If you learn about how to do content marketing, you will find a lot of articles, videos, podcasts, etc. that focus on how to get more followers, fans, website traffic, conversions, sales, etc. You will find all kinds of technical information about how to get the most impressions and rankings. The thing most of these articles miss, however, is the advantage of creating content that actually stands for something.
There is a great profile on the outdoors company, REI, in Social Media Examiner, who founded the #OptOutside movement:
You need look no further than social media to see both newbies and pros proudly tagging their content with #OptOutside. The hashtag started on Black Friday 2015 when REI invited the nation to reconnect with their families and friends instead of shopping for holiday deals. REI closed its doors and paid employees not to work but to enjoy the day outside.
It wasn’t a one-time publicity stunt. The company has shut its doors every Black Friday since. In 2017, an estimated 8 million people took part . . .
(Source: Social Media Examiner)
Hashtags are a great way to think about standing for something in practical terms. Come up with a name for something you want to lead people to do and create content around that action.
The action has to be emotional. It has to be important. It has to fly in the face of common practice.
The most successful emails I’ve written weren’t “optimized” for sales, they were focused on motivating people to take action. The sales came to support the action not as the primary goal.
While REI may have experienced increases in sales due to their campaigns, these weren’t just stunts. They gave people a mission and a rallying cry to motivate them to take action.
