Christmas is a time for giving, but as we all know, finding the right gifts for friends and family can sometimes be a challenge. Content marketing can sometimes feel a bit like that person who’s impossible to buy for.
You want to give them the perfect gift, rather than something dull like a pair of slippers, but sometimes it can be really tricky. Maybe they are are really boring, or you just don’t have enough budget…
If you’re struggling for inspiration this festive season, here are some great examples to help you:
The novelty gift – Brighton’s Christmas lights
The Poke has created a spoof video of Brighton’s Christmas lights that’s gone viral. It’s rather lewd. But I’m sure it’ll get a smirk from even the most mature of us. At the time of writing it’s gathered 1.8 million views.
Will you be able to create a video that goes as viral? Probably not. But create something funny that raises a smile, and your video has viral potential.
The generous gift – Lidl’s food hampers
Lidl launched a Twitter campaign in Belgium giving away food to the poor. For every tweet containing a certain hash-tag, it would give away 5 dinners to a food bank. It gave away 7,500 hampers, consisting of chicken vol-au-vents, tomato soup, chips, ice-cream cake and chocolates.
Although this is more of a standard marketing promotion than content marketing, it shows the viral power of social networks.
The useful gift – A white-paper on Christmas retail habits
Digital marketing agency Tamar created a white-paper on Christmas retailing habits. A handy guide, white-paper or report which educates and informs can have a very powerful effect on your business. You content may only ‘go viral’ among a small audience, but that’s not a bad thing. If that audience is powerful decision-makers, then your company is going to reap major benefits.
Don’t celebrate on your own
If your content isn’t social, it’s like celebrating Christmas on your own. No matter how sumptuous your Turkey is. No matter how scrummy your mince pies are. If nobody else eats your dinner, it’s going to land in the bin. Videos on Youtube have in-built sharing features. Most blog platforms have sharing features built in as well. But for downloadable content like guides, white-papers and reports you’ll need a sharing platform such as Virally.
Conclusion
Creating great content is a real art. It’s tough. You need to create something useful, informative or funny. Then share it over social networks. Only then can your content reach as many people as Santa.