Using content marketing to sell a lifestyle, not a product is one excellent way for niche brands to stand out and build a loyal customer base.
When consumers make a purchase, it is because it aligns with some part of their identity, regardless of any demographic or location. If you can connect with a consumer’s personal identity, you can unlock a massive amount of growth potential for your business.
One of our clients, After Eleven Apparel, is a clothing retailer that is geared towards the SF hipster demographic of cool kids. By using creative photography, a memorable and diverse group of models, and lots of video content and music, they are able to sell more than just apparel — they sell admittance into an exclusive scene of likeminded (and styled) individuals.
Gone are the days of simply selling a product because it performs its intended function. Brand must stand out and stand for something. Brand such as Lululemon bridge the lifestyle vs product gap well — you are a part of Lululemon, you don’t simply wear it. A person purchasing Lululemon pays a premium to buy into the culture of the company, and is more likely to purchase again because of the loyalty they feel to the brand as it becomes part of their identity.
Well first off it is important to really know who you are selling to. Many businesses know their products inside and out but they don’t fully understand the entirety of who their customers are. What other brands do they purchase? How do they spend their free time? What is important to them? Do they cook at home? Do they travel a lot? Do they have kids? Being able to whittle down the world population into your niche is critical. Nothing can please everyone.
After that we discuss trends and marketing that play into the lifestyle of our target consumers, and then craft digital content that will speak to your audience. This is a subtle dance. No plastering massive logos on everything, no bash-you-over-the-head cheesy ads, simply content that resonates with our audience and invites them on a journey with you.
This could be a video series for your website about healthy cooking for the new year, or a photoshoot and profile for you social media page about shopping local. Brands that reach out and ask their own buyers to participate or weigh in on their brand online is also a way of cultivating a lifestyle oriented brand. All in all, as long as you stop thinking that the only way to advertise is to directly promote your product, you are well on your way.
Investing in content marketing aligns your brand to specific qualities and an authenticity that you cannot simply purchase. Clout and respect are cultivated through this type of marketing and it is a powerful short and long term solution for growing almost every type of business. Let us help you truly craft a brand, not just a logo, and there is a great change that revenue will shortly follow.
