Wednesday 28 February 2018

How a Winery Crushed Its Content Marketing With Video

winery-crushed-content-marketing-with-video

Do you wish your videos made more of a difference for your business? Do you find yourself running out of ideas for videos your audience will love? Ever wonder what it takes to make a video so good that news outlets can’t wait to get their hands on it?

Enter, 20-year marketing veteran Lisa Mattson. With the help of her team, Lisa has reinvigorated Jordan Winery’s brand through videos. This post shares some ideas from her Content Marketing World talk, How Jordan Winery Crushed Content Marketing With a Video-Centered Strategy – ideas that you can steal to reinvigorate your brand.

Before: ‘Just a bottle shot in a magazine’

Many established businesses face the conundrum Jordan Winery found itself facing a decade ago. The almost 40-year-old brand had not kept up with the times. The winery competed with only 225 businesses in 1972. Over the next four decades, its competition increased by over 2,000%.

During most of those years, “we hadn’t changed the way we told our story,” Lisa says. “We were a faceless brand. Faceless brands are the next dinosaur.”


Faceless brands are the next dinosaur, says @LisaMattsonWine. Read more>>
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In 2007, Lisa joined this family-owned California winery because her colleagues were ready to update the way this luxury brand spoke and behaved. It was time to stop coming across as stuffy.

Take this bottle shot from the 1990s. “There’s a hunk of cheese on a barrel,” Lisa says. “I don’t know how the wine got in the glass. There’s no plate, no fork. Where are the people? This kind of marketing makes wine intimidating.”

jordan-winery-1990s-example

Lisa’s challenge was to make old-school cool. In those days, Jordan Winery was known for its food, hospitality, and elegant wines, not for its people. No one knew the Jordan family. The company image was “just a bottle shot in a magazine.” Lisa set out to capture the personalities behind the wine.


.@LisaMattsonWine set out to capture the personalities behind @jordanwinery. Read more>>
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After: ‘Way to go, Jordan! Super fun video’

The winery aimed to accomplish business goals familiar to marketers:

  • Entice people to join its loyalty program
  • Increase visits to the winery
  • Increase wine sales

Video was a natural medium to help this business differentiate itself from the competition in part because few wineries were making videos a decade ago. Besides, video is a natural medium for telling stories about people. “Bringing our people to life was important to us,” Lisa says. “Motion is important to message.”


Motion is important to message, says @LisaMattsonWine. #video
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The videos are available on the company’s YouTube channel – Jordan Vineyard & Winery – as well as on its two video-centric blogs – The Journey of Jordan and Wine Country Table – which are helping Jordan build segmented subscriber bases.

Rather than pay to advertise its content, the marketing team focuses on creating videos captivating enough to earn coverage on the news and in industry media. For example, Jordan’s popular parody videos, Despacito Embotellado (“bottling slowly”) and Shape of Cab, were featured on Bay Area news stations and covered in several internationally known wine magazines.


The team at @jordanwinery created captivating #videos to earn media coverage, says @LisaMattsonWine.
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While it’s impossible to trace the exact impact of the videos, CEO and second-generation vintner John Jordan sees the marketing payoff when all the indicators rise together: sales, visits, social media interactions, earned media, direct sales, and per-person spending.

The best way to get a sense of how far Jordan Winery has come from its bottle-shot-in-a-magazine days is to sample its videos. People who view these videos post comments like this one (from someone who goes by the name Red Agent):  “Way to go, Jordan! Super fun video. Very nicely done …”

Disclaimer: CMI bears no responsibility for any of our blog readers, fans, contributors, staff, or other humans associated therewith quitting their jobs and applying to work at Jordan Winery after watching the following videos.

Highlight the unexpected

What stories could you tell about your business – and bring to life on video – that would surprise your audience?


What stories could you tell about your business that would surprise your audience, asks @marciarjohnston.
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Jordan Winery uses egg whites to soften the tannins in red wine, an Old-World practice that surprises visitors. Rather than create a blog post explaining the process, Lisa’s video crew followed the Jordan staff to the farm where they get the eggs. “We basically walk people through what we do and why. And we make it fun,” she says. “You get to see what we do with all the egg whites. As for the yolks, you see us making ice cream when we’re done.”

Explore topics that hit people where they live

You want videos to address topics related to your expertise that hit home with audiences. For Jordan Winery, one such topic is kitchen gadgets. In this video, Jordan Winery executive chef Todd Knoll recommends gifts for cooks – the best and affordable kitchen tools for home cooks, chefs, and foodies. This video is posted on the Jordan YouTube channel as well as featured in a blog post.


Create #videos that address your expertise and hit home with audiences, says @MarciaRJohnston.
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Go behind the scenes

What goes on behind the scenes at your business that your audience would find fascinating? Build your brand’s following by engaging them in videos that reveal your unique expertise.

