Content experience: how to create excellent content offers?
Author: Barbara Anna Hamm
18 minutes reading time
Content experience: for most people the consumption of content still is one of the main reasons to be online (source: Le Buzz via Unsplash)
All predictions Bill Gates made on 1 March 1996 in his essay "Content is king" about the importance of content (Internet Archive, 6 minutes reading time) have become reality: The extent to which people consume content. The revenue generated by a wide range of content formats. The variety of content experiences that can be created technically and creatively. Above all, the opportunities that content opens up for every company. But what is the greatest opportunity today - 25 years later?
1. Content is king: there is more content production than ever before
What is content?
Content definition: the totality of what can be retrieved from websites
When people talk about what they do on the internet, they read news, write with friends, share photos, watch movies, listen to music or download software. When they talk about the "net," they've found great ideas for their next trip, a good and cheap washing machine, or tips against their headache. They don't talk about "content," but they describe it in all its diversity and define it exactly as Bill Gates in 1995 or Louis Rosenfeld did in 2002 (Wikipedia Louis Rosenfeld) "as the totality of what can be accessed and used on websites” („Information architecture for the World Wide Web“, 2002): articles, photos, audio and video files, documents, data, software, applications, e-services and so on.
Content exists, when it is used
In Germany, content in the early years of the commercial Internet was often reduced to non-linear media content. People spoke of "official content" on websites from newspapers and magazine publishers or television broadcasters and thus automatically distinguished them from (unofficial) content of private or corporate websites. This traditional journalistic authority could no longer withstand the media development from 2005 onwards, when more and more people spread so-called "user-generated content" in diverse blogs and social media channels with great resonance and thus made one thing clear: it's no longer the sender that counts, but above all the content itself.
How content developed as a market?
Gigantic web offer
In November 2020, there were 1.6 billion websites worldwide, a quarter of which were active (Hosting Tribunal). 16.5 million websites are on DE domains in 2020 (Statista, Denic). When looking at the types of websites, it becomes clear that there are hardly any left without content:
Static websites that are not updated, e.g. websites with information of medium-sized companies,
Dynamic websites that are updated in different periods, from news websites such as Spiegel Online to corporate websites,
Websites with applications that enable a wide range of use cases like e.g. flight booking, private banking or video conferencing,
E-commerce websites that enable the product purchases or service bookings e.g. Amazon, eBay or Apple.
Content market: the higher the website volume, the more content. Development of DE domains from 1994 to 2020 (source: Denic, November 2020 via Statista)
The internet has become more and more crowded over the years. At the same time, its users have built up more and more competence and aspiration through media experience. The chances of reaching them with new content, services or even completely new websites is challenging.
Corporate content initiatives
Companies largely fired this enormous web activity with new, more dynamic and, above all, more content-rich websites, shops and applications. In order to create relationships with new customers or maintain existing customer relationships, companies are more active than ever regarding content:
in publishing their content on their own channels (website, store, blog). This is either done by the company's own editorial team, marketing or PR, or outsourced to content agencies. It creates unique media presence with own customer data and customer relationships (owned media),
in the distribution of own content in external channels beyond the website - e.g. Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or Linkedin. In this way, an additional presence is gained (earned media), which can lead to further customer relationships or "leads" when forwarded to one's own website.
in paying service providers to distribute the content to the target group in external channels, e.g. Google, Facebook and other distribution service providers (paid media), which can also generate "leads" via forwarding - depending on the competition at a possibly high price.
According to Yahoo and Enders Analysis, German companies will have spent a total of €413 million on paid media content initiatives in 2020, up from €93 million in 2014 (Yahoo und Enders Analysisvia Statista 2016). Hardly any market data is known regarding spending on content initiatives in owned and earned media, nor on the weighting of the activities in the three fields of action and the crucial question of interlocking.
Paid content marketing: estimate of expenditure in Germany in 2014 and forecast for 2020 in millions of euros (source: Yahoo und Enders Analysis via Statista 2016)
However, surveys do signal a strong interest and commitment in the production and distribution of corporate content, although without attribution of initiatives. For example, 80 percent of 100 advertisers, agencies and publishers surveyed in 2016 by native advertising solutions provider Ligatus said that they would support their future activities with content marketing - defined as the "goal of attracting or retaining a clearly defined target group as customers by creating and distributing thematically relevant, entertaining, creative and high-quality content" (Ligatus study 2016). A 2020 survey of 1,200 marketers in 39 countries conducted by SEM service provider SEMrush found that 91 percent already "use content marketing as a method in their company." 79 percent of respondents said they had a "content marketing strategy" but half of them rated it as average, acceptable or weak (SEMrush study 2020).
