Partner Article

Shock tactics for effective content marketing

For any small business or digital start-up, content marketing is a daunting task. By content marketing I mean creating quality, authentic content to engage your target audience across numerous channels, and establishing your brand as a thought leader.

Limited writing resources, a lack of authority contacts and zero social media presence all serve to hinder first steps.

If you’re building a website based on a news or information portal, the challenge is even harder.

How do you differentiate your content from the slew of articles on the same topic? Regurgitating the same information in a hope that it goes viral is futile. Sure, consistent news posting will boost your Google rankings and generate more interest in the long-term, but try saying something different to reap short-term rewards.

What are shock tactics?

Shock tactics involve producing content that is contemporary, witty, engaging and controversial. Content should raise eyebrows and be emotive, increasing the chances of it being shared and going viral.

Middle-market British tabloid The Daily Mail is the world’s biggest (most viewed) online news publication. Quirky stories and sensationalist headlines are its trademark. People look past its right-wing and at times bigoted agenda because its content is interesting.

Here’s the Mail Online headline from June 19th, which references art collector Charles Saatchi’s spat with his celebrity chef wife Nigella Lawson: “Saatchi and Nigella back at the restaurant where he repeatedly grabbed her throat just 24 hours earlier. They didn’t look happy but this time the touch was a little more tender.” It’s both informative and evocative.

The Buzzfeed formula, meanwhile, is really simple. It selects fun and contemporary topics such as celebrity fashion faux-pas, and makes the content clear and digestible with a “Top 10” tagline. Blue-chip firms are also leveraging shock tactics to great effect - K-Mart’s clever “Big Gas Savings” commercial has raked in over 5 million views on Youtube.

Of course, shock tactics aren’t for everyone. If you’re an upmarket jewellery vendor or an I.T. firm offering bespoke B2B solutions in a very technical niche, rib-tickling content may not be suitable. Shock tactics are designed for B2C companies with a vibrant and flexible brand image.

Deploying content blitzkrieg! Examples

Shocks tactics start with your chief editor or content strategist – someone with a clear vision and authorial voice, and a rapacious appetite for current affairs and viral trends. The editor needs a team of compelling, edgy writers at his disposal – people who can absorb information and find a comic twist.

Once you’ve selected the topic, decide on your medium. Don’t be afraid to produce value-added content such as videos, infographics and podcast interviews on top of standard articles.

Then decide on your angle and approach – are you going to be funny and/or controversial? I launched a unique social marketing campaign whilst at a trading education company. Before our start-up went live, I created a parody blog of a trader who offered outrageous advice and analogies. I developed a strong core following on Twitter, before having my fictional character enjoy an epiphany, where he started to receive a proper trading education. This helped with converting my followers onto the new website.

In my current role, I took a comical slant on football director Joe Kinnear’s appointment at Newcastle. Kinnear gave a ridiculous interview to BBC radio station Talksport, where he lied and mispronounced player names. The interview transcript went viral, so I produced a spoof article which offered the “uncut version” and made Kinnear out be well-spoken, eloquent and in pursuit of a Shakespeare acting role. Don’t be afraid of turning heads and offending a conservative minority to get your content out there.

Finally, supplement your content with an aggressive PR and outreach strategy. Use Linkedin, Twitter and Google+ to not only promote your content, but to forge relationships with journalists and industry leaders. Twitter is the perfect place to start – identify hash tag trends and tweet your content directly to authority figures to encourage re-tweets. Good luck, and start shocking.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sam Miranda .