Have you ever noticed the free recipes sometimes given away in grocery store fliers? These are a prime example of educational content. You could grab these recipes and make them with any brand’s ingredients, regardless of which brand distributed them. But they show an example of how you might use a branded item, remind you of that item and show that the company has knowledge of how to put it to use.
A 19th-century example of educational content. This recipe promoted Goodall, Backhouse, and Co.’s Yorkshire Relish. Photo by Rachel Cali, from “Good Things Made, Said and Done for Every Home and Household.”
Strive to fill your social media streams and email marketing with educational content. Many subscribers who are not interested in another advertisement will still want to learn more about a topic they find appealing.
For example, I appreciated a recent email from Blue Buddha Boutique, a Chicago business that sells material for chainmaille jewelry and teaches classes on how to create it. While I have previously bought supplies there, I don’t need any right now and do not currently live close enough to enroll in a class at the store. But a recent email with the subject line “Are you using the wrong pliers?” caught my eye. The message links to a page on the Blue Buddha website that covers the best ways to use various jewelry-making pliers. This is real information of interest to anyone who makes this type of jewelry. It adds value for me without demanding that I purchase anything. It adds value for the business because it shows me the uses of many products that they offer. If this information improves my skills, it helps both me and the business. I enjoy my hobby more, and by extension I may choose to do more of it and buy more items from Blue Buddha in the future.
Educational content should not read like a thinly veiled advertisement. Instead, like the grocery store sales fliers and the chainmaille store’s email, it should provide information that is of value whether or not a purchase is made. Well-crafted educational content can build interest and goodwill for your business while also giving your customers something they actually want.
Check back soon for thoughts on creating your own educational content marketing.
______
Educational content can also improve your company blog.
