.
Where to Turn for Help?
You can do it yourself and you can do it great. But content marketing is an ever-changing, always challenging landscape, offering opportunities that can be perfect one moment and imperfect ten seconds later. Most businesses and services are cash tight so every investment has to pay off.
Find yourself a group that can differentiate their content from their elbows. Professionals that know the tools of the trade, and who understand how to use them.
Find a tech dream team who is ahead of the curve. One that will give you personal attention, can offer every service you need including site enhancement, constant monitoring, and a willingness to experiment and explore. Contact us and we’ll tell you who.
Remember, the smartest spiders use the web best and capture the biggest audience.
