By Andrew Lawton, Published November 12, 2014
Let me start by saying that I love my two kids more than anything in the world…
Henry, 5 and Jenny, 3. They were both crying two minutes before this photo was taken.
…but I’ll also tell you this: don’t have kids.
Let me rephrase: do lots of research before you have kids. Don’t just read books about parenthood, babysit your niece, or watch Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, either.
Talk to people you know and trust (especially new parents), and they’ll tell you it’s hard. Yes, you love them more than anything you could ever imagine, but it’s more of a 51 percent of the time kind of thing. That’s why you allow them to live during the other 49 percent of the time.
At first, it was difficult for me to adjust to owning a pair of children. Once upon a time, I used to go out to dinner. I could paint a room in my house over the weekend. Oh, and I had friends.
Now that my kids are 3 and 5, I’ve gotten used to the new lifestyle. In fact, I realized that I really enjoy spending time with my kids and began setting expectations around their happiness. I won’t tell you that I’m eagerly awaiting the next birthday party at Bounce House Warehouse, but I don’t have the urge to take a leisurely stroll across the freeway, either.
Content marketing is much the same. Once you learn to measure success based on your audience, you’ll be in business.
Here are some other important lessons that parenting has taught me about content marketing:
1. “Don’t be so annoying.”
Kids are annoying. So are mosquitoes and lines at the DMV. And yes, so are ads.
By now, we all know your brand and product. Don’t hit my big toe with it like my 5-year-old with a bamboo stick.
Henry, six seconds before the big-toe-bamboo-stick incident.
Instead, be nice, and offer content that will help me in my everyday life.
Don’t make me do a bunch of stuff to get that content, either. My time is limited. Chances are, I’m about to be asked to get a glass of juice … with ice in it … in the Hello Kitty cup, NOT the Minnie Mouse cup.
2. “He looks just like you!”
Just about the only thing keeping parents from buying a toddler-sized straightjacket is the fact that their kids constantly remind them of themselves. I can’t explain how cool that is.
As a brand marketer, you have to emulate my life and preferences, as well. Create content that shows how you’re like me. I need to know that you understand and care.
This means making your message as personalized as it can be. Although I’m not that into makeup, our team recently worked with a large makeup brand to create more than 1,000 makeup tutorials. This brand understood that they needed to offer something for everyone’s skin tone, hair color, or life event. Your brand should do the same.
3. “Daddy, do it again!”
And again!
And again…
I was flying Virgin America a few months ago and what did I watch on TV for over an hour? The GoPro channel. While clearly aimed at getting me to buy a GoPro, the channel’s content never sold the product directly. In fact, I hardly even saw it.
What I did get is highly-entertaining content. Though I’m not in the market for a new camera right now, my next one might very well be a GoPro … with a side of extra life insurance.
If we’re being honest, we all want to be entertained, not just kids. Make me feel good, and I’ll feel good about your product. Show me something I haven’t seen before. Make me laugh. Maybe then I’ll buy what you’re selling… again and again and again.
4. “You can’t just go around hitting people!”
I get tired of hearing my own voice, but teaching my children life lessons is vital. It’s for their (and what’s remaining of my big toe’s) own good.
Though I start to feel like an ape in kindergarten sometimes, I can usually find one particular route that gets through to them.
Your brand has to do the same. Tell me something interesting about you, the trends in your industry or an unusual use for your product. You know your business better than anyone, so teach me something cool. Just make sure you don’t pull a Huggies and make me feel like a literal ape who can’t tie his own shoes.
5. “C’mon, hurry up!”
If you’ve got my attention, keep it short. Chances are, I’m on the phone at the park, pushing my kid on the swing. This means you have only part of my attention.
The same goes for your audience at large. Everyone’s busy, and on-the-go audiences are on the rise. In other words, get to the point, be helpful, and make my life easier, quicker.
If you do all of these things, what am I going to do? Buy your product? Maybe. Share your stories? Definitely.
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