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Welcome to The Make it Massive Podcast, a bi-weekly audio collection about all issues ecommerce by BigCommerce.
On this episode, content material advertising skilled Ann Handley joins the Make it Massive podcast to recap probably the most compelling 2021 content material methods. She additionally reveals must-know traits for what’s on the horizon in 2022. It’s a deep dive you don’t need to miss.
All episodes of The Make it Massive Podcast are actually accessible on Spotify, Apple and Google.
The Make it Massive Podcast: Episode 15
Beatriz McPherson: I need to take a second to look again at 2021. What have been a few of your favourite traits?
Ann Handley: “Quite a lot of the issues that I noticed final 12 months that have been my favourite traits have been undoubtedly impressed by the pandemic.
“A kind of we noticed was how digital occasions and webinars might actually be taken to the subsequent stage. Definitely you probably did that along with your occasion. It was spectacular! I additionally assume that there are a selection of different corporations who’re actually pushing the boundaries, and I liked to see that.
“Then actually the second factor is video. We’ve seen an entire lot of video and the evolution of video. I believe we used to consider video as this standalone factor. We now have case research, and weblog posts, and lengthy articles, and white papers, and ebooks — after which we even have video.
“As an alternative, I believe what we’re seeing is that video is built-in all through the whole lot that we do in advertising. It’s not a standalone tactic anymore. We’re utilizing video as a approach to join with clients in a world the place many people have been remoted…
“I simply need to point out yet one more as a result of I believe it’s a very enjoyable one, and that’s that I’ve seen plenty of manufacturers, particularly within the B2C house however somewhat bit in B2B too, leveraging extra cultural moments and memes.
“I like that as a result of I believe it speaks to the rise of social platforms and creators on these social platforms, but in addition to manufacturers beginning to concentrate and letting a whole lot of their advertising nearly begin with creators first or viewers first.”
BM: If you happen to needed to sum up content material advertising in 2021 in three phrases, what would they be?
AH: “I believe it might be, ‘Unleash the Kraken.’ — solely I’d say it actually loud like, ‘Unleash the Kraken!’
“Content material advertising has actually been round perpetually, and in its fashionable iteration, it’s been round since at the least 2010. So it’s been right here for many years, actually. However what I noticed in 2020 and 2021 is that so many extra corporations actually needed to rethink their content material advertising applications and their content material advertising efforts, as a result of content material was all of the sudden entrance and middle in what we would have liked to speak and inform our story to our clients and our prospects.
“So in 2020, I believe we noticed a whole lot of corporations who have been like, ‘Holy, wow, we higher actually step up our sport.’ Then in 2021, I believe so many corporations have been simply killing it.”
BM: What traits do you assume are going to hold over into the brand new 12 months, and what new ways are going to be actually essential for retailers to proceed rising their content material advertising?
AH: “Even in that world the place there are nearly limitless methods to attach along with your viewers, I do imagine that your e-mail publication is really on the coronary heart of your communication technique with your individual viewers.
“There’s a few explanation why I believe that. Primary, it’s you personal the information, proper? As a lot as I like TikTok — I imply, there’s nothing I like higher than scrolling TikTok, and I like what manufacturers are doing there. There’s such creativity and it’s only a incredible platform.
“Regardless of all of that, I nonetheless assume that the e-mail publication is the place you actually personal the information. All these different platforms, you’re combating an algorithm, proper? The algorithm is in management.
“I need to be the place my buyer is in management, and I would like that bar to be tremendous excessive.
“For instance, if I’m on the e-mail record of a model…and I don’t really feel like they’re delivering worth to me, I can unsubscribe simply, proper? One click on and increase, I’m gone.
“Flipping that round, as a marketer, I like that that bar is so excessive.You’ll be able to’t simply put no matter on the market and name it a day. As an alternative, you at all times must offer worth to the people who find themselves in your record.
“I like that the bar is so excessive in e-mail newsletters. So yeah, I believe e-mail newsletters, primary, are a tactic I’d put on the prime of my 2022 record.”
BM: How can retailers actually meet customers the place they’re by means of content material?
AH: “All the things that we do in our advertising ought to come by means of the lens of constructing belief, proper? Constructing belief, primary, and secondly, of exhibiting affinity. And what I imply by that’s…make it possible for the whole lot that you simply publish or the whole lot that you simply produce is reliable, proper?
“So, are you constructing belief? Are you exhibiting me who you’re? Are you really responding to DMs? Is it an precise individual? Are you empowering that individual otherwise you to indicate up along with your entire coronary heart and your entire self?
“It sounds so elemental. However I can rely on one hand the variety of manufacturers who I believe do this tremendous effectively. So just remember to are doing that, as a result of I can’t construct belief with a product. I can construct belief with an individual. So just remember to’re exhibiting me that individual.
“Take into consideration the whole lot you do throughout each asset you publish or produce as: Are you constructing belief, and are you additionally exhibiting affinity? In order that’s actually the place each model must be interested by assembly clients by means of their content material.”
BM: What are a couple of methods outdoors of social and e-mail which you can actually add that extra aspect?
AH: “I believe specializing in the expertise that you simply’re delivering to your prospects and your clients is so key.
“And that phrase expertise — how can we really do this? I believe in the end what it actually means is how do we predict by means of issues from our clients’ standpoint or from our prospects’ standpoint.
“Step into your clients’ sneakers, get proper inside their pores and skin and begin interested by issues from their standpoint.”
For extra insights, stream full episodes of The Make it Massive Podcast on Spotify, Apple and Google.
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