A Guide for Content Marketing in Kansas City

If you’re looking for content marketing in Kansas City, you’ve come to the right place. And if you have no idea what content marketing even is, here’s a quick definition:

“generating interest in your brand’s product or services through the creation and distribution of online content.”

This online content can be video, images, infographics, podcasts, articles, etc., but the key is that it’s relevant to your brand and is share-worthy. Our magic formula for this process is:

We’ll talk about how to make your content share-worthy and some possible content topics related to your niche market. These are just springboards for you to launch your campaign though—you can also use programs like Buzzsumo to see what content gets the most shares and what’s currently trending in your field. Map out your game plan before you pursue content marketing in Kansas City.

What Motivates Us to Share?

According to a Shutterstock blog, there are five driving forces behind what we choose to share on social media: (1) to convey identity, (2) to nurture relationships, (3) as incentives, (4) for a sense of belonging, and (5) to advocate great content. If you can pinpoint these motivating factors and keep them in mind when you’re creating your content, your efforts will show in the data.

Convey Identity

What people choose to share helps define who they are. That Debbie downer who blows up your newsfeed with doomsday article has established an identity through the content she shares, and the same goes for the notorious inspirational quote blasters on Instagram. We oftentimes typecast people by the viewpoints they stand behind, and social media is the perfect platform to make these viewpoints known.

People aren’t always honest on the internet though—sometimes they share content based on the desired version of themselves that they want to project to the world. In one social-media sharing study conducted by The New York Times, 68% of those surveyed said that they “share to give people a better sense of who they are and what they care about”. Psychologist Carl Rogers says this phenomenon is caused by the two parts of personality—the ‘real self’ and the ‘ideal self’ (who we want to be). Since our behavior is trying to bring us closer to this ‘ideal self’, we share content that aligns with how we want to be perceived. How many posed laughing photos do you come across every day on social media? If you want people to think your happy, that’s the identity you establish for yourself on social media.

Nurture Relationships

Since we’re inherently social creatures, it only makes sense that a media named after our friendly instincts would be a hit. In fact, some might even call it an obsession. We form and maintain social relationships not only through direct conversation (which doesn’t always fit into our busy lives), but also by keeping up with each other’s lives via social media and sharing content that we think others might enjoy. If we find a funny video or informative article that we think a friend might like, we share it with them online. We prioritize content that has specific relevance to a relationship, like an inside joke or throwback. If you can find a way to create content that strengthens relationships through sharing, you’ve struck marketing gold. An example of this might be a quiz that tests how similar your and your friend’s sense of style is.

Incentives

‘Share for a chance to win a weekend trip to Panama!’ We’ve all seen these promotions and thought ‘hey, I’ve got nothing to lose’. We click that share button and pray that sunny skies and clear beaches are in our future. The great thing about these types of promotions are that you really don’t have anything to lose. Sure, you may not win that trip, but it only took a couple seconds of your time to click that button. Tempting incentives are one of the best ways to get people to share, like, and comment on your content. Interactions give credibility to the content you’re putting out there, and it can establish you as an influencer in your market if you draw in enough followers. A recent study found that 67% of users who ‘liked’ a brand page on Facebook only did so for eligible special offers. You could publish an article on how to paint a house, and then have readers on Facebook tag a friend whose house could use a new paint job in the comments section. Offer a free paint job to one lucky person who gets tagged. It’s as easy as that.

Sense of Belonging

Another motivating factor for us to share content is to feel a greater sense of belonging. How do you feel when your friend tags you in a funny video? Pretty freakin’ awesome, right? One study asked an active group of Facebook users to engage in normal activity on Facebook, and then tested how they would react if they didn’t receive any responses or feedback from their actions (likes, comments, etc.). These participants reported  significant negative effects on their self-esteem and sense of well-being, suggesting that interaction is one of the driving forces behind our social media use. It’s silly to think that likes and comments online could give us social validation and a greater sense of connectedness, but that’s the world we live in. Try to think of how you can incorporate connectivity in your content marketing strategy. Maybe open the comments section on your site, or use your company account to interact with other social media users through comments and shares. Content marketing in Kansas City is all about engaging with your audience.

Share Great Content

We share content when we think it will entertain or inform others. If your content does neither of these things, you’ve got a problem. A New York Times study found that 94% of those asked said they carefully consider how the information they share will be useful to the recipient. That’s why cute animal videos are so popular—they don’t offend anyone! Many ‘play it safe’ on social media by sharing only content that coincides with universally accepted norms. If you have a ‘play it safe’ brand, these are the people you’re targeting. Your articles will most likely be instructional. However, brands that already have an established voice can be more edgy in their content. Make a statement by publishing quirky videos—Billy on the Street style. Your definition of ‘great’ may be different than someone else’s, so do some experimenting with content marketing in Kansas City to see what’s clicking with your audience and what isn’t.

Content Topics for Your Market

Photography:

• Beautiful places around KC for outdoor photography/city photography/etc.
• The best backdrops for your foodie Instagram posts
• What all of those camera features do (how to navigate your camera)
• Best apps for aspiring photographers

Food Industry:

• Recipes for specific diets (ie: gluten-free, Paleo, Whole30)
• Slideshow of weird facts about food that can be uploaded to Instagram
• Diet/Exercise tips
• Features on the other shops/restaurants in your vicinity

Financial:

• How to Budget for a specific time of the year (ie: Christmas, summer vacation)
• Stores in the area that give you the biggest bang for your buck
• The top 5 things that you’re wasting your money on
• Clubs/bars around KC that offer drink specials on certain nights of the week

Health Care:

• Tricks to cure a cough
• How much sleep you should be getting based on your age/lifestyle
• Best deals on home medical supplies
• Worst/best ER waiting rooms in America

Industrial/Development:

• Tallest buildings in the world
• How to build your own house
• Best and worst places to buy real estate
• Most expensive homes in the world

Entertainment:

• Family fun on a Friday night
• Outings for under $10/person
• Scariest roller coasters in the country
• Holiday-related activities around the area (ie: corn maze)

Web Design/technology:

• How to resize or enhance photos for your website
• Coding 101
• Most interactive websites on the web
• How VR is affecting web design

Travel:

• Travel sites that help you get a good deal (ie: Scott’s Cheap Flights)
• Best places to travel by season
• Foods to try when you’re traveling
• How to budget for a vacation

Child Care:

• How often/long children should nap
• Healthy foods
• Family-friendly activities in the area
• Best parks in the are

Clothing Retail:

• Hottest trends
• Runway video of latest clothes (have employees make)
• What can be paired with what
• Outfit recommendations for different holidays

Music:

• Upcoming concerts/festivals
• Local artist featured video
• Best places to buy CDs/cassettes/vinyl
• Everyday objects that can be made to sound like instruments

Contact Us

For more information on content marketing, check out our blogs that cover some great content marketing case studies, tactics for content marketing, and the components of content marketing. If you need content marketing in Kansas City that specializes in telling brand stories through content curation, social media, and market research, you’ve come to the right place. We take the data we gather from your campaign and fine-tune for optimal brand exposure, so contact us today to get started on your campaign.