I read an AWESOME summary of this book via Blinkist (get the app if you don’t have it) and wanted to share 3 lesssons I took away.
While creating content brands to help in their marketing:
1. Not thinking of all the angles while creating a content strategy leads to disaster
The toilet paper company Charmin is a good example of losing customer trust. They developed an app called Sit or Squat which saves users time and discomfort by showing them nearby public toilets and whether they are clean (“Sit”), or not (“Squat”). Charmin hoped to build up a huge network of followers by providing useful, relevant information.
This, however, backfired. The app encouraged users to leave toilet reviews which found their way onto their profiles on social media, so that their friends and family ended up reading these undesirable status updates. Many users, unhappy with this information being shared, vented their anger against the app and the company.
By bombarding people with unwanted messages, companies lose the trust that’s vital for building audiences on social media
2. Good, relevant brand content that IS HELPFUL works and generates Business!
This can be demonstrated by the actions of the pool-building company River Pools and Spas. In 2008 the company was hit badly by the financial crisis and in desperation they starting writing blog posts answering all the questions about pool building they’d ever been asked. Soon they had a rich, detailed blog which was popular with customers who were able to educate themselves about the pool building process.
It worked: while competitors were going bust, River Pools and Spas were selling more than before the crisis started. In fact 80 percent of visitors who had read at least thirty posts bought a pool. Their informative and frequently updated blog attracted customers away from rivals and made them more successful.
Detailed and frequently updated blogs attract consumers hungry for information.
3. Being ‘naked’ is the best content policy for a brand!
McDonald’s Canada were aware that people had doubts about the quality and safety of their food. So in a bold move they let customers ask whatever question they wanted and pledged to answer it. They intended to bare all in front of as large an audience as possible using social media.
One person asked whether the “100% beef” in their burgers meant everything, including internal organs, or just the standard cuts found in shops.
McDonald’s replied by listing all the cow parts they used along with the name of their well-known Canadian supplier. They were factual in their responses, without the usual product hype.
As a result, customers trusted the replies and rated the company higher for “good quality ingredients,” in contrast to popular perceptions of the brand.
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Content courtesy – Google images and Blinkist