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Content management can be tough. As a marketer, one is expected to have new things to say about their brand continuously. You are the souof the spiels, campaign themes, and what other aspects of a brand must be highlighted.
But that is not always the case. Especially with digital content—where one is expected to maintain a constant presence. Finding new “calls to action” can be mentally exhausting. You also run the risk of being too repetitive.
Well, if you are getting tired of the content you are posting, imagine all the more how it is for your audience. You have to remember that a digital presence is about engagement. At times, it’s fine to forego the hard sells and the calls to action. The key to preventing your brand from plateauing online—and boosting your followers from the hundreds to the hundred thousands, while your at it—is the right mix of direct product-centric material and lifestyle content.
Lifestyle content allows you to engage with your customers without them feeling pressured by a sell. It will enable your brand to share itself, bring its personality to life. All these spark greater interest and lead to a greater reach for your brand.
So how do you do this?
Some of the most successful brands online are those that get to expand their “brand personas” beyond the products or services they offer. Face it, your brand followers are not always looking for your products or services online. You have to push related content that can happily “stumble upon.” In turn, you want to lead audiences to follow your brand for constant content that resonates with them.
Think of Red Bull, whose social media presence has become synonymous to daredevil stunts and exhilarating content. There’s also Lululemon. The athletic apparel brand has zeroed in on content appealing to the yoga-practicing, health, and wellness crowd. Lululemon isn’t just selling a product, it is promoting a whole culture.
However, there are no shortcuts in building a brand presence this cohesive. One cannot just decide on the fly that they are a fun brand, or a zero-waste brand just because it is “in.”
Determine first your brand statement. Answer questions such as:
And the clincher combining the first two;
Your answers should stem from market research. Be as informed about who you are and your audience as possible. From this awareness, you can determine your scope of lifestyle content. Then you can build a strategy that sticks true to your brand personality but is also relatable to existing and potential audiences.
To determine what type of lifestyle content fits your brand, look at these categories as though-starters.
Again, your content doesn’t always have to be about your product or service. Look at your target market, what makes them distinct?
Lululemon discovered they had a considerable amount of vegans and vegetarians in their audience. This encouraged their brand to share more content about healthy recipes, detox programs, and, even, meditation tips.
Getting to know your audience means treating them beyond customers. Learn what your audience is looking for—what piques their interest (go into pop culture!)—and use this to connect to them.
Similarities do not only lie with cheery topics such as hobbies. They say “misery loves companies;” so struggles, disappointments, even something as simple as FAQS, can be used as a basis for your content. All the more if it involves your brand.
Remember, engagement is about connecting. And readers appreciate the feeling that they are being listened to.
Why do people use your product or service? What is the end goal in mind?
Show them the ropes by going into how-to videos that educate, or narrative videos that share stories related to your brand.
Also, don’t forget, your audience wants to see how your brand promise is tangible. So show some audience results, as well. Provide photos, stories, videos, of real-world “success stories.”
Customers appreciate knowing that there are humans behind the brands they’re using. Give your followers a glimpse of what’s beyond the curtain.
Show the effort done behind your events. (This may even be a way of building buzz.) Feature the amount of work your brand puts in for the most mundane details of your product/service they are enjoying.
Audiences appreciate the little things, and this is a way of also letting your brand’s humanity shine through.
Lastly, nothing says collaboration and engagement as letting your audience be part of the content creation.
Post questions, solicit contributions, ask your audience what they want to see. All this effort makes your audience feel that they are valued, that they are an indispensable part of your brand.
The beauty of lifestyle content is, at its core, it’s simply the act of socializing with your audience. Breathe some life to your brand, be more than just an object. Remember these tips and you’ll be expanding your brand’s horizons in no time.
ALSO READ:
The 5 Most Important Qualities of Effective Lifestyle Content
GetCraft Shares Proven Strategies for Creating Outstanding Content
