Your 10 step guide to creating content with cut-through…

In a world where we are bombarded with advertisements and sponsored content all day long, it can be difficult for brands to find their way of standing out. Millennials, and now Gen Z, are more demanding in what they expect from brands. They won’t just spend their money anywhere, it has to align with their views, values, and appeal to the eye. 

We asked our online global customer community about what content they want to see and examples of brands that are inspiring them. With our community’s insight, we put together a 10-step toolkit to creating content that resonates with modern audiences.

1. Be transparent
With ethical consumption on the rise, consumers are learning how to read nutrition labels and ingredients lists and know what scary-sounding chemicals or additives to avoid. When speaking about what makes up your product, it’s important to make it short and use understandable language. Consumers are increasingly researching a company’s practices before buying, so being transparent about testing, sourcing, and processing is essential.

2. Keep it relevant
Whether brands are late to trends, ignore what’s going on in the world, or are cryptic in their responses, it can be a bit off-putting when content isn’t relevant or up-to-date. Using the Coronavirus pandemic as an obvious example, brands need to be proactive in their content strategies to be empathetic to the situation, and informative to their customers. It would seem a bit tone-deaf for, say, a travel company to be advertising an international getaway. Relevancy goes along with being transparent, in that consumers want to know what brands are doing to keep their customers and employees safe.

3. Show your support
As mentioned in our Social Purpose toolkit, having your brand be linked to a clear social purpose can be key in generating a loyal customer base. Brands that actively align themselves with a moral purpose or social mission by promoting it in their content and products show that they are committed to providing for their community and the world at large. Using their platforms to highlight issues, or donating a portion of profits engages with the socially-conscious consumer and establishes them as a brand that cares about more than just sales. 

4. Go green
In conjunction with having a social purpose, consumers are overwhelmingly demanding more sustainable products and services in every market. Companies like Patagonia have cultivated a massive following over the years because of their commitment to helping the environment, and using their content to educate their audiences about their recycled materials, conservation initiatives, and more. However, promoting your eco-friendliness includes being completely transparent in your brand’s practices and processes. 

5. Paint a picture
While the messages that a brand communicates with its content and marketing is very important, what really does the work of reeling audiences in is the visual. Social media is primarily about consuming images and videos, so an appealing aesthetic that stands out from the crowd is imperative. Your brand’s visual content sets the tone of the message, portrays the persona of the company, and leaves a lasting impression. For example, it’s pretty easy to guess that this is a Nike commercial before you even knew what brand it was for, simply because they’ve established such a strong and distinctive brand identity through their visual content.

6. Get creative
Fresh and original content from brands in today’s digital landscape is like a breath of fresh air. Some of the best social media marketing to come out of the last 10 years has been so successful because it is ahead of the trend curve, quirky, or just bizarre. Consumers want to see more out-of-the-box thinking from brands, because it shows their intelligence of their modern audiences and a commitment to standing out. Many brands like Denny’s Diner and Netflix capitalized on the edgy, witty Twitter atmosphere to garner many viral tweets and engage with their followers.

7. Representation matters
As mentioned in our Brand Activism toolkit, we asked our global community how brands can back up their recent social activism, and a majority said being inclusive of all races, genders, ages, and bodies in their advertisements and marketing content. Diversifying your brand’s content can greatly increase positive views, because modern audiences want to feel represented and advocated for by the company they are buying from. It strengthens a brand’s reputation and opens the door to working with more influencers, partnerships, and creatives.

8. Tutorials and testimonials
It’s great to include all types of real people in a brand’s content, but it’s even better to show real people using the product or service for an accurate display, persuading those who were maybe not convinced. Using the brand’s platform to share tutorial videos or tips and tricks helps with transparency and allows consumers to have a better understanding of the product and the brand as a whole. Testimonials from real customers or influencers are likely to encourage consumers to trust your brand and its ability to deliver.

9. Be innovative
Consumers look to a brand’s digital content to inform them of what’s new and exciting. An innovative brand takes into consideration all the steps before this, as well as the basic needs of their target audiences. Maybe it’s the new, most eco-friendly product, or the most size-inclusive clothing line, or maybe just the brand that is the most relatable and knows their consumer on a personal level. However your brand can be innovative, use your platform to keep your loyal customers engaged, yet refreshing enough to gain new customers.

10. Co-creation is key
When it comes down to it, what sets brands apart from one another is the customer’s experience. To give consumers a better experience the brand has to put themselves in the shoes of their customers, and listen to what they have to say. What better way to satisfy both the brand and the consumer than through customer collaboration? Co-created content allows consumers to give their honest insights while you, the brand, get a better idea of what your audience wants to see and can put it into effect. They feel as though they are helping to make changes in a product they love, and you get content ideas and a deeper connection with your customers. It’s a rewarding experience for both parties involved. What’s better than user-generated content?