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Today is Friday. You’re finally going out with someone you met online. You’ve been talking for weeks, and you’re excited to finally see him in person. The outfit you have chosen is perfect. That fresh haircut is serving you well. A spritz of perfume, and then you’re out the door.
Only, when you arrive at the bar, your date isn’t what you imagined. They don’t look at all like their picture, you can’t get a word out of the edge, and you can’t get out of there fast enough.
Familiar? This type of conversation is all too common in the dating world, and unfortunately, it happens a lot in the world of content marketing as well.
5 Main Reasons Content Marketing Is Like a First Date
Marketing is about building relationships. Often, marketers treat this as an opportunity to hijack the conversation and aggressively pursue the customer. But it doesn’t work in dating and it certainly won’t work in marketing either.
Marketing and dating have the same goal: a long-term, mutually beneficial relationship. But more than that, here are five top reasons why content marketing is like a first date.
- serial connection. Like two people on a first date, it takes time for your customers to get to know your business. Sharing openly and honestly is the only way to build that connection over time.
- Boosting Engagement. Allowing your customers to engage in conversation is key to making them feel valued. It’s like having a conversation with a date where you ask them more about themselves.
- building credibility. It takes time for people to believe and believe in what you say. Credibility is built slowly by sharing valuable information in conversation or online content.
- gaining trust In dating and marketing, you have to share about yourself and show that your actions match your values before a date or the client will trust you.
- Success with first impressions. Your date wants to know they’re not wasting their time with you, and your client wants to know they’ve come to the right business for the help they need. To reassure them, you need to make a good first impression that puts them at ease.
The similarities don’t end there, and there are several steps you can take in your content strategy so your brand doesn’t get ghosted.
Understanding Serial Connections
Long-term relationships are comfortable, but first dates can be nerve-wracking and awkward. It can be difficult to find common ground and build relationships when you don’t know anyone. The same is true of marketing and customer acquisition.
Your content needs to make a good first impression. When potential customers visit your website or see your social media posts, it’s about slowly building a relationship with them. This is what you need to remember when it comes to that connection.
it takes time to build a bond
Although love at first sight may exist in romance novels, it is not so common in marketing. Making connections takes time. Your customer needs to know your brand through your content. That’s why it’s important to create quality content – you’re sharing why you’re trustworthy.
Your brand voice and the information you share show your customer that you know what you’re talking about and they can trust you. You can’t make this connection with just one blog post. Consistently showing up and sharing high quality content is the only way.
don’t jump in expectations
You wouldn’t expect a marriage proposal at the end of a first date, so don’t look for your customers to purchase after seeing your content for the first time.
Creating high-value, search-engine-optimized content is vital to driving your customers to your website. But once they’re there, don’t assume they’ll buy right away.
Instead, give them the opportunity to continue the relationship. Encourage them to follow you on social media or sign up for your newsletter. Give them some space to get to know your brand. And while you’re at it, keep sharing information that answers all of their questions.
focus on audience
A common break-up saying is, “It’s not you.” It’s me.” But in content marketing, it’s not about you. It’s your audience. Pay attention to their needs when you’re creating content. Think about what questions they have. What resources can help them. will help the most?
Once your SEO content has brought them to your website, how will you nurture the relationship? It would be a shame to drive your visitors to your site and lose them once a question is answered. Ask yourself how you can continue to serve them once they’ve got your content.
promote two-way engagement
If you have a great online dating profile, you will get the first date. But if you spend the whole first date talking about yourself, you won’t get a second date. The same is true for content marketing. Relationship building only happens by fostering two-way engagement.
To continue your marketing conversation:
- Inspire engagement with your audience, Ask questions in your content and encourage readers to comment on or interact with your posts. Create interactive content such as quizzes.
- Don’t just talk about yourself. Instead, think about why your audience came to you. Answer their questions, solve their problems, or just entertain them.
- Connect over mutual interests. Share your company’s values in your content and actions. These will help you connect with your ideal customer.
- Listen to your audience. If you find that you’re getting a lot of similar questions from your audience, that’s a sign that you need to build some content around those questions. Don’t be afraid to survey them to find out what they need from you.
- Use emotional language. Your audience found you online because they have a problem they need solved. Their problem may be business as usual for you, but it is something that is of concern to them, and they want to feel that you understand where they are coming from.
- Give appropriate answer. Whether they’re leaving comments on your posts or their feedback shows they have a need for something that hasn’t been addressed, make sure you respond.
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building credibility
Have you ever noticed that “be yourself” seems to be the most important advice when it comes to dating, brand building, and everything else? There’s a good reason for this, which hinges on credibility. Your audience needs to be able to trust you, and to do that you have to build credibility with them.
To build credibility:
- Be authentically you. It’s important to be yourself because your audience knows when they see a fake person. Share openly and honestly about your brand and its meaning.
- Don’t leave your business in the dark. You don’t have to make your business overly attractive or approachable to people who are not your ideal customers. Focus on sharing the truth of what you do with the people who need your product or services.
- Don’t sell for less. You work hard, so don’t underprice your services or underestimate what you do. Part of being yourself is knowing your worth.
- Be honest and kind. Keep your message true to your company and what you do, and be nurturing and generous in the information you share.
gain audience confidence
Once you build your credibility, you can eventually gain the trust of your audience. Think about trust in a relationship. You don’t just give it on the first date. That first date is probably somewhere neutral because of how little trust there is appropriately. People earn trust over time through actions and authentic connections. The same is true for building trust with your audience.
To gain the trust of your audience:
- Be respectful and understanding. Show your audience that you know where they are coming from. Hear their response.
- respond quickly. If they come to you with a question, they respect your knowledge. Assigning a community manager to answer their questions quickly can help you be their go-to source of information.
- be consistent, Create consistent content by following an editorial calendar and regularly responding to questions and comments (including those on social media).
- Back up what you say with actions. Anyone can come on the internet and say whatever they want. People trust brands that do what they say they are going to do.
success with first impressions
Now, back to the first date. This is your attempt to make a good first impression. The same is true for your company content. So, how do you get your audience to return after that first impression?
ask for continued conversation
Encourage your audience to comment on your posts, follow you on social media, and sign up for your newsletter. Make it clear that you have more material to answer their questions, and they won’t want to miss it.
When creating your editorial calendar, think about how to build a post into a series. This will keep your audience coming back for more.
Link to your old posts in your new posts where appropriate, and continue to give your visitors more reasons to stay on your site and learn more about your brand.
Using calls to action after trust is built
Once you’ve built trust with your audience, they’re more likely to follow your call to action. So don’t worry about selling your posts. Instead, focus on giving your audience more valuable information.
Many customers do not make a purchase after reading a blog post. Focus on executing your calls to action where you’ve already built trust. The newsletter is a great place for this. Those customers are already interested in what you do, and they trust you because of their email addresses. They are more likely to follow a call to action than a casual blog reader.
follow and reach
Respond quickly when you receive questions or comments from your audience, and follow up later to see how they’re doing. Ask if they need more help or how it went for them to apply your advice. Follow-up shows that you care about how they’re doing and that they’re not just nameless followers for you. It shows that your brand really cares and can be a game-changer in building trust.
get another date
Every business can and should use marketing, but it is not all created equal. Your audience wants authenticity and a connection before they even open their wallet. Taking the time to make a good first impression is the first step towards building customer loyalty and a mutually beneficial relationship.
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