Whether you are a new or established company, you are probably concerned with how your target market perceives your reputation. After all, it’s 2023. You have to pay attention to your reputation if you want success.
However, did you know you can dictate your brand’s reputation through content and content marketing? Nearly every large and small company is doing it in the best ways they know how.
To be honest, it’s nothing new. It’s the same concept as having Captain Kangaroo market Schwinn Bicycles in 1969:
When a company wants to dictate market perception, they use content through advertising and marketing. Sometimes they even sign celebrities. There are several different advertising methods available to deliver the message but they are literally telling their target market what to think, what to buy, and why they should buy it. At all times.
Nothing has changed when it comes to marketing. Only the platforms businesses use to reach their target audience have changed. So, if you want to use content to dictate your brand’s reputation and market perception, where should you begin?
How To Use Content To Dictate Your Brand’s Reputation and Market Perception
Just like any other form of content, you need to develop and envision your plan. For most people, that means brainstorming some ideas and seeing where that inspiration leads them.
Go ahead, get some of your ideas typed out in a document. Take a look at them, spend some time pondering your ideas and try to put yourself in your target market’s shoes. What do you want to tell your target audience and will your idea reach them?
If you think you have a winning marketing angle, it’s time to start developing your actual campaign. Make sure you put a lot of time into your headline or marketing slogan. That’s your hook, line, and sinker in EVERY case.
Think about it this way, if you can’t grab the attention of your target market, they will never even see your CTA (call-to-action). You need to reel your target market in with a stellar headline and then continue leading them directly to your CTA.
That’s why crafting a winning marketing campaign can take some time. It may even take some A/B tests to fine-tune your message and approach. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, so it’s okay if you need some trial and error to get it right.
Eventually, you will feel confident enough to launch your campaign idea. Once you launch a new campaign or content marketing strategy, it almost never goes according to plan. Especially at first. Over time, you are going to want to make changes as you learn and adapt along the way.
At this time, you can use your experienced-based intuition to literally dictate your brand’s reputation. It’s kind of like applying a public relations approach to your content writing strategy. You can control your own narrative through content. Period.
If your content is not proving to be effective at relaying your message, it’s as simple as going back to the drawing board. Refine your message and keep trying until you find one that sticks.
You work hard enough already, why not spend a little extra time crafting your message so it can work hard for you?
Using Content to Clear up a Misunderstanding
Beyond that, you can use content to clear up a misunderstanding or apologize. You can even use content to save face after a corporate blunder. Companies do it all the time.
Here is where it gets interesting though, you don’t have to wait until you mess up to dictate your brand’s reputation. If you want to control how the market perceives you, it literally starts and ends with your content.
Content comes in many forms: written blogs, videos, or even slogans. No matter what, almost all content begins with a writer who is jotting ideas and brainstorming down in the beginning. What you make of it from there is only limited by your own imagination.
You can literally create any narrative for your brand that you can possibly dream of, if you simply want to.
Controlling your brand’s narrative from the very beginning has almost no disadvantages. Setting the tone is going to pay dividends down the line. Of course, not every business has the opportunity to control their narrative at all times.
If there is some kind of unforeseen incident, there could be public backlash that turns into an embarrassing PR nightmare. However, at least you’ll go into that experience with a basic understanding of how you can control the narrative as you dig yourself out.
Keep in mind, your target audience is the most important thing to remember if you want to dictate your brand’s reputation through content. Don’t just speak at or to your target audience, connect with them on a deeper level. That’s how you build a two-way bridge between your target market and your brand.
If you’re not sure where to start crafting a message to dictate your brand’s reputation, don’t worry, Content 4 Hire can help! Simply drop us a line and we will get back to you within 24 hours or less, in most cases.
If you feel like you need better content to reach your target market, what are you waiting for? Your competition is already taking steps forward while you are still deciding what to do.
Don’t hesitate if you have an idea you believe in! All you can do is try and there is no such thing as failure for simply trying.
Would you rather try your idea and know the results or do you want to spend the rest of your life wondering if it would have worked? Seize the opportunity when inspiration strikes! That’s the Content 4 Hire way.