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Going Viral the Wrong Way with Substandard Content Writing Services

By: David Tile| Founer @ Article-Writing.co
Posted On: April 21, 2015
The content marketing world is enamored with the concept of “going viral” – and for good reason. After all, when you stop and think about article writing, there’s nothing more exciting than watching a blog post or social media message ignite the web and end up in the newsfeeds of millions of viewers across the globe. However, not every content campaign goes viral for the right reasons, or in the way that the originating brand imagined. With this in mind, let’s dig into what went wrong with some of the most embarrassing fails, both online and in the physical world, as well as what your brand needs to do to stay out of this far from ideal company.
The Not-So-Stellar Side of Viral Marketing

In terms of content marketing mishaps that are so bad you can’t look away, Stefanie Grieser of the Unbounce blog points out that there’s several different ways to enter this cringe-worthy digital territory. For instance, grammatical errors – like missing punctuation and misplaced apostrophes – are good for a few chuckles from your audience and passersby, in much the same way that a situational faux pas can also occur when your content ends up in unintentionally awkward digital and physical locations.

Unfortunately, this problem is only exacerbated by the rise of social media and the fact that once these users get their hands on your failed content, there’s no taking it back. Don’t believe this? Just take a look at this potentially racist tweet that was sent out by a marketing manager on behalf of Home Depot. As content and social marketing expert Jeff Zelaya notes on his personal blog, even if the intention wasn’t there, it didn’t take long for digital viewers to turn this post into a viral hit that made one of the biggest home goods retailers in North America into an online laughingstock.

 

What Went Wrong?
At the end of the day, almost all of these examples can trace the root of the problem back to one basic issue – a lack of oversight or experience within the content marketing industry. It’s not that any of these brands wanted to end up as the butt of a joke that spreads like wildfire within an audience. However, a lack of time to take control of the details, or the inability to understand what goes into developing or enlisting quality content writing services and social management, doomed these branded campaigns before they ever made the first step away from the drawing board and toward a spot in front of the targeted audience.

Ensuring Your Brand Doesn’t End Up in the Content “Hall of Shame”

If this doesn’t sound like where you want to be with your content, it’s time to build an approach that undertakes the content marketing process from the right angle of attack. As Forbes magazine’s Greg Satell points out, the best way to protect your brand and get the most out of these offerings is by connecting with content writing services and experts that know just what the heck they’re doing on behalf of your organization.

From developing a strategy that turns your vision and mission statement into engaging and consumable content, to going over each selection with a strict editorial process that eliminates the risk of embarrassing grammatical errors, letting someone who has been around the content marketing and social media block before can help your content go viral the right way. When framed by the fact that you’ll never truly be able to live down getting a little digital egg on your face via failed content operations, it’s easy to see that this path is the only real option for brands that are serious about making a splash on the web.

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The ultimate goal of content marketing is offering your target audience information and materials that will engage them and motivate them to choose your business. 

Seems easy, right? 

Often, companies will simply share general content to please everyone. But let’s be honest: you can’t win them all. And that’s okay! 

Rather than throwing a line and hoping the fish will bite, create Thought Leadership content strategically catered to your target market. Consider the people who would genuinely need or care about what your business offers, rather than wasting time, effort, and resources on creating general, unfocused content. Successful content marketing involves promoting your products and services to the people interested in the subject matter, who will read the content, click on your company website, and take action. 

As an executive of an organization, you are a valuable piece of the brand. Consumers want to know about the human presence leading companies, in order to understand more about the company’s values and goals. 

Take advantage of your position as an industry expert and share extra content to attract more attention to yourself as an industry leader and your company. Your quality content will build your reputation as a reliable voice to earn your consumer’s trust. However, if it’s not focused on your target audience, you won’t earn many conversions from your content. 

Consider these techniques to guide your Thought Leadership content so it can expand and strengthen your loyal consumer following:

  • Identify your target audience by reviewing your current consumer data and identifying who is investing in your business or reacting to your thought leadership materials so far. Look for trends to find why these people are interested and if others like them haven’t been reached yet. 
  • Conduct customer research to learn how they will respond to your thought leadership content. Request participation in surveys, polls, social media comments, and more to learn about your existing impression on your audience and how you can improve your platform. 
  • Create target audience character profiles. Identify their interests, demographics, pain points, needs, and desires, and write to them.
  • Find where your current and potential audience is active online.  Catch their attention by being active and sharing your content marketing materials on these platforms.
  • Pull inspiration from other Thought Leader examples. Research other executives within your field who implement successful content marketing through their personal platforms. Learn what qualities make their content attractive and why readers respond to it positively. These examples can offer a base for you to visualize what you want to achieve. 
  • Recognize your strengths as a Thought Leader. Often, leaders aren’t necessarily aware of the unique talents that give them an advantage in their industry until asked. Reflect on what topics you know best and how to input your insights to humanize your materials, make them original and more engaging for your audience. 

 

Case Study: How Strategic Content Marketing Can Broaden Your Audience

In our client strategy calls, our team will interview our expert clients to learn about their industry expertise and find out what’s meaningful to them, their business, and then identify who we believe to be their target audience. We use these insights to inspire our content subject matter and tone to create impactful content for their current and potential consumers.

Dr. Desai’s COVID PreCheck App Content Marketing

For example, our client, Dr. Nitin Desai, approached our strategy team to create content to promote his COVID Pre-Check app. His innovative software is intended to help employers ensure their employees who enter the office are COVID-free, providing a safe environment by eliminating the chance of spread. 

Our team of strategists recognized that with Dr. Desai’s thorough professional knowledge around the COVID-19 virus, he had the potential to become a reliable voice in a culture of people seeking answers. We created content for Dr. Desai that focused on sharing COVID-related insights to reach a wider audience, which has been a successful mission. Our thoroughly planned content reflected his industry expertise, which brought him attention from various media outlets and publications, including Forbes. 

By reaching out to our professional content marketing team, Dr. Desai achieved his goal of promoting his groundbreaking app, while also positioning himself as an authoritative voice in his field. Our team learned about his voice, discovered what was meaningful to him and his target audience, and optimized this to create focused, engaging content that broadened his consumer scope. 

Ready to Invest In Your Article-Writing.co Thought Leadership Package? 

At Article-Writing.co, we understand that you have a lot on your plate. Let us share your voice on your behalf, so you don’t need to add more time to your busy schedule to write your own content marketing. Our strategists and creators will develop a plan to create engaging materials to represent your Thought Leader brand through your own specialized Thought Leadership Package. 

Let us help you strengthen and broaden your consumer base for continued professional success. Book a call today.