Content Marketing: Interactive Content, TikTok, and the Attention Economy (episode 079)
by April Buencamino-dyWe’re ending the year with a marketing-heavy hitter…. Marcus Foley is a co-founder at Tommy who works with global brands and movie studios to deliver some of the most innovative marketing campaigns of this digital era – all designed to grab the consumer’s attention. Their clients include… (wait for it!) Netflix, Amazon Prime, TikTok, Reb Bull, Coty (the group that includes brands such as Burberry, Adidas, and Gucci), and Disney. That means that Marcus and his team are constantly pushing the boundaries of what digital PR, content marketing, and events look like, and he’s come on the podcast to give us insight on how we can create the marketing that’s going to make the difference in 2022.
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About Marcus
Marcus says he got into content marketing out of his fascination with Burger King’s dancing chicken campaign from almost 20 years ago.
He could see the potential of going digital, and how certain brands seemed to know how to hack into popular culture and came up with marketing strategies that worked.
It was because of this that he got into this industry.
The Attention Economy
Attention, Marcus explains, is an antidote to today’s zone-out culture where everyone’s fed too much content.
Marketers should think about attention in a different way, and relate it to how the neuroscience of how the mind works, and how to catch people’s minds and their attention. It’s about making an impact to become memorable.
Don’t just keep up with the algorithms; get into people’s brains and find out how to connect and create something they will remember.
Interactive Content For eCommerce Brands
Even if you’re a small, eCommerce brand with a lower marketing budget, you can still create campaigns that can make an impact.
Some key things you need to get right are tone of voice, being authentic and human, creating connections to people in interesting ways.
Be smart with it, bring the human side of your brand, and create content that’s going to resonate and attract your audience.
Getting On TikTok
Marcus says TikTok has become the most culture-important platform, and it’s changing the way marketers should be thinking.
He mentions several things to consider:
- The creator economy that TikTok has introduced is that of creators making use of their own talent and creating content that really attracts their target audience. As a brand, take inspiration from this and think of how you can become more human to your consumers.
- What’s big in TikTok right now is about joy and authenticity. The platform is a space of joy and a space to be authentic, engaged, and entertained. Brands who understand this and contribute to the whole TikTok experience will benefit from the engagement.
- TikTok is changing the way consumers shop right now so brands should take note and learn how to make use of the platform the right way.
TikTok to Shop
How we buy and who we buy from constantly changes, and right now, consumers purchase from people they follow rather than going to physical stores or directly from a brand’s website.
TikTok to Shop is the shift of social networks more towards eCommerce and monetizing people’s attention.
This is going to have a big impact next year so get into it and prepare for what is to come.
Insider Tips
If we’ve inspired someone to take their first step with content marketing – what do they need to know to give themselves the best chance of success?
Marcus gives us more than a few tips to get started, the first of which is to use TikTok for Business because everything you need is already there.
Other things he mentions are mixing and matching organic and paid content, posting regularly, and understanding the trends on the platform.
Once you’ve started of course you’ve got to ‘keep optimising’! So what’s your favourite way to improve content marketing performance?
Use TikTok branded effects to level up your brand storytelling, which also invites followers to share your story.
If someone listening wants to learn more about content marketing is there one cheap/free resource you’d recommend?
Marcus mentions two things you should sign up for:
Crystal ball time – what’s coming up in the next 6-12 months that we should be getting ready for in content marketing?
For Marcus, it’s live commerce events and product trial shops.
For the latter, he recommends brands to make sure their audience is given ways to shop from their social platforms.
Interview Links
Marcus on Social media:
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