Four Ways to Push Brand-Leading Content

If content marketing is king, consistency is the second in command. With top brands like clothing company Patagonia and bestselling author Seth Godin pushing content through various platforms, this is an opportunity you won’t want to miss. However, it’s not one you’ll want to overcommit to. The key is to reliably fill consumers’ plates with digestible bits of content, before someone else does. So, weigh your options between our four suggested serving methods, including blogs, social media, podcasts and email newsletters, to see which is most sustainable for your brand’s growth and time commitment.

1. Blogs: Share Your Knowledge, Share the Wealth

Did you know that 70% of business-to-consumer (B2C) companies and 79% of business-to-business companies (B2B) use blogging as a content marketing tactic? If your company doesn’t have a blog, here are some things to consider:

1. Blogs can drive traffic to your website, which can convert into leads.
2. Blogs help your brand establish industry leadership.
3. Evergreen content can continue to produce results, long after you’ve written it.

Our client Ananda, who specializes in state-of-the-art sleep systems, produces one monthly blog that discusses all things sleep-related. From how-to guides on tackling a better night’s sleep to research on the science of overheating while sleeping, Ananda consistently releases content to help people sleep better and, of course, introduce them to their mattresses, sleep systems and pillows.

Environmentally conscious, outdoor clothing brand Patagonia maintains a blog that promotes the company’s core values of sustainability, active lifestyle and a connection to the great outdoors. The brand even repurposes some of its catalog photos from the 90s and shares the stories behind them via blog. Leveraging its position as a long-standing brand with posts that are both fresh and nostalgic connects the brand with its vibrant past and continues to propel it into the future.

2. Social Media: Showcase Your Brand and Values 

As digital consumers spend nearly 2.5 hours on social networks and social messaging every day, the risk of not having a social presence is high. So high, in fact, that 90% of brands use social media to increase brand awareness, according to Hootsuite. While most businesses maintain between four and 10 social profiles, it’s all about finding the platforms which your audiences use the most and knowing who you’re speaking to on each.

Take LinkedIn, for example. Regarded as a platform for professionals, effective LinkedIn content combines tactful self-promotion with a formal tone. When creating LinkedIn posts for remote alcohol monitoring system and Orange Label client, Soberlink, we focus on connecting with Family Law and Addiction Recovery professionals. Conversely, Twitter and Instagram posts may be directed toward the individuals involved with these respective fields. Another major difference between LinkedIn and other platforms, can be the type of content posted.

As the Instagram phenomenon has reminded us, content is more than just words; it’s visuals. Influencers and corporate brands alike will tell you the importance of maintaining a cohesive Instagram aesthetic. Among the many benefits of creating a business profile, three include:

1. Developing a visual extension of your brand.
2. Expressing your brand personality, values and culture through images and videos.
3. Engaging with your audience, as 80% of accounts follow a business on Instagram.

In this aesthetic for our client Greenwell Farms Kona coffee, we showcase their wide range of products and services through quality images depicting consistent color schemes. With their tropical location and backdrop of coastal views, tropical wildlife and chameleons, visitors often post their visits to Greenwell Farms on social media, which we incorporate (with permission) into the feed as user-generated content (UGC). This not only builds our content portfolio; it connects Greenwell with their customers and brings the user experience full circle.

Across all social platforms, the major benefit to maintaining this social presence is the opportunity to engage with consumers. Therefore, when someone comments with a question, compliment or concern, it’s important to respond to them or direct them to an email address or phone number to best reach your brand. In addition to a satisfying Instagram aesthetic, Starbucks is great at responding to their comments in a timely manner. This leaves customers feeling both informed and acknowledged.

3. Podcasts: Meet Your Audience Where They’re At  

To keep your content diverse and offer another opportunity for consumers to connect with your brand, there’s always podcasts. Perfect for those who are on the go, podcasts allow multitasking individuals to listen while driving, cleaning or working. With education as one of the top three podcasting genres, next to comedy and news, the opportunity to teach listeners something new and entertain them while doing it is ever present.

On our podcast, The 19, we divulge information relating to the Healthcare and Retail Sectors, the industries in which our expertise really shines. Respecting consumers’ time and attention spans, we provide game-changing insights on these respective industries in 19 minutes or less. Catering to brands that are driven by a fearless entrepreneurial mindset, we produced a special Entrepreneur Series of The 19 to highlight the journeys and lessons of various brand leaders: personable Author and Speaker AmyK, Business Speaker Cameron Herold and Communications and Awareness Specialist Michael Allosso.

Podcasting isn’t just limited to marketers and stand-up comics, however. One popular and perhaps surprising podcast comes from grocery chain Trader Joe’s. Having garnered customer attention with its Fearless Flyer newsletter, the Inside Trader Joe’s podcast caters to its audience of dedicated shoppers and engages with them by answering questions on air that they email in. The podcast also helps listeners identify with the brand by sharing its story of humble beginnings to nearly 500 stores and interviewing current team members.

4. Newsletters: Write It Down, Send It Out 

Traditionally, newsletters are used to push the release of new content, such as podcasts or blogs, and to make company announcements. While many brands use newsletters as a way to bring viewers to their website, marketing guru, Author and Entrepreneur Seth Godin takes newsletters from a different approach. Each day, Godin publishes snack-sized blurbs of content that are typically under 250 words. These content pieces pair semi-random topics with always-focused messaging. A champion of consistency, Godin has sent out these posts daily for the past 11 years.

While publishing free content may seem like an unnecessary use of resources, the payoff of building consumer trust, boosting brand engagement and driving traffic is immeasurable in the scheme of things. Sometimes you have to give a little to get a lot, and you can have fun doing it, too!

If your team has the desire to produce and promote brand-leading content, from blogs to newsletters, we may be able to help. Explore our capabilities and contact us today to take your brand to its full potential.