Content Marketing in a Nutshell: Solve the Problem – Tell the Story – Sell the Dream

Using data to construct future content can be both a blessing and a troubling attraction to chaos. On one hand, it can help identify what our target audience is interested in and the type of content that resonates with them. This allows us to create content that is more likely to be shared, commented on and engaged with by customers. However, on the other hand, over-reliance on data can lead to creating generic or uninteresting content that lacks creativity and fails to stand out from the competition.

Finding the balance between data-driven content and creative, engaging content is crucial for a successful content marketing strategy. It’s important to use data as a guiding force, but not let it limit our creativity and potential. Data should be used to inform our decisions, not DICTATE them.

To achieve “good” content marketing, we can wind the clock back, back to the basics. The first step is understanding and defining our target audience – who are we creating content for? What motivates them? How do they consume information? Answering these questions will help guide us in creating content that resonates with our audience. Say, for instance, you’re a user – you’re searching “why is my hair so dull?”. As marketers, we can give you a solution – OUR PRODUCT. But… How do we market that product?? I’m talking round in circles at the minute – but we’ll get there in the end. To market a product,  we need to understand the problem it solves for our target audience.

For instance, someone searches “why is my hair so dull?” – they’re looking for a solution to their problem. But, as content marketers, we also have to convince them that our product is the best solution out there. This requires creating compelling content that showcases the unique selling points of our product and how it solves the customer’s specific issue. Our product isn’t JUST a nourishing shampoo, it also NOURISHES your hair, gives it LIFE, provides VOLUME, and overall – makes you feel how you’re meant to feel… Like a SUPERSTAR. Don’t sell the product… Sell the dream – solve the problem.

This is where the creativity and storytelling aspect of content marketing comes into play. We need to go beyond just listing the features and benefits of our product, but instead, tell a story that connects with our audience on an emotional level. We need to tap into their pain points and offer a REAL solution that not only solves their problem, but also fulfils their desires. What are they really looking for? They’re not looking for a new 9 iron, they’re looking to improve their pitching.