Delivering consistent results for content marketers
Too many content marketers seem to struggle with building a consistent audience. Indeed, some publish content that becomes a big hit — it drives engagement, it gets shared, and it delivers new leads. However, many of these efforts don’t produce successful results on a dependable and repeatable basis.
Fortunately, I believe I’ve found a potential solution to this problem: One key to consistent growth lies in building a consistent format for your content, and using it to make an appointment with your audience members that they won’t want to miss.
Welcome to the Man Cave
Every single Friday, (yes, every single one), I wake up and check my Facebook feed. As I scroll through the mundane posts from friends and family around the world, one entry always draws my attention: “This Week at the Man Cave.”
How does the Man Cave work?
My favorite Friday Facebook post features a black-and-white picture of a man holding up a sign with a single, handwritten word on it. The image always draws me in, and I’ve come to eagerly anticipate its arrival each week.
Moreover, the provocative Facebook photo is always captioned with a (short) story that explains the significance of the picture and its associated word. It’s always a personal, emotional story, and it always makes me think. Though the posts are brief, they make a powerful impact.
Click to enlarge
So, who’s behind the Man Cave?
Some of you may know Joseph Kalinowski. JK, as he’s often referred to, is the talented designer and creative director behind the Content Marketing Institute’s brand. (Not to be confused with the “other” Content Marketing Institute Joe who’s known for his insane love of the color orange.)
JK isn’t selling anything. But if he were, I’d buy it. Through his content, I’ve developed a relationship with JK’s personal brand, and I’ve come to anticipate his weekly contribution to my social feeds. On those rare occasions when he skips a Friday (like April 19 — not that I’m keeping track), I find myself disappointed by the lack of fresh Man Cave content. Without even knowing it, JK’s content formula has become a weekly appointment for me — a dependable and engaging experience that I voluntarily seek out as part of my regular routine.
Does the Man Cave deliver results?
Though I’ll admit that this is by no means a scientific analysis, from a content marketing standpoint, JK’s Man Cave posts do display many of the hallmarks of social success: Man Cave posts are “liked” far more often than JK’s other Facebook posts (no offense, JK). His weekly feature also receives far more comments and is shared far more often than his other content. If JK were creating the Man Cave on behalf of a product or service, there’s little doubt in my mind that he’d have a brand content victory on his hands.
Why does the Man Cave work?
The Man Cave works for three simple reasons:
A smart hook: JK has used a visual marker (the black-and-white photo and a handwritten word) to trigger my weekly anticipation for his written content.
An appointment: JK has set an appointment that Facebook fans like me look forward to attending. Consciously or not, we’ve come to expect a Man Cave post every single week, and we deliberately seek it out.
Consistent delivery: JK delivers on the promise of his Man Cave posts week in and week out, and he doesn’t stray from the formula that has brought his success.
Ask yourself…
What are you doing to build a consistent, reliable, and valuable relationship with your existing audience? What formula would you use to create eagerly anticipated content on a regular basis? How would you publish content that your audience of fans, followers, and friends thinks of as “can’t-miss” opportunities to engage with your brand?
Want more ideas on how content can help build a powerful brand? Read Andrew Davis’ book, “Brandscaping: Unleashing the Power of Partnerships.”
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