Article in Brief. A compelling narrative is a key ingredient of a successful business strategy. If you can't communicate your strategy to employees and customers, it won't be of much use. CMOs are in a unique position to shape and communicate their company's story. By utilizing a content marketing strategy, CMOs can build a compelling narrative by establishing a clear value proposition, humanizing the brand, and fostering engagement and loyalty with their customers.
In a recent article published on HBR.org, Martin Reeves, Roeland van Straten, Tim Nolan, and Madeleine Michael argue that a key ingredient of a successful strategy is a compelling story. According to the authors, a clear and engaging narrative can help companies do three essential things:
CMOs are in a unique position to shape and communicate their company's story. After all, they are responsible for developing and executing the company's marketing strategy, which includes creating messaging that resonates with customers and helps establish the company's brand.
In this context, content marketing is perhaps the most effective tool that can help marketing executives build a compelling narrative around their company's strategy.
Content marketing is perhaps the most effective tool that can help marketing executives build a compelling narrative around their company's strategy.
Content marketing strategy involves creating and distributing valuable and relevant content to attract and retain a target audience. This can include blog posts, bylined articles, social media content, presentations, user guides, videos, and whitepapers. By creating content that tells a story about the company's vision, mission, and values, marketing executives can build a strong narrative that resonates with their customers.
A value proposition is a clear statement that communicates the unique value that a company offers to its customers. A strong value proposition is essential for building a compelling narrative that resonates with customers. Content marketing can help marketing executives establish a clear value proposition by creating content that highlights the company's unique strengths and competitive advantages.
However, this is probably one of the hardest things to achieve in marketing. Tech startups tend to lead with platitudes, promises, and product features. To illustrate, here's a real example we encountered recently. These headings are taken directly from the company's home page:
These headlines are so generic as to practically be meaningless. The company has offered no points of differentiation on its most important website page. There is nothing here that is unique or memorable.
Marketing executives can use content marketing to humanize their brand and create an emotional connection with their customers. This can include creating content that tells the company's story, introduces the people behind the brand, and highlights the company's values and mission.
The challenge of humanizing the brand has been well understood in advertising from its earliest days. Testimonials must be broadly relatable while also being specific to the company and its products.
Content marketing can help CMOs foster engagement and loyalty with their customers. By creating content that educates, informs, and entertains, marketing executives can establish their company as a thought leader and build trust. This can include how-to guides, webinars, and other educational content that helps customers achieve their goals.
Undoubtedly, for CMOs the mandate to communicate company strategy is clear. Through content marketing, CMOs can highlight their company's vision, values, and mission to their target audience, build thought leadership, and establish credibility in their industry.
This article has been edited and expanded from the original published on LinkedIn Pulse.