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Author: Rachel Foster
Rachel Foster is an award-winning B2B copywriter who helps technology marketers create content that drives action. She works with clients to increase their online conversion rates, shorten their sales cycles and fill their events. You can connect with Rachel on LinkedIn, follow her on Twitter @CopywriterTO or check out her B2B marketing blog and resources at www.copywritertoronto.com.
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3 Ways to Break Out of a Content Marketing Rut
Einstein defined insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” If your content marketing is on autopilot and you’re not getting the results you want, I wouldn’t say you’re insane, but you could certainly use some fresh ideas.
Unremarkable content can also be a big problem if you’re in an industry, such as technology, that relies on innovation. If your marketing does not reflect the innovation that goes into your products or services, it can put you at a disadvantage by making you look either boring or too complex.
Here are three tips to help you break out of your content marketing rut.
Look outside your industry
One of my friends, Krister Shalm, works in quantum physics — a topic most people would say they don’t understand. However, Krister has a gift for making physics accessible and entertaining. He recently held a talk called, “Quantum Physics and the Magic of Harry Potter.” By showing how quantum physics was used in the popular series, he sold out his two-night show and educated people of all ages about his field. Krister even timed the talks to coincide with the release of the final Harry Potter movie, which also helped increase his audience.
If you can relate your content to something that is popular or newsworthy, you may attract more publicity and a larger audience.
Try a different medium
Does your organization always publish data sheets when your audience really prefers white papers? If your content isn’t reaching your ideal audience, you may need to change your delivery method. Determine what kind of content works best for communicating with your audience. For example, if they are auditory learners, you may want to record podcasts; if they typically spend a lot of their time on YouTube, you can consider using your content as the basis of a video series.
You can also repurpose your content in ways that might attract an expanded audience. For example, you can turn one of your webinars into a white paper, video series, blog posts, or social media updates. This means that if people missed a live webinar you offered, they could still find the content through their favorite social media networks or other channels.
Try something new within an existing medium
I recently wrote an article for Chief Content Officer Magazine called “Reimaging the Tried-and-True White Paper.” The article explores how new technology, such as interactive white papers and video white papers, is helping marketers improve the ROI from their lead-generation campaigns.
Experimenting with newer content features and options is a great way to put a fresh spin on the content you offer through a reliable medium like print. For example, try adding interactive components to your next white paper such as video or custom content that is relevant to each reader’s industry or role. You can also make your existing content more social by encouraging comments and adding social sharing features. This can make your message more exciting or accessible while giving you an opportunity to share more information about your organization.
Remember: Although there are endless ways to make your message stand out, you must always keep your focus on creating content that is relevant to your buyers’ needs. If your content is not relevant, all the extras will be a waste of your marketing effort and budget.
What about you? Have you tried (or do you want to try) anything outside the box for your content marketing? Feel free to share your thoughts below.