Getting to Home Base – How Content Marketing is a lot like Online Dating
Mark Byrne | Digital Marketing Specialist | Ward Technology Talent | Twitter
So your business decides to take the plunge and embark on a content marketing campaign. Content marketing puts your business out there, in the shop window so to speak. It opens up a line of communication with any number of Internet users to get to know your brand. In this post I’ll be drawing similarities between effective content marketing and online dating giving you tips on hitting a home run with your content marketing.
Catching their Eye
First things first, you want to catch the interest of a potential date – or that of your target demographic. The equivalent of the tried and tested eye-contact across the bar or the more recent online dating profile.
More often than not, the go-to choice for companies looking to build their online presence through content marketing is to use social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter. 84% of companies implementing B2C content tactics utilise social media.
Attention Spans
First impressions count and with today’s consumer having an attention span of 8 seconds (that’s one less than a goldfish) you need to catch their eye and spark their interest. Smart Insights talk about the 3-5-7 rule when it comes to email marketing,
3 – You have three seconds to get someone’s attention – this could be an enticing image or catchy blog title.
5 – You have five seconds, once you get their attention, to draw them in.- how does that opening blurb sound? Is it enough to keep a reader’s interest?
7 – If you got this far, you’re lucky. The next seven seconds are critical – this is where the quality of your content itself counts!
In a recent blog post we talked about how Tinder lit the world of online dating on fire. You only have to look at the user interface of this mobile app to realise how quickly we make decisions if we like what we see or we don’t. Again, when generating content for your business’s marketing be thinking of that tiny window that you have to spark interest in your target demographic.
Images
Images are powerful when it comes to increasing engagement with an online audience. It’s no different to an online dating profile that has a photo – it will build trust and draw people in.
– 94% – the average number of clicks that articles with relevant will receive over articles without images.
– 53% – of consumers view the value of a product’s image as more important than a review or a rating. Sure, your friend will tell you about how perfect person X is for you and how their favourite film is also Y and how you two could be soulmates – but we all know how important seeing this person is!
The All Important First Date
Okay, you’ve done the spadework and attracted an online audience. You’ve convinced them to Like and Follow you and they’re willing to listen to what you have to say. This stage is all about building trust and showing your audience (or date) that you are true to you word and live up to how you portray yourself.
What Now?
Listen – Consumers who engage with your social media channels do so because they’re interested in what your brand has to say. That doesn’t mean that you should post solely about your company and how great you are. Content marketing is a two-way street. You’ll be generating content to draw an audience in but it’s also important to converse with your audience and listen to what they have to say. Link tracking and Google Analytics are a great way to find out what strikes a chord with your particular demographic
The Relationship
Effective content marketing will result in an all round increase in engagement and commitment to your brand. Like any relationship, maintaining communication is essential.
– Take it slow – You wouldn’t text a date non-stop without a response, similarly, you shouldn’t spam your community with constant updates. This is particularly important when it comes to Facebook updates, if you’re looking for a surefire way to lose some Likes, posting every half an hour is a great way to achieve this!
– Variety is the spice of life – Vary your posts, share third-party content, make infographics – most importantly keep things fresh.
– Show that you still care – From time to time you can also let your community know you appreciate them by starting promotions, giveaways and sweepstakes.
Happily Ever After?
That’s up to you!
These are just some of the many similarities between effective content marketing and online dating. Hopefully by following the advice here some of you will hit a homerun with your content marketing and implement a winning strategy!
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