Content marketing: A survey of 1,200 marketers in 39 countries shows strong content activity, but nearly half are dissatisfied with strategic direction (source: SEMrush-Study 2020)
Digital share of content publishing high
Companies traditionally distribute their content as printed customer magazines, via content specials in newspapers and magazines, in TV formats or radio reports. But digital distribution has meanwhile pushed these "old" media to the back of the pack - because distribution can be much more precisely targeted, analyzed and improved according to desired target groups, topics, places and times. In the USA, the digital share is now 66%, and the German Internet market is showing a similar trend. (Borrell Associates, The Branded Content Project, September 2020).
Digital content on top: USA content marketing spend in the various media 2020 (source: Borrell Associates, The Branded Content Project, September 2020).
What is branded content publishing?
Every piece of content published is subject to a brand, regardless of whether it was published by a freelance journalist on his or her personal website, by a publisher like Der Spiegel, or by a brand like Red Bull. That's why the real question is: What is content publishing?
Branded content publishing: freelance journalist with high visibility on Google (source: screenshot website Tim Müssle, December 2020)
Content publishing always pursues the goal of monetization of the relationship with the content consumer, but it differs in methodology: how should the relationship with the consumer be established? - Independently journalistically, through direct PR messages from the brand, via other consumers or influencers in social media or online shops, or via advertisements in classic or native advertising?
Example: Babywelt Club from Rossmann
The german drugstore Rossmann offers mother's coupons, discounts and product samples when subscribing to the „Babywelt Club“. They also regularly receive the printed Babywelt magazine and the Babywelt Club magazine by mail. Rossmann acts with clear brand messages and pushes members directly into its product world.
Content with product focus: emotional, but relentlessly direct introduction to Rossmann products at „Babywelt Club“ (source: screenshot December 2020)
Example: Zalando Get the Look
The fashion webshop asks hand-picked influencers to create photos and showcase them in the magazine section Get The Look. Requirements to each influencer in the 40-member "model team": the followers must fit Zalando's target group, they must be able to create high-quality images and they must have experience working with fashion brands already. Each influencer gets a list of 3,000 items of clothing per month, from which he or she creates twelve outfits and photographs them on themselves. After Zalando publishes the images in Get The Look, the influencers commit to share them on their Instagram profiles.
Influencers as modern public relation workers for Zalando Fashion magazine Get The Look (source: screenshot, December 2020)
Example: Media Markt on Black Friday
To push sales on Black Friday, Media Markt placed a native advertising content special on Spiegel Online. An advertorial on the homepage took the user to an editorial gaming offer with various articles about Paystation 5, Xbox or Nintendo Switch – each with links to Spiegel Online articles, to Black Friday offers at Media Markt or to register for the Media Markt Club Card, which promises free delivery of products, exclusive offers and other benefits.
Native advertising of electronics market Media Markt on Spiegel Online (source: screenshot Spiegel Online, December 2020
Editorial gaming special as an ad for Media Markt at Spiegel Online
Why is content publishing methodology so critical to generating lasting customer relationships?
The examples of Babywelt, Zalando and Media Markt, picked out from a huge field (in November 2020), have one thing in common: In their content publishing methodology, the companies focus on themselves and on their products. The content is intended to persuade people to buy baby articles, clothes or gaming consoles.
Proactive help against dandruff versus showcasing the shampoo bottle only: change of view at Schwarzkopf
In 2011, a revolution happened in the product focused content world. Cosmetics company Schwarzkopf decided to put away shampoo bottles from its website and instead address a crucial question: What do people really need? Targeted analyses of search queries on Google revealed: People were looking for hair coloring instructions, for solutions to dandruff, for tips on updos. On the Schwarzkopf website, an editorial magazine was created – completely brand message independent and full of answers to these particular questions. Schwarzkopf radically changed its focus from products to the needs of customers. The products are only shown on the fourth or fifth level of the website if they fit the presented problem solutions.
