In a recent call about an upcoming seasonal nurture, our client commented that he was glad to see the lighter theme and tone because it seemed a good change following two prior, more serious nurtures. People will notice and be more receptive if we change things up, he said, which is entirely true!
In fact there are several reasons why lightening up content on occasion is good! Here are three:
Reason No. 1: Get More Reads
As our astute client observed, variety is good when you’re trying to start conversations with hundreds or thousands of people at once. Personas are great tools, but they aren’t real people,so they can’t tell you why one person is drawn to a particular subject line, color or topic, but the person in the next cube over isn’t. Nothing can really tell you, so adding variety to a content library is important in order to catch as many as eyes as possible.
Some people are naturally more drawn to bright colors, breezy banter and happy happenings. This is one reason why seasonal nurtures do well. Lots of people love a particular holiday or seasonal activity and will be more drawn to content if it references these interests.
“Creating content specifically tailored around holidays, events or trends offers huge opportunities for engagement for companies as it allows them to tap into current moods, connecting with customers in new ways,” writes blogger Rob Taylor, Assistant Content Provider for the UK’s Press Association, which provides content to media and other businesses. “It’s true that it takes a bit of work, but the rewards can be great. Brands offering great seasonal content can see uplift in site visits and are working to garner greater engagement with their customers.”
Reason No. 2: Evoke Emotion To Prompt Action
Content that evokes “high-arousal” emotions—such as love/hate or happiness/sadness—will more successfully persuade action, according to research by Jonah Berger, an expert on viral marketing and professor at the Wharton School of Business at Penn State University.
Association is one way to inject these emotions into content pieces. You can still convey critical marketing messages, but associating that message with a high-arousal emotion adds punch. For example, one of our clients played off the recent buzz around the book and movie “50 Shades of Grey,” in an infographic about making sure you have the right match in a cloud-services provider. It wasn’t a heavy reference. Rather, it played off the questions that we all ask ourselves when meeting someone new and starting a relationship.
Reason No. 3: Be Memorable
Associating a brand name with a memorable experience by being present during the memorable experience is not a new idea. That’s why advertising is the cash cow of the entertainment and sports industries. But it also can work with content.
Interactivity is the key here, and for content that could be fun (think quizzes, games and even puzzles!) I don’t see a lot of these in content yet, but my guess is their popularity will expand–especially gamification. Check out how Google illustrated the 155th anniversary of the Pony Express with this doodle game, which plays off of the dangers of galloping at full speed in rural America. I thought the game was fun, and it prompted me to learn more about the Pony Express.
This summer, lighten up a little by looking for more opportunities to make your content stand out, evoke emotions and leave lasting memories. Have fun!
