You can spend countless hours crafting the perfect engaging copy, injecting subtle touches of SEO and doing all the right social media promotions, and still feel like you’re failing at the content marketing game. Is it because you’re taking the wrong approach?
Goal in sight – most content marketers dive right in trying for the biggest result in the smallest amount of time. Sometimes that works, but often it fails. Good content marketing takes time, effort, patience and passion! In a world where companies invest thousands of dollars into content marketing, there are still amazing success stories of people who start out with nothing and build an empire from scratch.
Teen blogger Bethany Mota is the perfect example. In 2009 she wanted to escape bullying and started talking about fashion on YouTube – today she has turned her interest into a booming business complete with her own line of clothing at mall staple Aeropostale. This young lady has more than 6 million YouTube followers – that’s more than Beyonce. Oh, and in case you were wondering, she has more Instagram followers than Vogue, Glamour and Cosmo combined.
Instead of feeling a tad bit jealous of these impressive numbers, let’s take a step back and see what she did to get where she is today. After all, she built this massive following by posting from her bedroom – no money necessary. Here are my top five takeaways from the Bethany Mota phenomenon:
1. She’s 100-percent passionate
This girl is not faking it – she truly is passionate about shopping and the styles she wears. She loves making videos and talking about fashion – there’s no doubt about it. Too many content marketers try too hard and lack genuine passion, which can become terribly obvious online. It simply comes naturally to Mota to talk about what she loves.
2. She connects to her audience
Why do so many young ladies follow Mota? They feel like she is a trusted friend. She has found a way to connect with her audience on a deeper level, even with the inherent hurdles of digital communication. She loves her fans and they love her back. She appreciates feedback and often requests posts in the comment sections. As a content marketer, do you really know your audience and feel connected to them?
3. She knows when to expand
Vlogging about fashion may be her bread and butter, but this gal knows when it’s time to spice things up. For example, she started a feature called “Roomspiration” that’s all about decorating her bedroom. It gives DIY tips for girls who want to create a space that reflects who they are. Smart content marketers will always keep things fresh!
4. She makes the audience feel good
Always upbeat and positive, Mota might appear sugar-coated to some, but to the teen ladies who love her, she’s just what the doctor ordered. Watching her videos is fun and insightful, and that’s why people keep going back for more. She provides simple steps followers can easily understand and implement into their own lives – and they feel good about doing so.
5. She posts frequently
Whether in a blog, on social media or with video, posting regularly is necessary to build a relationship with an audience. Mota knows her followers crave hearing from her, so she posts new content often. Are you posting as much as you should be? Savvy content marketers know twice a month is not enough!
So there you have it – when trying to decipher the art of content marketing, sometimes it’s worthwhile to take a step back and make some basic observations. A passionate teen who built an empire from her bedroom through fun videos proves the sky is the limit!