Solutions for real people problems
Until today the Schwarzkopf example is praised as particularly successful content marketing that pays in on the brand. But in fact it is a new and especially data-driven content strategy that combines MANY advantages - the brand hardly plays a role:
It directs the focus on precisely those people who are to become customers.
In its communication, it switches from product to an emotional and relationship level. The brand and its products remain intact, but disappear from the scene as far as possible.
It builds customer relationships in precisely the place where products can also be purchased long term (owned media).
It avoids costly dependencies on third-party marketing services and rules of the game (e.g., Google, Amazon) and it relies on organic traffic from search engines.
It enables long-term maintenance of customer relationships and therefore also long-term monetization.
Example: Digital Lifestyle magazine Curved by Telefónica
In 2014 the E-Plus Group (now Telefónica) launched the "Digital Lifestyle Magazine" Curved with exactly this data-driven content strategy. Under the slogan "My Tech instead of High Tech" the telecommunications company enriches the life of readers and thus also the target group with exciting and inspiring editorial content. Curved's mission was "to establish itself as an authority in mobile digital lifestyle and to provide readers with orientation in the variety of digital topics. At the same time, the company gains information about what interests this target group" (Horizont Interview with Jürgen Rösger, CDO of the E-Plus Group, September 2014).
Example: Digital magazine for modern digital life, aiomag by Audi
With its content magazine aiomag also Audi took on this approach in order to attract a target group for e-mobility - primarily interested in a successful, healthy and sustainable lifestyle. According to the search volume analysis, this is not primarily about vehicles, but about nutrition, exercise, nature, travel and mobility (project description IMG.ag).
Relevant organic traffic: aiomag recently counted 150,000 monthly online readers, who generated over 2 million visits around the topic of electromobility (source: IMG)
2. Content experience: the experience does not only depend on great stories
How do people use content today?
Characteristics of content usage
In 2020, 94% of Germans over the age of 14 used the Internet, another five percentage points more than one year before. 71% of all online activities took place on-the-go with their smartphones. The average daily online time per user was 204 minutes, and upt to 388 minutes (!) for 14- to 29-year-olds.
When people were online at home, in the office or on the move, they used media services for half of their online time - 120 minutes a day across all age groups, 257 minutes for 14- to 29-year-olds. During that time, they watched videos or movies (30%), listened to podcasts (28%) and read news, background articles, services and other services (17%) of their time. Among younger people, the share of video and audio was significantly higher.
Daily usage time in Germany 2020 is 204 minutes per day (source: GFK for ARD-ZDF-Onlinestudy 2020)
A comparison of media usage (see fig., data in minutes) with the previous year shows a significant increase for video and audio and a decrease for text.
Daily use of media offerings in 2019 and 2020 in minutes, basis: German speaking population aged 14 and over (source: ARD-ZDF-Onlinestudy 2019 and 2020)
But what exactly drives people to use media? What types of content do they like? If you subtract consumption of media libraries and streaming services, individual communication via mail, messenger and chat, as well as online gaming, a quarter of online use or half of media use falls on content that is interesting for the conception of content offerings: 17% of users read articles and reports, 5% watched videos on Facebook or news portals, and 3% listened to podcasts or radio shows. If we look at the percentage distribution of online activities beyond the explicitly media-related activities, then "doing something on the Internet/buying something" and "briefly informed on the Internet, quick search" are of course also relevant for content concepts.
Content as a motive: percentage daily reach of specific activities on the internet 2018 to 2020 in comparison, basis: German speaking population aged 14 and over (source: ARD-ZDF-Onlinestudy 2018 to 2020)
The central role of search engines - access to content
Anyone reading an article online has either directly visited their favorite website or typed the desired topic as a keyword into the search engine. Despite their popularity, many major news or magazine portals are nevertheless accessed by more than half of users via search engines. Because humans do not have a particular brand in mind, but a personal interest or concern.
Search engine as the hub: use of offer classes on the internet 2020 in percent - used at least once a week (source: ARD-ZDF-Onlinestudy 2020)
That's why 76% of all internet users use search engines regularly, at least once a week (Fig.). Since 2005 to today, this behavior has driven nearly all content publishers to optimize their content to achieve maximum search engine visibility. However, maximum visibility is achieved by those who already align the selection of topics and the structure of content with the needs of searchers. Based on one of the most important traditional journalistic quality criteria, topic relevance, this approach follows a modernized quality understanding: data-driven relevance.
