Does it feel like we’re creating more content than literally ever before?

We are.

We’re leaning on content to fill the gaps where physical contact, in-person engagement, and eating out at our favorite restaurants used to live. But we’re not just creating more content; we’re also consuming more—about 40% more since COVID began.

That consumption number just feels good to hear, doesn't it? Validation. Proof that the content we’re creating isn’t for naught. Audiences are bingeing it to get their questions answered, to learn, to feel connected, and to stay entertained while spending a never-ending amount of time at home. 

As brands and marketers, now is the time to use content to grow your brand. To reap the rewards and make this your content moment. 

Here are some of my favorite content plays AND some brands doing it well.

Play 1: Lean Into Educational Content

If education is not a core part of your marketing mix, make it so. The How To/FAQs side of content is often considered the easy stuff, but it’s some of the best, most rewarding stuff too. We need teachers. The people and brands we rely on to make us smarter. You can do it with:

• On-Site Content: Assets on your site that are resourceful and build your authority over time. Not sure what to write about? Interview customers, your service team, your sales dept., and check your analytics to uncover real customer questions and challenges. Make it easy for others to view you as the subject matter expert by being the subject matter expert.
• Blogging & Webinars: Giving away insights asserts you as the adult in the room, while strengthening your organic footprint. Webinars, the true Pandemic Prom King, have been exceptionally popular since last Spring, giving us content that feels personal because it allows us to see someone’s face.
• Independent Research: Information that can’t be attained anywhere else because you created it. You compiled the insights and, as a result, you benefit from the credibility boom (and PR opps...). Many businesses are already collecting the data—seeing trends and spikes and what’s new. Distill it, then share it. 

💡 Don’t have the resources to create your own research? Repackage publicly available data and make it digestible for those who need it. It’s practically a public service.

Play 2: Partner Up for Content Collabs

Content is better with friends to help you enjoy (and write and promote) it. Look for natural partnerships—where you and another share similar customer profiles—and make content marketing a joint venture.

For example:

You’re a healthcare organization. They’re a skin care company changing stereotypes in the beauty industry.

You’re a local gym. They’re a big-name athlete with local ties willing to do virtual workouts under your branded banner.

Partnering up allows you to share resources, while increasing everyone’s exposure to relevant audiences. 

Want an example? 

Pasta-brand Barilla partnered with Spotify to create playlists that last exactly as long as it takes you to cook your pasta. The venture is called Playlist Timer and the perfectly-named playlists match up with the perfect cooking time for their pasta namesakes.

What’s more fun than Boom Bap Fusilli? Maybe Pleasant Melancholy Penne.

Play 3: Create Content Designed to be Shared

Content doesn’t have to be words. It also doesn’t have to be so gosh darn heavy.

I have such appreciation (and envy) for brands keeping it light and giving me content to not only enjoy and consume, but that I feel compelled to share. 

For example:

Dunkin Donuts specifically requested my expert help naming an adorable patch of puppies. Can you believe it? 

Nugget Comfort raffled off a highly coveted Nugget (if you know, you know) asking people to share how they were giving back to their community in honor of the MLK holiday.  It created a sweet local community/Nugget community footbridge.

This is something I could get better at. I don’t need to produce a 5,000 monologue every time. I’m a work in progress. Keep content moving by keeping it light.

Play 4: Foster Community

I’ve mentioned that I'm now in a private Facebook group about rugs. Can't say I saw that coming but welcome to life in your almost-40s, I guess.

It’s a style and design group hosted by Ruggable where people share photos of their spaces and get advice on which Ruggable would look best. Community members also post photos of their new rugs for others to ooh and ahh and comment over. While still relatively new, the group already has more than 3.6K members and it’s one of the nicest, most well-behaved Facebook groups I’ve ever been a part of.

Ruggable is using content (and Facebook) to nurture a community where amateur home décor enthusiasts can connect and find information that is helpful, supportive, and makes them feel part of this insider club. It fills an emotional need for pandemic nesters to connect and feel seen, and well, I love it.

Giving people space to share personal experiences and things that resonate with them can be a powerful approach to content creation. Plus, they’ll do a lot of the work for you.

Building a content-focused brand takes time but, if you ask me, there simply isn’t a better way to build a brand.

What content are you soaking up lately?

• Overit VP Paul Fahey got personal on the Times Union's 20 Things Plus. The video interview is worth a watch.
• Kraft Heinz asked people to draw ketchup…and everyone drew a bottle of Heinz. How’s that for a brand win?
• ...much better than Kraft's attempt at pink mac and cheese. 😷
• For the first time in 37 years, Budweiser won’t run a Super Bowl ad. Instead, they’ll use those advertising dollars to support COVID-19 vaccine awareness and education. Score one for corporate responsibility.
• I really enjoyed this piece on the high price of mistrust.
• Lastly, fragrance entrepreneur Tamar Weinberg interviewed marketer Kenny Hyder (someone who means a whole lot to me) about the heart attack he had at 30 that left him with more questions than answers. Give it a listen.