BuzzFeed Basics for Content Marketing

What is content marketing? The term means different things to different people. It can be a confusing definition to pinpoint, even for a copywriter nowadays. With all the diverse mediums out there, it’s not just about writing the advertisement itself. Granted the creative process remains important, placement and messaging are now strong considerations points.

To gain better insight into what I and others deal with on a daily basis I turned to the Internet! And to my luck, our 21^st Century solution center did not disappoint. I came across a very interesting Google Small Business video chat featuring Keith Hernandez, the director of Brand Strategy at Buzzfeed, who speaks on how small businesses can reach their customers through custom content marketing. He also speaks on how to create that content.

Here are several takeaways from the video I thought were worth sharing.

“Content marketing tells a story before the sales message.” -Keith Hernandez

These include photos, videos, listicles or anything else that contribute to your narrative.

“The best content feels editorial.” -Keith Hernandez

Today, our generation is so aware of advertising that we tune it out within 5 seconds of recognizing it.

Customers want content to delight them, which Hernandez breaks down into four pillars for developing meaningful content:

• Information- These aren't specs of the product. Consumers want to know how a product benefits their life. These could include how-to or life-hack videos.
• Aspirational- Think goal-forward content such as a clean eating challenge. Not only will they please the consumer, but readers are also more likely to share these on social platforms with their friends.
• Emotion- Fairly self-explanatory, emotion assumes that audiences desire a message or narrative that caters to their personal side. Anything that incites a laugh, or a tear works wonders here.
• Identity- Instead of trying to reach the masses with one message, attempt to garner the attention of several small percentages of the population. As a consumer, there’s nothing more rewarding than feeling like content was catered specifically to you.

Plenty of other valuable information was made available within the chat. Don’t believe me? Have a look for yourself!