When you depend on Search engine optimization and information-based content material to develop your viewers, it’s time to rethink your strategy with character content material.
Informational content material was once the go-to methodology for constructing model consciousness and driving development. And it was a fairly easy course of: rank for key search phrases, appeal to net visitors, and convert leads.
However with AI’s rising capabilities, this class of content material has develop into commoditized — simply generated, extensively distributed, and tougher to tell apart from the competitors. In consequence, it’s more and more tough for manufacturers to take care of a novel voice and stand out in an oversaturated market.
That is the place personality-led content material is available in. By tapping into storytelling and the human expertise, it connects with audiences in ways in which AI merely can’t. However what precisely is character content material, and how are you going to add it to your advertising and marketing playbook?
In a latest episode of Advertising In opposition to the Grain, Kieran and I discover the shift from informational content material to a personality-led strategy. We additionally cowl 5 sensible ideas to assist manufacturers regain management of their narratives and create content material that stands out from AI-generated materials. Let’s dive in.
Informational vs. Character Content material: What’s the Distinction?
Data-led content material — additionally known as ‘instructional’ content material — is all about delivering details, knowledge, and solutions to particular questions. Consider belongings like how-to guides, tutorials, or product comparisons. However with AI instruments now in a position to generate these solutions in seconds (and with much more precision than Google), such a content material has develop into much less priceless and far tougher to rank for in search outcomes.
Character-led content material, however, connects with audiences via storytelling and real-life experiences. This might appear to be behind-the-scenes movies that give a peek into your model’s tradition, opinion items from trade thought leaders, or influencer-driven tales that construct belief by that includes acquainted faces.
Particularly as consideration spans shrink and the competitors for viewers engagement grows, personality-driven content material offers companies a strategic benefit by fostering genuine, emotionally-driven connections and making them extra memorable.
Sensible Tricks to Construct a Character Content material Technique
Focused on implementing a personality-led content material technique? Kieran and I’ve recognized 5 key techniques to assist your model thrive — at the same time as AI-generated content material continues to develop.
1. Revamp your hiring technique.
Probably the greatest methods to jumpstart your personality-driven content material technique is by rethinking the way you construction and rent on your advertising and marketing group.
Take Mohak Nahta, for instance, a founder within the journey trade. He realized that Search engine optimization-driven content material that addressed widespread journey questions — like visa purposes and logistics — was dropping its impression, as AI may simply churn out that type of info.
As an alternative of constant with the identical strategy, he pivoted to a personality-led technique and employed in-house influencers to share their private journey experiences on the corporate’s advertising and marketing channels.
This not solely made the content material tougher for AI to duplicate but additionally helped the model develop its viewers on community-driven platforms like TikTok.
2. Incentivize your creators and influencers.
Creators and influencers are amongst probably the most trusted voices in the present day, however working with them could be difficult.
Many choose to construct their very own platforms fairly than totally decide to a model, particularly if they’ve the talents to develop their very own channels. In consequence, influencers who’re prepared to collaborate with manufacturers are sometimes both early of their careers or much less established. To bridge this hole, providing the precise incentives is essential.
One strategy is to rent aspiring influencers as in-house content material creators and spend money on their growth. The higher they carry out, the extra coaching and alternatives they obtain.
Alternatively, you possibly can appeal to established influencers by providing incentives like revenue-sharing fashions, unique model offers, or entry to premium experiences that align with their private model.
Whichever route you select, the secret’s to align their success along with your model’s objectives, making certain a win-win for each events.
3. Differentiate in key areas.
As an alternative of making an attempt to compete for net visitors all over the place, zoom in on one or two locations the place you possibly can actually win. This implies obsessing over a number of key areas — whether or not that’s one platform or a selected content material model — and changing into the most effective in these areas.
As Kieran factors out through the episode, the market is much more saturated since you’re not simply competing with manufacturers anymore — you’re up towards particular person influencers, too. So you must actually know: the place am I distinctive? The place’s the differentiation?
By narrowing your focus, you possibly can develop content material that stands out from the competitors and resonates along with your viewers in a method that AI-generated content material cannot.
4. Personal your content material infrastructure.
Trendy B2B creator advertising and marketing ought to be structured just like the Marvel Universe. For instance, identical to Marvel owns the IP, the characters, and the storyline, firms must personal their most dear belongings — social accounts and platforms, strategic playbooks, content material libraries.
The creators themselves, very like actors, can come and go. You may need totally different folks taking part in the position, relying on the mission or the message, however the core infrastructure and model id stay constant.
5. Go deep on experience.
Deep experience is what separates actually priceless content material from the remaining. At HubSpot, for instance, we’ve taken all of our informational content material, sorted it into classes, and recognized the items which might be probably the most defensible.
From there, we go deeper, including distinctive worth to these posts in methods AI can’t simply replicate — video, buyer statistics, interactive options — which ensures that our content material stays extremely specialised and distinctive to our model.
Character content material is the way forward for content material advertising and marketing.
Character-led content material is the important thing to surviving and thriving within the face of AI. By specializing in authenticity, differentiation, and strategic use of creators, advertising and marketing executives can shield their manufacturers and hold management over their narrative.
To be taught extra about character content material, try the full episode of Advertising In opposition to the Grain under:
This weblog sequence is in partnership with Advertising In opposition to the Grain, the video podcast. It digs deeper into concepts shared by advertising and marketing leaders Kipp Bodnar (HubSpot’s CMO) and Kieran Flanagan (SVP, Advertising at HubSpot) as they unpack development methods and be taught from standout founders and friends.
