What Marketers in Japan Keep Getting Wrong

That’s kind of a loaded title, but I’ll try to sum it up below.

I was recently speaking to a proposed client and because we had our conversation and I searched them online, now they’re targeting me on Facebook- Great.

Okay, I get it and do this all of the time, but there’s nothing worse than getting targeted with crap content, like a contest that doesn’t make any sense and a giveaway that’s a giant waste of money.

It’s almost like no thought at all went into the actual content strategy that goes into their SNS plan.

We call this prep-work a “Content Framework” and the fact that almost every marketer in Japan skips this process before building a campaign is the reason they’re efforts are completely wasted online.

What’s a content framework?

It’s an underlying system or a guide, something like a foundation.

So, when creating a Content Framework, clearly we’re developing something that is going to be at the core of who you are, how you look, how you sound, the way in which you communicate and of course, why it all matters.

To accomplish this, we usually rely on these 5 areas of focus: Content goals, Customer focus, Brand positioning, Brand messaging, and Editorial Mission.

Let’s talk about content goals

You might have business and marketing goals, but do you have content goals? It’s different than creating your average brand or sales goals. Content goals are about communication. So, in this case we usually refer to something like being able to educate our consumers, entertain them, or engage them. Creating content goals are about developing a purpose for your content. Assuming you’re developing content for some reason, be sure to list out here the purpose of the actual story you want to tell.

Bring it back to the customer journey

Yeah, we’re talking about customers again, duh. Why? Because when developing your framework, it’s important to get refocused again on your customer. This is the person you’re looking to attract, engage, even marry so you want to get specific about who, what, where and why. The truth is not everyone relates to stories the same way, everyone has a different pallet and being able to think about that here and outline the differences really matters. For example, one person might be into inspiration, another into comedy, the differences are integral to how your content will actually perform so you want to get this part right.

Have a good brand positioning statement outlined

Creating a brand positioning statement is one of the most important paragraphs you’ll ever develop for your business. You could spend weeks on this and the final results is just two paragraphs that outline who you are why you exist. Why is this important now? Because when diving into your content, you need your brand positioning statement as a guide to use for all the terminology and themes that you might develop, essentially it’s like a backbone.

Draft several versions of your messaging

Did you know we could probably write out an entire book on how to draft your messaging. Your brand messaging is your sales pitch. It’s what you send to the media and also what you pitch at parties or even speak about on a panel. Your pitch is what makes you stand out and getting it right in your messaging is the difference often between selling someone or losing their interest right off the bat.

Let me give you an example. Say I’m running an agency and meet someone at a networking event and they say, “What do you do?”

Response #1: “I work in advertising”

Result: I’ve completely lost their attention, everyone works in advertising and now they’re onto the next person. So, let’s try something different.

Response #2: “I help startups launch new product lines using Facebook and Instagram.”

Result: Boom, I’ve got them hooked because this is something they can relate to or at least refer to based on someone in their network.

Finally, draft an editorial mission statement

Per the title, this is kind of like a mission statement but for your content only. I’ve found an editorial mission statement to be crucial for writing blog posts and staying on point when it comes to telling a good story that actually matters for my audience. Lots of people skip this step of course and as a result their posts, blogs, contests, and everything else are all over the place, making no sense at all.

If you want to see a good editorial mission statement, I took this from Content Harmony. The below outlines Vox Media’s Eater, check it out.

Eater is the go-to resource for food, drink, and restaurant obsessives. It keeps readers informed about what’s going on in their local dining scenes while also providing in-depth criticism and analysis, award-winning long form journalism, and entertaining and informative videos. Eater is the only food world publication with a staff of critics, videographers, editors, and journalists on the ground in more than two dozen cities across America.

• Audience: Restaurant obsessives in America.
• Content: Food and restaurant journalism, entertainment, and information.
• Delivers: In-depth critiques, analysis, and resources on food and drinks.

Pretty good stuff, but as you can see by having all of the above outlined in a framework before building your content strategy, you have a much greater potential for success because your content matters now and that’s what sells.