Is Content Really King?
Although the phrase is favorited by marketers of all forms is that really the case? Well, it’s simple to figure out. Go, call up one of your business owner friends, and ask them. We’ll wait… Yeah, it’s that easy to find out. Word of Mouth is predominantly the preferred method and “king” of lead generation. So why then is “Content King” in the eyes of marketing agencies and marketers? Well simply put, they are directly correlated.
Content marketing, when done the right way is, in and of itself, a word of mouth generator. Take the example of this older iconic commercial from Wendy’s. We see three older women, one large hamburger bun, and one small slab of meat. Where’s the Beef? Well according to this commercial it’s not there (wherever they may be), it’s at Wendy’s of course.
This is how true content marketers do things. We factor in consumer behavior, storytelling, relatability, and answer the age-old question, “Why do I need it, and how does it benefit me?”
Take A Closer Look
Here, your defenses to the ad were lowered by these three relatable elderly women. Then, your interest was sparked by an oversized bun. After, your internal question of “Why do I need it and how does it benefit me?” was answered. Because Wendy’s offers more bang (beef) for your buck, making them the obvious choice for meat lovers. This followed by a catchy slogan “Where’s the beef?” made it an easy message to remember.
How does this relate to word of mouth?
This answer, in a way you already know. It’s catchy, people talk about the humor, and in turn spread the word of Wendy’s, resulting in the sales spike that directly resulted from this ad.
Do you see it now?
Did it just click? Oh yeah, we break those standards, expectations, and norms. Doing so results in interest, the topic of conversation, word of mouth, and then of course sales.
Here’s the real secret
It’s a secret not many understand, yet paradoxically one that’s somehow so easy to get. It’s what we utilize here in our work for our clients when it fits. We break patterns. Patterns refer to the norms we all expect. We expect to see a regular-sized bun in the hands of kids, parents, but not so much the elderly, as we often have this preconceived notation of them having a fragile health regiment. The small slab of beef is not what we normally see unless you frequent White Castle of course (A whole different marketing concept there).
What the ****
The unexpected. This is a content marketer's best friend. Look at the notorious, loved, hated, and controversial rapper Takeshi 6ix9ine (read more on Takeshi and marketing here: https://www.promotonicspromotions.com/post/tekashi-6ix9ine-marketing-and-a-menace-or-genius .) He consistently breaks patterns and implements shock value in almost all his content. Making him a lightning rod for conversation, scrutiny from the press, and discussed. Often that is not what we’re going for in regard to our client’s custom strategy. We do want to break patterns but, in a decisive way, with custom targeted pattern shattering content.
Wait, so what’s the answer?
The answer is this. Word of mouth generates statistically the most amount of leads. Whereas, generally online leads only account for about 20% of most business owner's net profits (this is not including SEO). Meaning on a general scale and in the mind of most, word of mouth is king. Although the truth behind it is that when done the right way, with an experienced agency, the right formula, strategy, budget, knowledge, and creative mindset, Content is the word of mouth generating KING.
The easiest way to generate word-of-mouth marketing in this digital age is to offer a unique, share-worthy story and experience. If you give your consumers something memorable they cannot get anywhere else, they’ll want to share it with their friends and loved ones whether or not you ask them to. Learn how you can utilize this proven tactic to generate consumer buzz and drive sales.