A lady jolts awake in the dark, awoken by a thud from downstairs. A wizard, who’s been coaching within the magical arts since he was a boy, is about to face his first nice take a look at. Aircraft crash survivors on a distant island grapple with their new circumstances.
Every sentence is the beginning of a brand-new story. And someway, in a single sentence, these tales have the ability to seize our consideration and spark our curiosity—one thing content material entrepreneurs purpose for with each piece they create.
So, what’s the important thing to efficiently capturing curiosity in business audiences? Creativity.
How can we get inventive with content material advertising and marketing?
As a content material marketer for a B2B tech firm, I understand how burnout feels and the way laborious it’s to generate new concepts. There’s round the clock stress to create new content material—whether or not the aim of that content material is to recruit for an occasion on social media or promote a brand new product on the weblog. Generally, I really feel extra like a content material machine than a content material strategist.
When you share this sentiment, we’re not the one ones. The truth is, analysis finds that 61 p.c of creators are experiencing burnout.
Entrepreneurs can’t produce their greatest work in the event that they’re burnt out. And in case your content material doesn’t stand out out of your competitors, it gained’t flip your prospects’ heads. Content material high quality is a significant component for potential patrons evaluating manufacturers with comparable merchandise. Research present that poor-quality content material decreases the chance of a sale by 40 p.c.
Your model’s content material wants to seize consideration, or your prospects will go elsewhere. How do you make that occur? With extra creativity in advertising and marketing belongings.
3 methods to embrace inventive content material advertising and marketing
For now, let’s overlook about search engine optimisation, analytics, firm targets, and deadlines. As a substitute, let’s give attention to alternative ways to spark creativity with content material to gauge curiosity and engagement.
1. Develop a deep understanding of your model
The traditional Greek aphorism “Know thyself” suggests that is the very best type of information. The identical college of thought applies to your organization’s model.
You is perhaps considering, “Clearly! I’m a marketer. It’s my job to reside and breathe our model.” Even for those who clearly perceive your merchandise, firm values, and goal persona(s), doing a intestine examine in your model is crucial. Even veteran staff and model creators have to ask themselves, “Is that this consultant of who we’re?” at occasions.
Does everybody in your workforce share the identical understanding? If not, it’s time to make sure everyone seems to be on the identical web page. You may’t produce inventive content material with out one key ingredient: Consistency.
Your model wants to face for one thing, and your inventive content material must make noise in your business.
However with no constant model underlying all of your content material, your most good concepts will confuse your viewers.
“Creativity” doesn’t imply each weblog put up or whitepaper you write is drastically totally different from the one earlier than it. The truth is, the definition of creativity is solely “using creativeness or unique concepts.”
Is now the time to redefine your model or convey new concepts to the desk to current a inventive however unified new entrance? A re-vamp may assist make your content material really feel extra contemporary and thrilling. Or, perhaps your workforce simply wants richer documentation and model requirements, so everyone seems to be rowing in the identical route.
2. Experiment with totally different media
Virtually each firm with a content material advertising and marketing perform covers a couple of core areas. The most typical embrace an energetic weblog, social media, long-form belongings (like eBooks and whitepapers), electronic mail newsletters, and buyer case research.
Don’t get us flawed: You want most of these belongings. They’re the bread and butter of content material advertising and marketing. However creativity in advertising and marketing is about bringing novel concepts to the desk. Chopping-edge thought management is one solution to stand out. However are you able to go even additional?
Along with occupied with the “what,” take into consideration the “how.” How will you use totally different media to current inventive content material in a method that few others are leveraging? It’s 2023, and there are such a lot of methods we are able to relay info from one particular person to a different. For instance:
Multimedia content material: Movies, infographics, podcast
An estimated 3.63 billion folks worldwide will watch digital video content material in 2023. But solely 12 p.c of entrepreneurs really feel like they’re utilizing video to its full potential. There’s an enormous alternative right here. Whether or not utilizing visuals to assist inform a narrative or creating content material that prospects can take heed to, multimedia content material can relay extra digestible content material extra effectively. The truth is, it’s estimated that one minute of video is price 1.8 million phrases.
Interactive content material: Quizzes, embedded shows, dynamic charts, and graphics
Content material shoppers need one factor: Worth. When you can reply a query they’ve or clear up an issue, you’ll earn their loyalty. Partaking, customized, and interactive inventive content material is a good way to try this.
Interactive content material, like a quiz that tells you the place your group may greatest profit from AI, additionally encourages prospects to share their views with their networks.
3. Attempt a hub-and-spoke content material technique
You may’t generate inventive content material with out killer concepts. Sadly, typically these concepts don’t come to you whenever you want them. If you really feel caught, lean on the ability of brainstorming approach. The hub-and-spoke technique is certainly one of our favorites.
What’s hub and spoke?
Image a bicycle tire with a hub within the heart and a myriad of spokes branching out of it. The hub-and-spoke content material technique comes from that visible.
When devising a hub-and-spoke technique, you want one core content material piece from which all different items will derive. Usually, this may be a bigger content material asset, like a video course on lead era technique or an eBook about rising cybersecurity dangers. From there, the spokes are items of inventive content material that broaden upon concepts throughout the core asset, comparable to brief video clips on social media, a weblog put up, or an infographic.
Hubs and spokes are nice for creating an enormous splash marketing campaign from one sturdy, inventive core thought. It additionally retains readers in your website longer, as every bit can hyperlink to 1 one other, or all items can roll off from a core pillar web page. It’s a wonderful alternative for prospects keen on a selected subject to do a deep dive into your model.
A hub-and-spoke brainstorming session nearly at all times yields wonderful outcomes on your workforce. It permits you to create an inventory of associated concepts and use solely the perfect ones. Maybe one thought you thought could be nice is a lifeless finish. Nonetheless, one other thought takes off and permits you to develop inventive content material that includes distinctive views in supporting items, comparable to interviews with inside stakeholders.
Put your most inventive foot ahead
The nice, massive world of content material is your oyster!
By creating content material that prioritizes creativity, you can also make each piece of content material you produce a phenomenal, wealthy story that captivates your readers and immerses them in your merchandise, your group, and your core values.
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