Have you hit that moment in the holiday season yet?
You know, when the fairy dust has settled to the floor next to bits of dried pine needles, crumbs of joyously consumed (now vaguely regretted) treats, and the hair of the dog that may or may not have bitten you (but almost certainly needs a walk).
I tend to get that bah-humbug feeling a couple of days before the new year brightens things again. If there’s one thing that never fails to cheer me, though, it’s unsolicited advice.
Or, rather, Unsolicited Advice, the whip-smart (and unfailingly polite) commentary on marketing missteps Andrew Davis provides in every issue of Chief Content Officer magazine. (You can give yourself that gift for free anytime by subscribing. It’s free.)
Don’t be surprised if you find yourself nodding along and smiling as you read these letters – even if you’ve made similar content gaffes. We’ve all been there. Andrew (with guest advisor Becky Montchal in one case) offers such useful suggestions; you’ll be glad for the tips.
Whether you wanted them or not.
Don’t turn off half your potential audience (some of us shave, too)
Adam Weber
Chief Marketing Officer
Dollar Shave Club
Becky and I have a suggestion: Cash in on the millions of women buying Dollar Shave Club products by creating a separate set of post-purchase content that speaks to the fairer sex’s trials and tribulations.
There’s a lot to love about Dollar Shave Club. Your male-oriented content is wonderfully produced, and we adore your brand personality and tone. (The mini magazines you tuck inside each shipment are entertaining and informative.) And we appreciate that your subscription service has helped us reduce our razor costs and given us the confidence to bear our hair-free faces, backs, and legs.
Once you win over a female buyer, however, the relationship turns sour. With email subject lines such as “Here’s How to Manscape Your Butt” and “This Is Why Your Pee Sometimes Comes out at an Angle,” Becky has reached her limit. She’s unsubscribed.
It’s clear you and your team understand how to create great content … but how about customizing some of that creatively snarky content for women? Why not ask the gender of the buyer at sign-up? Then you can quickly and easily segment your email communication. Want to take it a step further? How about creating two mini magazines each month, one for men and one for women? (Becky would love some tips on how to stop the bleeding when she nicks her ankles.)
Here’s the deal, if you segment your list and commit to creating content for the other half of your target market, both Becky and I will write one article to kick-start your content engine. (Oh, and we’ll also re-subscribe.)
What do you say? Do we have a deal?
Whether you wanted it or not,
Andrew Davis and Becky Montchal (November 2017)
HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:
Do be so dramatic (spoiler alert: avoid headlines that …)
Prasid Pathak
Director of Marketing
Codecademy
Dear Mr. Pathak,
Your video testimonial about Tommy Nicholas on the Codecademy website explains how just in a few months, Nicholas was able to create a revenue-generating website called … but the story is missing one essential ingredient to transform it from mediocre to Coffitivity magnificent: drama.
Don’t get me wrong; Nicholas’ story is astonishing. After founding Coffitivity, Nicholas launched Knox Payments, which lets merchants accept payments directly from customers’ bank accounts. The video about his career highlights is well shot and edited. It’s simple, short, and to the point. It’s also nice to see the impact a platform like Codecademy can have on someone’s life. But I think you could do better.
