I’ve been noticing a “Content-First” trend with our 2015 campaigns.
In its simplest form, here’s the traditional disciplined approach to marketing campaign planning:
- Step #1: Research Your Audience
- Step #2: Pick Your Channels to Reach That Audience, Allocate Investment
- Step #3: Develop Your Content to Fit the Channels
During a few of our 2015 collaborations I’ve noticed that the following approach is being used:
- Step #1: Research Your Audience
- Step #2: Develop Your Content to Tell the Story Best to That Audience
- Step #3: Pick Your Channels, Allocate Investment and Adapt Your Content to Fit the Channels
This may seem like a minor tweak in protocol. However, it’s got huge potential to make room for innovation. By focusing on developing content prior to picking the channels and channel investment, you’re signaling to your team that nothing is off limits – think differently, think big: let the story be the star.
Although I’m seeing a trend, this “content-first approach” may be very tough for marketing directors and management to buy into since it’s not the status quo. It also provides a marketing director with less of a solid investment plan. The best storytelling gets more budget. If the story is dull, less budget.
The content-first approach provides more creative freedom. You don’t need to force a round peg into a square hole. You aren’t forced to create a magazine ad when a video will tell a better story and vice versa. You aren’t forced to fill in the blanks on an annual media insertion order schedule. You’re free to create authentic presentation. First and foremost, develop a strong story that will engage your target audience, and then select the best channels to distribute that story to your target audience.
We’ve had a unique experience with each or our clients that have embraced the content-first approach. It encourages deeper thought and can provide a competitive edge by thinking differently than the competition, yet still staying focused on the target audience.
We’d like to hear your opinion on this article. Please contact MacDalton Berns (mac@absolutemg.com) or any other Marketing Advisor at our company to continue this discussion. Thank you.