Services

Content Marketing

When done well, content marketing can do wonders for a ✲ brand.

When done badly, it can be an expensive liability.

There are good reasons for the discipline’s soaring popularity in B2B and enterprise tech as in other sectors.

As the media contracts, there are fewer journalists around to tell a company’s story. There is a pressing need — and opportunity — to engage would-be customers directly. And when executed skillfully, brand storytelling lends an editorial perspective and helps the company become bigger than an outfit simply selling things. It makes them part of a wider conversation — all independently of the media.

Bring Back Meaning

Of course, getting it right isn’t as easy as it looks. Worthwhile exercises never are.

To begin with, clients are rarely set up to function as media companies, which is quite understandable really.

Neither do they have ready access to journalists who are willing to guide them in the right direction: to tell them when their story is jargonistic or purely self-serving, and suggest an approach that people are likely to relate to.

Poll showing most people prefer interesting content

Another problem is the hype that has built up around content in recent years. Companies often feel obliged to “do content” to keep up with everyone else. But in the rush to stay current, they fail to consider the why or the how.

The upshot of this is that much of the content out there misses the mark — if there was a mark to begin with. Often it adds to the noise, then sinks without trace. In the worst cases, it actually weakens credibility. This can happen when a buttoned-up brand suddenly starts sounding like a teenager, for example. Or when it takes a position on a controversial topic without due consideration of cultural sensitivities and the bigger picture.

Even when committed to producing quality content, a further challenge is ensuring it gets seen.

It’s easy to assume that a good story speaks for itself. But even the best story needs to be discoverable for it to take off. The absence of marketing and distribution know-how can let down a stellar piece of content.

How We Help Companies Produce Effective Content

These are the components we believe are essential and ensure are part of any content-based exercise that we undertake.

Clarity of purpose: We start out by being absolutely clear on why we are producing a piece of content in the first place — what it should achieve, and who it needs to speak to.
Discovery: Good content doesn’t just happen. It requires substance. Our research and interviewing process surfaces the good stuff before the writing begins. Insightful questions are a must, but the key is listening carefully to the answers to discern the makings of a story and following that trail.
Point of view: All good content has one, and we are strong advocates of thought leadership as opposed to thought followship.
Balance: Every company has its agenda. But focus too heavily on it and you end up with a sales pitch, not an engaging piece of content. We take a journalistic approach to strike a balance between client and audience interests and ensure the work says something new, interesting and useful, applying storytelling techniques such as anecdotes and contrast.
Context: Difference is good. But it has to be relevant. We find the cultural sweet spot for a story so that it resonates with people in the real world.

In short, we act as a non-corporate foil, replacing self-important monologuing with humanity in the B2B and enterprise tech space.

Crucially, we also know how to put content in front of its audiences, backing organic, earned search with performance marketing — an approach we term “performance content”.

We believe every client we work with has the raw material to produce top-grade content. We bring it to the surface; refine it; and help it get the attention it deserves.