Smart Brands Tell The Best Stories

Seth Godin says, “Great marketers don’t make stuff. They make meaning.”

Image courtesy of http://video-commerce.org

Image courtesy of http://video-commerce.org

It doesn’t matter if we are selling a product or service, promoting a service or brand…if we aren’t telling a meaningful story about who we are and what we do we shouldn’t plan on having a long relationship with our customers or constituents.

There’s a good piece on The Content Strategist that does a great job unpacking this entire idea. Here’s a snip from the article:

You’ve probably heard the big commandment of content marketing: Don’t talk about the brand. If you do, the theory goes, you’ll drive consumers away. After all, they want to read about the things they love, not about you.

But what about the people who are interested in your brand? What about the investors and potential investors? What about the employees and vendors with a stake in your success? Or, for that matter, what about the super-users who just can’t get enough? Shouldn’t you talk about the brand to them?

The answer, undoubtedly, is yes.

Do you think there’s a balance to how much you talk about your brand? Is there a line that you need to be aware of?

This Week on the Rainey Radar

If you aren’t familiar with an agile marketing approach here’s a great place to start. The agile approach was created years ago in relation to software development but the principles have been applied to marketing and should be considered by any marketer looking to see quicker and greater impact of their efforts.

Content marketing is only as good as the copywriter behind the words. Earlier this week I came across a great post that is a great resource for anyone responsible for hiring copywriters.

This actually happened almost two weeks but it should still be on everyone’s radar. It’s the release of Michael Hyatt’s new book Platform. For anyone involved in sales, marketing or leadership of any kind this is a must read. Check out Michael’s podcast where he introduces the book as well.

Valuable or Just Loud?

Seth Godin had a great post the other day about struggling to be heard – see it here. His bottom line was that we can either make noise or make a difference.

Just because someone can grab the attention of others by their volume doesn’t mean what they have to say will make a difference. After the noise disappears and the dust settles what’s left behind from our message is what people follow and believe in. There are other times that not saying anything, that our silence, can speak louder than any words we could have shouted. That’s where, as communicator’s, we must know our audience and what will connect with them in the most relevant way – both in delivery and content.

When our product or service provides value and makes a difference (or doesn’t) in someone’s life that person will be the one who turns up the volume and becomes the loudest spokesperson for the company.

Value is where it’s at.