Having just (almost) moved into my new place I spent a useful hour fiddling with and retuning the free digital channels – over 100 of them – on our TV.
I could (and should) have started making notes for a post about the proliferation of media channels and the changing media consumption habits of Joe Consumer – but I did’t.
Instead I got stuck watching a half-hour show on Sky 3 about all-inclusive holidays.
The show was presented as an informative travel show discussing the pros of all-inclusive breaks. As part of the show however an actual hotel in the Caribbean was used as an example. Unsurprisingly the end of the show carried a prompt to book that hotel through a named operator at a discounted rate.
Striking the right balance with your content
Not quite infomercial. Not quite advertorial. The show struck a good balance between informative content and promotion.
That’s not an easy balance to strike. Your natural intention when creating any marketing effort is to show off what you’ve got to offer. But if people are less willing to pay attention to simple promotional messages then you need to find a new way to connect.
Content marketing strategies use engaging content to attract prospective customers in search of solutions, help retain existing customers and position you as a trusted resource.
Content for content’s sake is not marketing
But it doesn’t necessarily close the deal for you.
Content for content’s sake is not a profitable strategy for non-media businesses. You can use your content to build relationships and demonstrate your expertise – you can even use it to pull people in – but to turn attention into action and move from being a trusted resource to being a trusted supplier you still need a call to action.
So where’s the balance?
Start with a clear business outcome in mind. Consider what you want your prospect or customer to think once they’ve engaged with your content and what action you want them to take.
In practical terms, keep your content ’sales-pitch-free’ but make it easy and apparent for people to take the next step.
What are your thoughts? How do you strike the right balance? What methods do you use to move content consumers to become consumers of your products and services?
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