Four things holding your brand back from leading in the content game

Like any form of marketing, building your brand through content requires a long-term commitment, regularity, and patience. But the results of your efforts will in turn be long-lasting and a much deeper connection with your customers than the old yell-and-sell approach. Gone are the days of those in your face, price-driven campaigns: “Buy now. Hurry in. 50% off!” This is a new era where a strong relationship with your customers can allow you to raise your prices, not drive them down. It’s no longer a price battlefield but a value battlefield played out on content platforms.

And like all good things, a slow build can have lasting benefits and payoff.

First, some terminology. When we look at content branding, we’re talking about servicing your prospects and customers with content that delivers value and builds your brand beyond words. Today, it’s happening best through video, but also blogging, podcasting, and storytelling on social media outlets. It’s about your brand becoming part of a lifestyle, an ethos, and a trusted resource in the lives of its patrons. While this can take on many forms, it’s time to recognize that your brand is a broadcaster and publisher. Let’s say that again: Your brand is the broadcaster! And must take on that role to effectively grow and stay relevant. And every day that passes, is one more day wasted in the life of your beautiful brand reaching out into the world and having a positive impact. 

It’s an exciting time in content creation. For example, the biggest brands in the world are developing television-style, high-quality shows specifically for YouTube. But is Nike’s latest YouTube series about shoes? No. It’s about young people doing cool things. The most Nike thing about it is that it represents the culture of their shoes. The essence of brand-building. Companies like Patagonia are releasing hour-long documentaries directly on the home page of their website with filmmaker Q & A’s that follow the premiere. Are these docs selling jackets? Not directly, no. They’re selling environmental activism, a massive part of the Patagonia culture. And that’s something that every human with even half a heart can get on board with. 

And so buying the product becomes a form of expression for people who align with the brand values. That’s a beautiful opportunity for brand-builders.

But scaling your content supply to profitable levels can be daunting initially. So let’s take a look at a few of the enemies that may be holding your brand back. By addressing them, we can surmount them. Going full tilt with content requires courage on the part of your business, a bold vision, and in some organizations, busting through the buzz-kill of bureaucracy to make it happen. So here are some tips for putting to rest the reluctance to build your brand with content.

1. CONSISTENCY. “We don’t know how to do it consistently. What should it look like? Can we create volume and quality long-term?”

Some say, shoot it and get it up - the immediacy is what matters. Others hold out for highly-produced pieces. The reality is that there is room in your arsenal for both - potentially. Consider the intended perception of your brand. Where does the idea of quality rank with your brand? Are you a discount brand? A prestigious brand? This will determine what ratio to use of produced content to candid content. In an ideal world, one might argue everything should look produced. But in reality with the convenience of iPhones, for example, making the most with what’s available in the moment is sometimes all that matters. Especially when a pandemic sweeps through and complicates certain types of production. But keep in mind the immortal words of Marshall McLuhan, the media theorist and philosopher: “The medium is the message.” If your medium is a crappy, phone-shot video, your message is also perceivably less valuable by default. 

2. COST. “Can we afford to produce content at a high volume? There’s no line in the budget for that.”

The answer: produce it at scale. It may take some time, but determining what volume of content generates the margins you’re looking for is key to making the cost work. In other words, make it pay for itself. While the initial investment may be tough to swallow for a while, effective content will pay for itself over time, and often faster than you might expect. How long? Consider an initial investment period up front and set some goals for it, measure its reach, and track correlations between engagement and sales. And use those numbers to factor your next scale up. And when studying the numbers, don’t confuse the effectiveness of the content with your campaign reach strategy. In other words, if your video isn’t performing on Facebook, look deeper to see who’s watching and how much you’re spending on promotions before drawing conclusions. Also, look for ways to shoot a high volume at one time to save on the costs and spread out its release.

3. SUPPLY. “How do we create enough good stuff? What the heck will we show after our initial ideas are used up?”

Don’t worry, your brand is a rich supply of content. You’d be surprised what you’ll find when you peel back the layers. There are ways of mining it for the long haul. Here are a few tips to get you thinking in a value-driven direction… Why not share your process, share your struggles? And build on that. Share other people’s stories related to your brand. Notice we didn’t say share the features and benefits of your products. No. Brand building is about the journey. The heroism. The everyday people rising out of mediocrity. There’s a rich supply there just below the surface.

4. TIME/PERSONNEL. “We don’t have the people-power to make this happen. We’re exhausted just thinking about it!”

The answer here is: Outsource. Find a content supplier who gets it - a producer or production partner who gets excited about ideas that are outside the box, and who can add to your marketing vision. In addition, a partner who can expand your content’s reach through internet marketing savvy could help you get the most out of your investment. Remember, storytelling is at the heart of this process, and that’s a job for a professional when it comes to representing your precious brand. Skilled editing is key too, as turning nothing into something will prove valuable to you along the way.

Now, fast-forward into the future and consider what you’ll see when you look back. Along side your beautiful brand will be the journey, documented and shared for all. A legacy, if you will, that tells the story of the rise of your brand - out of mediocrity, and into its full glory. 

This story can start today, even if you won’t feel ready until tomorrow.

-Your Media Dept.