What are you most excited about in the digital marketing space at the moment?
The crumbling of divisions between brands, content creators and audiences, which has led to an explosion in creativity and opportunities for artists, writers, designers, directors, actors and musicians who have long struggled to break into the old media “establishment”. The old media calls this “disruption” but for brands it’s a huge opportunity not to be missed.
What’s your favourite example of innovative digital marketing?
We’re starting to see some really worthwhile branded content appear not just in digital but on TV and in movie theatres too. I’d highly recommend watching the Harman Audio documentary “Distortion of Sound”, the Jude Law-starring Johnnie Walker film “Gentleman’s Wager” and, of course, the Lego Movie if you’ve not see it yet!
Where do you go for great content?
All over the place – it depends on what I’m looking for and whether I’m offline or online.
Offline I love book shops, second hand record stores and coffee shops with stacks of magazines that I might not otherwise buy but pick up and flick through, which often leads to unexpected discoveries. When I lived in London I used to go to a lot of live music and comedy gigs in pubs; in Singapore I spend more time at the theatre for fun and in conferences for business - all of which are great sources of content. I also read The Straits Times paper edition of a weekend and Intelligent Life magazine when I find it.
Online I like the Guardian for UK and global news, Fast Company for business (especially their Create section), Spotify for new music, iTunes & Netflix for TV and movies, YouTube and Vimeo for talent spotting and The Chive for just killing time. Oh, and Google when I don’t know what I want.
What’s next for digital content?
Lots of things! But I’m most interested in how technology is continuing to disrupt old media models by democratising the means of content creation, distribution and consumption. This has given rise to a greater variety of content creators and niches as well as new formats such as transmedia storytelling and mass personalised video. All of this can be targeted and tracked with increasing accuracy, which is attractive to brands and the next generation of media companies including Click2View because we can reduce wastage and increase ROI for our clients.
What defines good content?
What defines good content depends on its objective. If your content is supposed to be funny but it doesn’t make me laugh then it has failed its objective and is therefore no good. Before embarking on any kind of content the creator must first decide what their objective is, all further decisions should be based on how best to serve that objective. Bad content happens when there is either no objective or, more commonly, the objective becomes compromised or simply forgotten during the production process.
What is the biggest myth about content marketing?
That “it’s all about storytelling”, which is not necessarily true. What’s the story behind Charlie Bit My Finger? There isn’t one and that’s the case with the most viral content such as sneezing pandas or fainting goats. Also, you may have a great story but if you can’t tell it with style or conviction then who cares? I once knew a guy who worked security for Guns & Roses and revived a half-dead Axl Rose before a concert! It’s a great story, but the way he told it could put you into a coma. That’s why artists are worth their weight in gold - they can tell a story with style.
How are you amplifying and maximising your content?
First, let me say that releasing your content without amplification is about as effective as releasing a fart in a wind tunnel – no one will notice. There is just too much content out there to leave it to chance that someone will find and engage with yours so make sure your headlines are striking, your descriptions compelling, your search terms relevant and that you have ring-fenced some budget for paid amplification from the likes of Outbrain who can put your content in the midst of the world’s most prestigious publications.
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• Outbrain rising stars – interview with Ariel King, Arena
If you would like to nominate yourself, or a colleague as a Rising Star please contact Outbrain@cubaneight.com with details.
Neal Moore is CEO of Click2View. You can follow him on twitter @moores_lore
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