Yes, Your Content Can be King! (Here’s How)
Netflix doesn’t own a TV network. Yet its winning Emmys.
Ray Johnson is a former law-school student from Oklahoma who’s never been in a movie or a TV series. Yet his videos earn him $4M annually on Youtube.
E.L. James self-published a book with no agent or contract, and it attracted so much attention that her three-part series has now sold more than 130 million copies and been translated into 52 language worldwide.
Here’s the point. Content is king. And today, great content attracts an audience REGARDLESS of the SOURCE! So YOU have the ability to REACH the WORLD.
It’s profound. Yet most of us in the content publishing world take it for granted today, because we live in an age of instant access and global connectivity. Like the proverbial fish in the water, we are blind to the potential of our environment. And yet, the barriers to entry have never been lower. The opportunities have never been greater. The audience has never been hungrier.
Consider: HBO’s Game of Thrones earned a whopping 24 nominations, including one for outstanding drama series. In fact, HBO set a new Emmy record with 126 nominations in all, surmounting its previous total of 124, set last year.
Photo Source: TV Guide
Think about that… the Emmy Awards specifically recognize excellence in the television industry. And yet Netflix and HBO are not specifically television products. They are video content brands that no longer rely on television as a singular and central delivery medium. The Netflix and HBO products can (and often do) play as a streaming download or a disc on a tablet, laptop computer, or even a smart phone, instead of a conventional TV with a cable subscription.
My prediction is that the Coca-Cola company will soon start competing with Netflix and HBO in the same categories of scripted comedy and drama. It’s inevitable. If not Coke, then Ford or Apple. The tide of advertising is tipping toward powerful content instead of conventional advertising. Before long, the biggest brands will no longer be satisfied with simple product placement, they will instead want the brand woven directly into the script.
Spokesmen for Coke say they did not pay for the company’s famous 1970s Coke ad to be placed this year in the series finale of AMC’s MadMen. Regardless, the single scene had a powerful impact:
According to AdAge: The online conversation sparked a 991% increase in Coke’s “digital consumption” after the episode aired, according to Amobee Brand Intelligence, a digital marketing company. Its “consumption” stat is a measure of how often a term or brand is seen online. There were 21,204 tweets involving Coca-Cola in the three hours following the Mad Men finale, according to Amobee.
Photo Source: Business Insider
Look at the most expensive ads, the ones that typically play during major sports championships. They increasingly tell an elaborate, gorgeous, emotional story in about 30 seconds, right? So, the next step is an elaborate, gorgeous 30-minute sitcom or drama. And remember – you heard it here first!
Now, I’m not claiming that your next Facebook post or Tweet could or should win an Emmy. And I’m certainly not suggesting that your company should start producing scripted shows.
However, I am suggesting that the conventional limits on content no longer apply. And, if you commit some real strategy and creativity to your blog or LinkedIn page or Youtube channel, you might be amazed at the response.
My last case-in-point: 24-year-old Zoe Sugg the British Youtube vlogger who’s videos have been watched almost half a million times. Last year, Zoella (her alias) also became a literary sensation when her first novel, Girl Online, sold more copies in the UK during its first week than any other debut novel – including Harry Potter.
Photo Source: Express UK
How? How does an obscure Brit conquer the media landscape? Great content that attracts an audience. A BIG audience. She offers these 7 tips:
- Keep it Real: Authenticity is key
- Make it Simple: Stick to what you know
- Don’t Wait for Your Big Break: Build a global media empire for free with little or no technical know-how
- Be Consistent: She’s been posting videos for 5 years
- Ignore the Oldies: Target the right audience online
- Stay on Trend: Make sure you know what topics interest your audience
- Get Sponsored ~ But Don’t Sell Out: Credibility is key
So, your content really CAN be king, and can travel the globe to attract a newer, bigger audience. The quality trumps the source. Audiences don’t care as much who produced the piece / story / article / video – as long as it’s amazing.
Just ask the lords and ladies in Game of Thrones.