Lisa suggests filming people doing work they have to do anyway. That’s an efficient way to create interesting footage without requiring people to take much time away from their jobs.

“Turn your everyday work into content,” Lisa says.” People on camera don’t even have to talk a lot. Make a montage with text overlays. A lot of us watch videos on silent anyhow.”


Go behind the scenes at your business. Turn your everyday work into #content, says @LisaMattsonWine. #video
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In this video, Jordan Winery cellar master Patrick Fallon gives a peek into the making of oak barrels that will be used to age wine. Here, you see the barrel makers (coopers) in action, from bending the wood staves to toasting the barrels. Yes, toasting the barrels. As in setting them over a fire like so many giant hollowed-out marshmallows. It’s a thing. Who knew?

Parody a popular music video

Nothing draws people like humor. Imagine what might happen if your team were to indulge its inner Weird Al and spin off a true-to-your-brand version of a hit music video. You might discover what Jordan Winery has discovered: People love a good parody.

“Since parody is a protected class,” Lisa explains, “the video team can take other people’s content and create something new around it without having to worry about legal implications.”

Here’s the winery’s parody, Despacito Embotellado (bottling slowly) of Despacito, one of the biggest hit songs of summer 2017. If you can translate the Jordan lyrics into English, please share in a comment; I’d love to know what this creative crew is singing.

Share bloopers and outtakes

Who doesn’t love a blooper or a chance to check out fun footage that didn’t make the primary cut? Share your lighter side with the world. Here’s a compilation of snippets Jordan Winery left out of its official videos in 2017.

Conclusion

When it comes to digital media, nothing conveys your brand’s personality like video. Next time you’re looking for a killer video idea for your brand, consider things that have helped Jordan Winery crush content marketing:

  • Highlight the unexpected.
  • Explore a topic that hits people where they live.
  • Go behind the scenes.
  • Parody a popular music video.
  • Share bloopers and outtakes.

Then come back and leave a comment. Share your success stories with your fellow marketers. We all love a good video.

Here’s an excerpt from Lisa’s talk:

Get inspired and get practical advice on how to create brand videos that garner an engaged following and much more at Content Marketing World 2018, Sept. 4-7 in Cleveland, Ohio. Register using code BLOG100 to save $100.

Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute

The post How a Winery Crushed Its Content Marketing With Video appeared first on Content Marketing Institute.



source http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2018/02/winery-content-video/

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Tuesday 27 February 2018

Slow Your Content Marketing Down

slow-down-content-marketing

More than 86 million blog posts are published on WordPress every month.

86 million. Every month.

Even the most digital literate, attentive, and committed customer probably only has the bandwidth to scan about 10 headlines and read one to two articles a day – and that’s being generous.

Where does that leave the millions and millions of other “content opportunities”? Floating limply in random distribution channels and woven throughout thousands of lackluster company tweets?

Innovative marketers are embracing a solution – the slow content marketing movement. Much as the slow food movement argues less-but-better food will deliver improved health results, the slow content marketing movement insists less-but-better content will deliver improved marketing results.

“When I first came into content marketing, fast content marketing was the way to go,” says Margaret Magnarelli, senior director of marketing at Monster and Content Marketing World speaker. “But over time, it’s struck me that there’s more value in doing fewer things. A longer piece might get fewer finishes because of its length, but it might have a greater impact on someone who ends up spending more time with it and builds greater affinity with your brand.

“If you’re working in a B2B business where your aim is to drive leads, you don’t need to make more content – instead you need to make more effective content.”


If your aim is to drive leads, you don't need to make more #content, just more effective content. @mmagnarelli
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The argument for slow content marketing isn’t just anecdotal. The concept of quality over quantity is a long-held business truth as proven with research:


Over 90% of its blog leads came from old blog posts via @HubSpot.
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  • An American Marketing Association study found that brand marketers increased their publishing by 800% over five years only to find engagement per post declined by 89%.

Brand marketers increased publishing by 800% over 5 years. Engagement per post declined by 89%. @AMA_Marketing
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  • Orbit Media research revealed that content creators who spend longer on each post see stronger results. Publishing frequency was not a differentiator.

Content creators who spend longer on each post see stronger results via @orbiteers. #research
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It’s only a matter of time before every content marketing strategy goes slow to ensure that the quality of its content going out in the world is high.


#Contentmarketing strategies should go slow to ensure the quality of content going out is high. @AwYeahSarah
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How to do slow content marketing

Slowing your content marketing doesn’t mean just pulling back on the publishing schedule. Invest the time and resources you otherwise would have put into high-frequency writing into making each article the best possible version. Though how you do that will vary depending on market conditions, here are five ways to do slow aka quality content marketing.

