Brandscaping

1. Content is the new currency in marketing

Content is a form of intellectual capital; unlike an advertising buy, it's something you own.

Content as an asset. In today's digital landscape, content has become a valuable asset that can be repackaged, resold, and redistributed. Unlike traditional advertising, which is fleeting, content remains relevant and accessible over time. It serves as a medium of exchange between brands and their audiences, allowing companies to engage with consumers on a deeper level.

Shift in marketing approach. This paradigm shift requires marketers to:

• Focus on creating high-quality, relevant content that resonates with their target audience
• Treat content creation as an investment rather than an expense
• Leverage content to build long-term relationships with customers
• Collaborate with other brands and content creators to expand reach and influence

By embracing content as currency, brands can create lasting value for their audience while simultaneously driving business growth and increasing demand for their products or services.

2. Shift from raising awareness to increasing demand

If you want to raise awareness, go buy ads. If you want to increase demand, this book is for you and it's worth every penny.

Focus on demand generation. Traditional marketing often emphasizes raising brand awareness through advertising. However, brandscaping advocates for a more strategic approach that focuses on increasing demand for products and services. This shift in mindset allows companies to create content that demonstrates how their offerings can positively impact consumers' lives.

Key strategies for increasing demand include:

• Creating content that showcases real-world applications of products or services
• Partnering with influencers and content creators who have established trust with target audiences
• Developing content that addresses specific pain points and provides solutions
• Leveraging storytelling to create emotional connections with potential customers

By concentrating on increasing demand rather than simply raising awareness, brands can cultivate a more engaged and motivated customer base, ultimately leading to higher conversion rates and customer loyalty.

3. Embrace the Galilean model of digital marketing

Today's web world is much more Galilean than it is Ptolemaic. You cannot continue to pour all your energy and effort into convincing consumers to come to your domain.

Shift in digital perspective. The Galilean model of digital marketing recognizes that a brand's website is not the center of the online universe. Instead, it acknowledges that consumers spend most of their time on other platforms, such as social media, search engines, and content hubs. This shift in perspective requires marketers to rethink their strategies and meet consumers where they already are.

Key aspects of the Galilean model:

• Focus on creating content for platforms where your audience spends their time
• Leverage partnerships with other brands and influencers to expand reach
• Prioritize engagement and value creation over driving traffic to your website
• Adapt content strategies to fit different platforms and audience preferences

By embracing this model, brands can become more relevant and accessible to their target audience, increasing the likelihood of meaningful interactions and conversions.

4. Create valuable content through frequency, quality, and relevance

Valuable content is found at the intersection of frequency, quality, and relevance.

The trifecta of content value. To create truly valuable content, brands must focus on three key elements:

1. Frequency: Consistently deliver content to build and maintain audience relationships
2. Quality: Ensure content is well-crafted, informative, and engaging
3. Relevance: Address the specific needs, interests, and pain points of your target audience

Balancing act. Achieving the right balance between these elements is crucial:

• Frequent content delivery builds habit and expectation among your audience
• High-quality content establishes credibility and authority in your field
• Relevant content keeps your audience engaged and coming back for more

By focusing on these three aspects, brands can create content that not only attracts but also retains a loyal audience, ultimately driving business growth and increasing demand for their products or services.

5. Build a content brand with a strong format and hook

Format is the way you structure, organize, and present content. The format (not the content itself) is what an audience builds a relationship with—it's what they get comfortable with.

Content brand essentials. Building a successful content brand requires two key elements:

1. Strong format: A consistent structure that audiences can recognize and rely on
2. Compelling hook: A unique angle or concept that sets your content apart

Format benefits:

• Creates familiarity and comfort for your audience
• Makes content creation more efficient and scalable
• Helps establish a distinct identity for your content brand

Hook advantages:

• Captures audience attention in a crowded content landscape
• Differentiates your content from competitors
• Encourages sharing and word-of-mouth promotion

By developing a strong format and hook, brands can create content that stands out, builds audience loyalty, and drives engagement over time.

6. Target niche audiences and exploit content holes

The more you subdivide your audience, the more valuable it gets.

Power of niche targeting. In today's fragmented media landscape, focusing on specific niche audiences can yield significant benefits:

• Higher relevance and engagement with your content
• Increased likelihood of conversion and customer loyalty
• Opportunity to become a trusted authority in a specific area

Identifying content holes. Content holes are gaps in the existing content landscape that your brand can fill:

• Analyze your market for underserved topics or perspectives
• Look for intersections between your expertise and audience needs
• Consider new formats or approaches to addressing common topics

By targeting niche audiences and exploiting content holes, brands can create highly valuable content that resonates deeply with specific groups, leading to stronger relationships and increased demand for their products or services.

7. Align with partners around common values

Brandscapes are audience-driven. They result from the realization of the natural brand partnerships that exist in the marketplace.

Value-driven partnerships. Successful brandscaping relies on identifying and collaborating with partners who share similar values and target audiences. These partnerships can lead to:

• Expanded reach and exposure to new audiences
• Increased credibility through association with trusted brands
• Shared resources and expertise for content creation

Identifying potential partners:

• Analyze your core values and target audience
• Look for brands that complement your offerings
• Seek out content creators and influencers who align with your brand ethos

By aligning with partners around common values, brands can create more impactful content, reach wider audiences, and build stronger relationships with consumers who share those values.

8. Underwrite content instead of becoming a publisher

Underwriting is a true partnership between a content brand and a company that believes in the value of the content being created.

Shift from publishing to underwriting. Rather than attempting to become publishers themselves, brands should focus on underwriting valuable content created by established content brands or talented creators. This approach offers several advantages:

• Leverages existing expertise and audience relationships
• Reduces the burden of content creation and management
• Allows for more authentic and credible content

Underwriting best practices:

• Identify content creators or brands that align with your values and target audience
• Provide resources and support without compromising editorial integrity
• Focus on long-term partnerships rather than one-off sponsorships
• Measure success based on audience engagement and business impact, not just views or impressions

By underwriting content instead of becoming publishers, brands can support the creation of high-quality, relevant content while benefiting from the established trust and expertise of content creators in their field.

Last updated: July 30, 2024