How Content Marketing Can Benefit the Motor Industry
When Felix Baumgartner made his record-breaking skydive for the Red Bull Stratos project in 2012, he did much more than set the record for distance and speed in a four-minute free-fall that saw him become the first human being to surpass the sound barrier while travelling outside of a mechanical vehicle.
Baumgartner also handed his sponsor a veritable gold mine of content marketing opportunities that could provide dividends for the next decade.
Lest you not believe in the power of content marketing, consider the fact that Red Bull invested an incredible amount of time and resources in the project. They did not do so because they love throwing money away. They did it with the knowledge that sponsoring Baumgartner’s jump would instantly become an online and offline marketing bonanza.
Real, tangible results
What must be understood is that Red Bull’s marketing strategy is not limited to multi-billion pound corporations capable of supporting a project like Stratos.
Any company, including modestly financed companies within the motor industry, can utilise the same strategy for building business. Content marketing is not about how much money you spend; it is about how you spend it. The average motoring company does not need to spend a fortune to achieve real, tangible results.
Creativity with Results
Dale Gillespie, Digital Marketing Manager at www.jenningsforddirect.co.uk, explains that the secret to effective content marketing is to present something unique in a way that both captivates potential customers and gets the attention of internet search engines. He says it is less about the budget and more about creativity.
“Content marketing is at a stage where a simple presence is not enough; you have to have a stand-out, unique proposition,” Gillespie says. “Big budget helps, but to maximise return on investment, creative thinking backed with an overall content strategy is key. The campaign must deliver real-world results in the form of SEO benefits, measurable brand awareness and, of course, sales.”
Gillespie cites his own company’s recent success with their Diamond Kuga campaign conducted through their used Ford dealership in South Shields. Gillespie and his Jennings team combined the impact value of well-designed content with long-term SEO value to create an extremely successful campaign yielding quality links from some of the best websites in the motor industry – sites including Top Gear, Motor Authority, and Car Buzz. Strong website traffic and social activity followed improving brand awareness sales. Moreover, they did it all with a budget of just a few hundred pounds.
Tell Your Story
Red Bull made it work with a multi-million-pound budget while Jennings Ford Direct was successful even though they spent next to nothing comparatively. So what is the secret? How can companies in the motor industry achieve the greatest results for the money spent? It is all about telling a unique story.
Content marketing is, at its core, establishing a relationship with new and existing customers by involving them in the story of your company. The Walt Disney Company provides a perfect illustration on a monumental scale. You do not have to spend the kind of money Disney does, but learning from their example is invaluable.
Before Disney invests a single penny in the launch of a new attraction, service, or promotion, they begin with a story. Their brand-new roller coaster at Florida’s Magic Kingdom is a perfect example. They started with the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and built the entire attraction around that story. They follow the same principle in everything they do, from hotels to cruise ships to restaurants. The story carries through all of their marketing efforts to engage guests on a personal level.
The motor industry has its stories to tell. You might build a content marketing campaign around the thrill of driving high-performance cars in Europe. Another storyline could revolve around the unique experience that is owning and driving a luxury car. Alternatively, perhaps your story is one of families who enjoy the perfect combination of affordability and reliability by purchasing a particular make or model. Or more like the Jennings Ford Direct story, any Ford any extras and any request met then delivered hassle free anywhere in the country.
Content marketing does not have to cost you the earth. With some creative thinking, a great story to tell, and a modest budget to combine the two, you can create an effective content marketing campaign that will push your business to the next level. As Dale Gillespie says, it is no longer enough to simply have an online presence.
Success in modern business means reaching out to your customers in unique and creative ways that will captivate them and hold their attention.
