“We need to stop interrupting what people are interested in and be what people are interested in.”
– Craig Davis (J. Walter Thompson)
Content marketing is the tactic of choice for today’s most exciting and forward-thinking brands. It helps them communicate their positions, interact authentically with their customers and expand their influence—just to name a few benefits. And with the ever-increasing customer demand for content, more brands are recognizing that it’s time to implement content marketing plans of their own or risk being beat out by the competition.
But is it really as simple as launching a blog and jumping into the fray?
Well, that’s where a lot of brands end up turned around in a bad neighborhood with their destination lost in the crack of the map. Brands like this tend to approach content marketing by hiring a writer or two and turning them loose to create and post content on the brand’s blog. While this “post and pray” method may have worked 10 years ago, it’s just not enough to compete with the sophisticated content marketing of other brands.
In order to have content really move the needle for your brand, you need a comprehensive content marketing plan. Here at Amplify, we have a unique five-step process to achieving brand goals and proving ROI for the brands we work with. And a crucial part of that plan is creating a diverse mix of evergreen, newsworthy and viral content.
Creating a mix of content will allow you to speak to your customer’s interests, inspire them to pursue their passions and provide them with the resources needed to achieve their goals. In turn, your customers will loyally wear your brand as a badge and use their influence to spread awareness of the brand throughout their community.
But don’t just take out word for it, the following brands are thinking “beyond the blog” and using comprehensive content marketing plans to establish themselves as industry leaders and own mindshare in their respective spaces.
Ernie Ball
Ernie Ball are champions of evergreen content. Their String Theory series and short films examine the musical influences, playing styles and journeys of important players. They use beautifully filmed and tastefully produced evergreen content to engage new and existing customers by telling the story of prominent players and connecting each story to a key topic such as string choice, how string gauge effects tone, etc.
Vallerret
Vallerret makes photography gloves for creators looking to capture dramatic images in harsh climates. They draw in new customers with highly-shareable viral and newsworthy content that capitalizes on current industry trends, such as traveling to a popular location like Iceland.
By presenting potential customers with the above article, infographic and customized map, Vallerret is fueling the passions of their target audience and leading them down the path to purchase a pair of gloves for their icy adventure.
Ableton
Ableton is a go-to authority and resource in the electronic music market—why? They’ve invested in high-quality content for years—creating high-res documentary videos, deep tutorials, written interviews with audio pros, and more. They also keep their finger on the pulse of the community and are quick to bring the latest news, tips and trends to their audience. This content drives nearly 1m organic views to their site every month and has increased the financial value of their visits to 5x that of other competitors.
Reverb
Promotion is vital to getting high-quality content in front of the right eyes—and Reverb knows it. But just like one type of content isn’t enough to maintain a content marketing plan, one type of promotion won’t optimize visibility. That’s why it’s best to take a multi-pronged approach. Reverb has embraced this approach, promoting their content across multiple channels using social media campaigns, digital advertising, and link building. Their innovative approach to content marketing continues to add value to their brand, and no doubt came into play during their recent acquisition by Etsy for $275m.
Tying It All Together
What do these brands have in common? As we discussed above, they’re going the extra mile to implement comprehensive marketing programs that make them stand out amongst all the other content. And as part of that, they’re providing their customers with a variety of high-quality content that nurtures their interest, influences them to purchase and rep the brand in their communities.
Interested in crafting a comprehensive marketing program that’s unique to your brand and customers? Book a call with us to see how Amplify can help take your brand to new heights.
