Many businesses and organizations try to avoid opinionated content marketing in today’s “cancel culture.” These businesses believe that if you take a stand that could offend others, it will drive away potential customers.
They hide in their vanilla-content cave with their tail between their legs. Fear is out of the equation. What is the number-one goal of content marketing
Our goal is to solve problems for our customers. To help them solve a real problem. Sometimes, you must dispel a myth, share your opinion, or take a stand.
You can do it, so go for it! As long as your opinions are informed and based on experiences, you can help your customers.
You can relax: Many successful brands have strong opinions.
In a few rants, I voiced strong opinions on what marketing is (not inquiries), how to market (not inquiry), What thought leadership is (it does not have to be a fresh thought), and why CEOs expect that marketing will deliver business results.
These two brand storytelling examples illustrate opinion’s power and influence.
Nike
Do you remember the 2018 Colin Kaepernick campaign? Kaepernick was the leader of the protest by African-American athletes who kneeled during the US National Anthem. Many participants boycotted Kaepernick and set their Nike shoes ablaze.
Nike stood firm. You can’t help but admire the courage of the protesters who knelt—their business model.
Although I may be being cynical, I suspect that the shoe manufacturer looked at the data of its target customers before making their decision. This seemed like a risky move to people outside of content marketing, but it was one of the smartest. The company’s stock soared after a few tumbles as it gained the trust of its customers.
My Pillow
MyPillow founder Mike Lindell is on the opposite side of the political spectrum. He shares one thing with Kaepernick and Nike: a solid commitment to his beliefs. One more thing is his ability to understand the needs of his customers. He didn’t back down from his ultra-conservative views. Instead, he doubled down and won the hearts and dollars of his target market.
You can also add Chick-Fil-A to the mix on the left and Ben & Jerry’s to the right. There are many others — too many to list. These examples are based on the political spectrum, but the point is the same: It pays to be on one side or the other, regardless of whether it’s political or business-related.
Do You Hate In-Your-Face Opinionated Content Subtle
Intercom’s content director John Collins explains that you don’t need to shout. It is better to let your brand voice be heard in most cases.
Take a look at Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola is a beverage manufacturer that expresses the firm belief that people are happier when they remove barriers that divide them. Their market leader is their signature drink, which can bring people together.
Arby’s. With their “We have…the MEAT!” campaign, they are not vegetarian. They’re not in-your-face carnivores. Just place their delicious-looking sandwiches and a description. They want to attract their hungry customers with appealing content.
Opinions – Your Brand Voice Amplified
Opinions are a way to enhance your brand voice. We won’t praise companies whose ads are blatantly self-promotional.
Data-based storytelling is what we do best. We use storytelling to show our clients how to solve the problems that keep them awake at night. Stories that build trust and position you as an industry thought leader — stories that build confidence in your company.
To lead, you must have the courage to stand up for your beliefs. It all comes down to authenticity.
Whether your approach is subtle Coca-Cola or Nike, your authentic approach to content marketing will be appreciated by your target customers. Only 56 percent of people trust businesses worldwide. Your honest opinions will help to change the perception of companies.
Your business model should reflect the values of your target customers if you have done thorough research on their data, including demographics, likes, and pain points. Your content marketing strategy should reflect your corporate values.
Customers Want Your Advice
Your corporate values go beyond your moral or political stances. Your opinions about work are your most important.
You have opinions about your industry and the best ways to help customers. These opinions should be expressed in your content to provide wise advice and solutions to help customers live happier lives.
Let’s start with the obvious. You wouldn’t be a doctor if you didn’t recommend the best treatment based on your knowledge and opinion. You would give that opinion with the best of your bedside manner. But you would also state your honest opinion.
This applies to any business. Your customers will pay for your services regardless of whether you sell generators or guitar lessons.
Without your guidance…
Customers who use generators need to know when their purchases should be serviced.
When they practice, guitar students must learn how to avoid injury from overuse.
Your accounting clients will only learn some areas where they can save money next year.
Be honest. Make sure you are transparent and fair in your opinions.
Bored blogs transformed into heroes’ journeys by engaging content.
Passion drives communication when you take a position on a topic. Hal Licino explains that navigating the delicate balance between sounding self-righteous or tone-deaf and sharing your knowledge and opinions takes skill.
You can channel your passion into thoughtful content that explains your views and reveals the facts behind them. Your perspective can help customers solve these problems.
Don’t let your stories make you or your products the hero. Instead, make your customer the hero and your product or service the sword your customers use to defeat whatever dragons they face.
Let go of your fears and embrace intelligent content marketing. Everyone loves a hero.
You can only settle for boring blog posts if you have the time and the storytelling gift. Consider a blogging service to help you increase traffic to your website with consistent quality content.
The Content Builder Service can do this. Contact me to set up a consultation, and I will send you a PDF copy of my books. Start today and get more leads and traffic to your website.