Meet the Experts, Content-Marketing Campaigns – Travis Bernard TechCrunch
Reading Time: 4 minutes Is there any better way to learn more about successful content-marketing than sneaking into the mind of the real experts of the niche? These guys seem to be real geniuses, who have a clear idea about how things work.
When you open any social media resource, be it Facebook or Instagram, some posts attract your attention more than the others. This is not a coincidence.
Every attractive content has a smart marketer behind it and he really knows how to impress you and other potential customers. Yes, these guys are the real gurus, who know a lot about their potential clients as well as marketing as a whole.
Considering the preferences and interest of the target audience, they know how to turn the lumps of data into an effective strategy. There is no need to say that they do that because well-thought and good-looking content brings more revenue.
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In this article, we are going to present an interview with a content-marketing pro from TechCrunch, Travis Bernard. This is a big name in the industry, so you will surely find something useful in his advice. Let’s start.
Content marketing advice from Travis Bernard, a director of audience development at TechCrunch
Q: What is the main secret every content manager should know to attract more customers?
Travis: “First of all, you should focus on the audience data and analyze it. Don’t rely on poor sources when getting data and never hesitate to spend money to get access to the good ones.”
Q: Can you give some recommendations about the headlines?
Travis: “First and foremost, make your headlines laconic and meaningful. Don’t exceed 75 characters when writing one. Don’t use any unnecessary words like “just” or “some”, since they rarely make any sense. Also, make sure that you adapt your headlines for the mobile devices, if needed (in most cases, they should be shorter than 75 characters).
Second, don’t be afraid to use words that evoke emotions (whether negative or positive). However, don’t overdo with exaggeration. It works well sometimes, but when you use it too often, there is a risk that you will lose your customers’ trust. Use emotional expressions and hyperbola only when they make sense.
Third, use relevant scientific words in your headlines to increase their authority. Words like “research” or “experiment” work really good.
And the last one, organize your articles as the numbered lists and inform your readers about the information they are going to receive in the headline. Numbers are important. For example, “The 10 best strategies to…” or “The 5 greatest solutions for…”
Q: What is “good data” and what sources one should use to receive it?
Travis: “At TechCrunch, we retrieve data with the help of Google Analytics, Parsely, and some inner tools developed by the company members. To make your analysis efficient, you have to tie your business aims to the metrics.”
Q: What type of content usually works?
Travis: “Today, successful marketing content is all about storytelling. You need to build a connection with your customers and have a virtual dialogue with them. If you produce thought-provoking or funny content, chances are that your client will share it with his/her friends.”
Q: What kind of stories the audience usually appreciate?
Travis: “Our culture is focused on stories a lot. Stories are engaging, memorable, and appealing, therefore people like them more than messages. This is the best way to absorb information for most of us just because we live in the world focused on storytelling.
The trick is to create shareable stories people will naturally like. For instance, most of us like stories that teach us something and we are more likely to share such content with others. It is a certain kind of knowledge and we believe that it really is useful. I don’t mean that you have to be a professional writer to do that. Marketers should think about the lessons they can share with the audience and find a good storytelling format for them.”
Q: Will content marketing stay in place with the advancement of technology?
Travis: “Sure, content is not going anywhere. Technologies can only influence the way content feels, while the idea will stay the same. People will continue adoring educational and entertaining stories.”
Q: What is your favorite content marketing tool?
Travis: “I am a great fan of data visualization because it helps readers to grasp the information better. I prefer Infogram, a simple and clear tool. With its help, you will visualize the data easily, even if you have no analytic or design skills.
Q: Are there any tactics you can recommend?
Travis: “One of my favorite strategies is to check how content will be accepted by the audience before I invest money and perform any further actions. This is a good way to see your own ideas and messaging in action and reassure that they are efficient before you launch the project.”
Q: What would you say to our readers in the conclusion?
Travis: “You should think of your brand as if it was a media company. Some large corporations like Red Bull have already pushed the envelope, so the smaller companies should follow their example and expand the horizons.”
Now you have some tips on efficient marketing campaigns and headlines writing at hand! These tips are already tested by Travis, one of the most successful marketers we know. So make sure to remember these recommendations next time you launch a project! Good luck!
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Co-Authored With
Jennifer Pauli graduated from Corvinus School of Management and finished the faculty of Journalism at the Corvinus University of Budapest. Currently, she is an editor, business writer, and copywriter, working with well-known companies, blogs, and personalities. Read her personal blog
