6 TIPS FOR MARVELLOUS CONTENT MARKETING

FROM…

“If you don’t

change, you die.”

- Matthew

Crawley

1. EMBRACE CHANGE, M’LORD

Whether it’s the Great War, women’s rights or the fall of the aristocracy, life at Downton Abbey is always changing. Downton only survives because of the Crawley family’s ability to embrace change and accept Matthew’s plans for the estate. While at Duneagle Castle, their cousins, the Flinchers, face financial ruin because they didn’t adapt to this new way of life.  Channel your inner Lord Grantham and respond to changes in your company or industry – don’t ignore them. Don’t be afraid to try something new, whether it’s new subject matter, a new style of content, a new strategy or new platforms. Keep flogging the same tired tactics and producing the same kind of content and you’ll become irrelevant very quickly.

“The truth is neither here nor there.

It’s the look of the thing

that matters.”

- The Dowager

Countess

2. APPEARANCES MATTER, MY DEAR

Yes, it matters what you do. But it also matters what you look like – especially to potential customers.

What do they think of you? How do they perceive your brand? It’s no good feeling proud of your fantastic after-sale services for five products if people only think you sell two.

Heed the advice of Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, and make sure your audience views your brand the way you want them to. Present to the world what you want them to see – perception and reality are often much closer than you think.

“You’ve lived your

life, and I’ve lived mine.

Now it’s time we live

them together.”

- Matthew Crawley

3. TIMING IS EVERYTHING, OLD CHAP

Mary and Matthew Crawley very nearly miss their chance at happiness. For seven years they dance around each other, back and forth, each one ready to confess their true feelings but always at the wrong time. And although the couple finally get their act together, they waste a lot of time and effort along the way.

Similarly, the timing of your content marketing efforts can mean the difference between success and failure. Is there a relevant industry, national or even global event whose popularity you can capitalise on? Or will that time of year just distract attention from what you’re doing?

What time of day is your target audience most likely to be online or looking for information? When are they most likely to share content? When do they need your help the most?

“Suppose he won’t do anything?

Suppose he throws you

over?”

- Anna Smith

“That’s a risk I’ll have to

take.”

- Lady Mary

4. TAKE RISKS, M’LADY

When Lady Sybil elopes with Branson the chauffer, she faces social ruin and the estrangement of her family. Instead, she’s rewarded with a loving marriage and the grudging acceptance of her father.

And Lady Mary takes a great risk with her reputation when she confesses her shameful secret to newspaper mogul Sir Richard Carlisle. But her courage ensures Mr Bates keeps his job and the scheming Vera is prevented from bringing shame down upon Downton.

No one ever achieved anything remarkable by playing it safe. Make your content stand out by pushing boundaries – challenge your audience and chances are, they’ll reward you with their loyalty. If not, try something else!

“Sir Richard, life is a game

where the player must

appear ridiculous.”

- The Dowager

Countess

5. THERE’S ALWAYS A PLACE FOR HUMOUR, SIR

Regardless of the circumstances, people always respond to humour. Case in point is the Dowager Countess. Violet Crawley is everyone’s favourite character, and that’s because she has the funniest lines – even in the most serious situations.

Regardless of how ‘boring’ your brand or product, or what you think about your audience, remember: we respond to the same things at work as we do in the rest of our lives. Emotions are far more likely to change someone’s behaviour than facts.

So many B2B marketers think they have to be boring because their sales cycle is more complicated, but it’s not the case. If you can make someone laugh, they’ll share your story for you.

“First electricity, now telephones. Sometimes I feel as if I’m living in an H.G. Welles

novel.” - The Dowager

Countess

6. TECHNOLOGY IS YOUR FRIEND

From electricity in the kitchen to telephones, gramophones and sewing machines, the Crawleys are at the forefront of the latest technology (even if Carson can’t abide the idea of an electric toaster).

In order to keep your content marketing in tip top condition, you’ll need to keep up to date with the latest technological developments – whether that’s a new marketing automation system that gives you a deeper view of how your audience interacts with your content, or the latest analytics tools to measure the effectiveness of your efforts. When it comes to your content marketing, technology is your friend.

Can we be of service? Contact Cirrus Media for first class content marketing solutions.

 02 8484 0950

contentmarketing@cirrusmedia.com.au