Who doesn’t like a good story? They are rooted in the very essence of who we are as humans. About 300,000 years ago, our first ancestors had to share stories to survive: food, shelter, predators … without history, how could they have learned from any of them?
Inspired by the Trojan horse from Greek mythology, these eight tactical measures will help you do everything and master the content.
- Know the strength of your army
Before you distribute your content, you need a qualified and well-trained team. Send sales on a mission with the wrong weapon and you will definitely lose. However, convince your sales team of the benefits of content marketing and they will be better equipped to win.
- Maintain a strategy
Who will fight without a plan? Set goals to break down barriers to get your content message to the right people. Recognize that they may not be at the top of the food chain. Look for internal allies who are people of action and recognize them. You want a strong partner who sees the merits of your motivations and who can help you move forward. And it is not enough to plan the first attack. You need a long-term strategy to win the war.
- Build for them, not for you
Odysseus could have left a beautiful deer or foal at the gates of Troy, but he reached the heart of Trojan culture with his horse: the animals were not only majestic; Troy was known for his horse breeding skills.
An impressive amount of content is produced and consumed every day. If you hope to stand out, you need to create content that perfectly meets your customer’s needs. Generic content is not simply ignored; it’s cold at the gate.
- Create impressive quality
The Trojan horse was not just big; it was extremely impressive. It was made with the best materials by the best artisans in the region and had the admiration factor. Do you create marketing material? For the content to work, it must be informative, useful, and fun. Constantly create branded content so users don’t expect anything but the best from you.
- Offer the gift
Wait, let go? Yes, for free. It is useful. Your potential customers are bombarded every day with content from people like you. As soon as they smell an old salesman’s speech, the gates close and the drawbridge goes up. But if the gifts you bring are relevant to them brilliantly and attractively, how can they resist? Increase their appetite by proving what you can do to make them want more. An advance donation can pique your interest and lead inexorably to sales.
- Show, don’t say
You have probably heard the phrase hundreds of times. Do not tell them what you are going to do. Show them. One of the most compelling examples of instinctive marketing skills comes from billionaire Sara Blakely. Sensing that she was rapidly losing her audience in a first Spanx performance to a Neiman Marcus buyer, he dragged the woman into the ladies’ room, where she could show instead of telling. Super success.
- Combine the forces
Did you know that a lot of B2B content is never used? Interestingly, we always see this with our higher education customers at ESM Digital. They have a lot of research, peer-reviewed articles, white papers, audios, videos, blog posts, art, and design, created by teachers, professors, students, and alumni. But they don’t use it. Or they just use it minimally. They do not fit or promote.
- Measure the criteria
Evaluate the results, even if it is just a single skirmish. Wars are not won on the battlefield, but in the days and nights of brutal campaigns. If you can prove the results with real data … this is a winning strategy that few people will deny.