1. Hire better writers

Treat your audience like the humans they are – humans who want to read clear thinking. Push the upper limits of your budget to hire the best writer you can afford – one who specializes in your industry niche and speaks keenly to your target customer.

“The quality of your ideas gives you the right to produce less,” says Mary Ellen Slayter, CEO of Rep Cap Media and founder of ManagingEditor.com.


The quality of your ideas gives you the right to produce less, says @MESlayter.
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Talented writers can generate and execute quality ideas. But better writers don’t just make for better text, they also:

  • Have the necessary industry context to avoid content that your competition is publishing, to feature the latest high-quality research, and to highlight your brand’s value proposition with minimal onboarding.
  • Have influence and authority in your industry, as your audience may be familiar with their other content. They also can amplify interest in the content through their well-developed industry networks.
  • Know the best format, length, publishing schedule, and outreach efforts for your content and your audience.

Talented writers know best format, length, schedule, & outreach for content & audience. @AwYeahSarah
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2. Treat titles like the bait they are

Clickbait is a negative term, and rightfully so. Headlines that use tricks or lies to manipulate people into clicking are wrong. But the term “bait” applies to all titles by their nature – a little taste of what the content offers to entice a potential reader. If you don’t put time into creating the most accurate and alluring title, you compromise the reach of the article.


If you don't put time into creating accurate & alluring titles, you compromise article reach. @AwYeahSarah
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“We’re playing a game of headlines,” Margaret says. “Display copy is the only way you can get your content to register with someone, so you almost have to create a wolf in sheep’s clothing and do what everyone else is doing title-wise. But when a reader finally gets to the piece, it’s got to be good.”

Treat your titles with interest-grabbing, “I-have-to-read-this-now” bait by making them as robust as they can be:

  • Use a modified version of Jeff Goin’s formula for catchy headlines: number or trigger word + adjective + topic or audience keyword + benefit. Or use James Scherer’s tip for influencer titles: How (Familiar Brand) Is Doing (Something) to Achieve (Positive Result).
  • Use CMI’s 10-point checklist or these headline-generator tools.
  • Split-test your headlines using a plug-in or app on your blog and use different versions on social media.

3. Make use of your archives

Don’t underestimate the power of your previously published content. As the HubSpot example shows, old content can be a powerful driving force for customers seeking to educate themselves about your product, service, or industry. Look at your archives and update content to make sure it’s working for your brand 24-7.

“For B2B customers, it’s not just, ‘I came to your site, I clicked, and now I’m going to buy real quick,’” says Mary Ellen. “The decisions they make require thought and money, and the customers need to know who they’re dealing with. It’s important to think of your content as what Jimmy Daly calls a library of information – one you can go back and update to build that trust rather than a paper of record where content that was published three years ago must stay where it is.”

4. Segment your audience (and segment it again)

One outreach method you may not have fully investigated is customizing outreach with your audience based on unique segmentations such as:

  • People who didn’t click the article (or people who did)
  • People who share the newsletter (or people who don’t)
  • People who have not been active in the last five campaigns
  • People based on job title, gender, location, or device
  • People who subscribed to your list based on how they signed up (i.e., trade show vs. gated content)

You also can customize your content outreach while still staying within your established distribution frequency such as:

  • Adding a link to footers or round-up posts
  • Running promotions for readers who share or comment
  • Featuring a new quote from the article in a different email
  • Rewriting the email introduction to the article based on industry, job title, or scenario

Customize your #content outreach for audience segments following same distribution frequency. @AwYeahSarah
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5. Sharpen your distribution strategy

One of the biggest benefits of putting more resources into a single article is that it increases your odds of creating the kind of original and editorially sound content that opens the doors to content syndication, potentially introducing your blog (and site and product) to flows of traffic from sites like MSN, USA Today, Yahoo, AOL/The Huffington Post, LinkedIn, and more.

Conclusion

“There’s a sea of terrible content out there because sometimes we content marketers have just had to feed the distribution beast,” Margaret says. “Investing in one piece of content and making something special that you can publish everywhere is a higher ROI strategy because when an editor or customer sees your name in their feed they’ll know it’s worth reading.”

Like every other part of your marketing strategy, the decision to embrace slow content marketing or keep up last year’s pace will depend on your sales goals, your customers, your industry, your niche, and a million other details. But every marketing manager will find it’s worth stopping to ask, “What if we slowed our content marketing this year?”

What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

Discover how a “slow” approach also includes knowing how to develop a structured framework for your content. Make plans today to attend Intelligent Content Conference March 20-22 in Las Vegas. Register using code BLOG100 to save $100.

Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute

The post Slow Your Content Marketing Down appeared first on Content Marketing Institute.



source http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2018/02/slow-content-marketing/

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