How do consumers experience content?
Content experience has three dimensions
Let's imagine reading an article on Spiegel Online, ZEIT Online or another portal: The story is very well researched, sensationally written, informative, inspiring and really attractively presented. The truth is: We won't give this great content experience 100 points if the article doesn't fit 100% of our expectations because, e.g. an important aspect is missing. We also won't give this great story 100 points if we haven't had a good experience with this source in the past because, e.g. the advertising was distracting. People experience content three-dimensionally - directly, comparing it with their needs and expectations, and remembering past experiences (see figure). Positive and negative emotions that arise during content consumption such as satisfaction or disappointment are stored as experiences and have a lasting effect.
Three dimensions of the content experience: content experience model
The opportunity of a data-driven content strategy is now to promote satisfaction and avoid disappointment, because needs can be determined by analyzing search queries or social media interactions. If you know what people want to read, see, or hear, you can give them exactly that.
What role does content play in the customer experience?
Transporting role of content in creating customer experiences
Apple has truly set a mark in customer experience. For decades, the company has provided its target group with an excellent experience and thus set a new “experience standard”. User-friendly devices, a clean and palatial look of their stores, the reduced yet hyper-functional ordering process, a perfect, almost loving packaging. All these scenarios mesh like gears, creating the highest level of user-friendliness and thus appreciation.
And one of these gears is the content. As logistics content transports the product, its mediation and presentation. Content transports its sale and service with all its characteristics. In such a cosmos of beauty and friendliness, every piece of content is consumed by the target group with a corresponding level of attention and sensitivity, regardless of whether it's news or a package insert.
Even though their products are more expensive, Apple users were unreservedly happy with the products. But also Apple had to deal with a number of disappointments, e.g. when introducing the new butterfly keyboard mechanism in their laptops.
Architectural consumer appreciation: Apple Store, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore (source: Isaac Methew, Unsplash)
Content is the central building block for an excellent customer experience
Normally, companies deal with production and distribution of their products. The Austrian energy drink company Red Bull has outsourced this to external service providers and produces something different: brand experience. Every year, it sponsors 1,000 sporting events with over 700 athletes in more than 100 disciplines: Freestyle motocross, air racing, crashed ice, wingsuit flying, breakdancing, soapbox racing, ultramarathon and soccer. The events are accompanied, covered editorially and, above all, distributed audiovisually in digital media, TV, print and music by a separate media house (Red Bull Media House) as well as via various country websites. The German website presents on top so-called "innovators sessions," in which stars share their experiences with sports achievements. The Red Bull Content Pool offers the press, journalists and business partners a self-service platform with free high-quality photos, videos and news about Red Bull events, partner events and athletes.
Red Bull demonstrates the potential of content and uses the passion and power of sporting events and the associated emotions around people's performance in sport like no other. Their content creates an emotional connection between consumers and the ecosystem of the energy drink, which has become the world's best-selling one with sales of 81 million cans in 2019 in 170 countries (Quelle: Red Bull).
Content experience park Red Bull: soccer coach Julian Nagelsmann explains how he masters pressure situations (source: Screenshot Website Red Bull, December 2020)
3. Emotional ecosystems: the foundation lies in emotional connection
Why is emotional connection so important?
The result of the emotional bond is loyalty
We as humans make product and purchase decisions based on visual, auditory, haptic, cognitive or emotional experience with the products that surround us. Our brain stores the multitude of these events as experience. It determines the degree of emotional attachment and thus the relationship with the company, brand and product. The result of such a high emotional bond is "true loyalty" which many great brands achieve. The highest loyalty of all - so-called "cult loyalty" – can only achieved by a few companies, such as Porsche, Apple, Red Bull or Tesla.
Loyalty pyramid: the different manifestations of customer loyalty (source: Barbara Hamm, December 2020)
With "cult loyalty“ there is no relationship to an individual product or brand, but to an "emotional ecosystem". Important: It is not the brand that can create the cult, but only the fans themselves. When Elon Musk jokingly announced his Tesla bankruptcy via Twitter in April 2018, his fan community developed the idea of a "Teslaquilla." Since then, he has not been allowed to tweet anything relevant to the stock price. But two years later, the web shop actually appeared at https://teslatequila.tesla.com.
Elon Musk: April fool's joke incited fans (source: Twitter, April 2. 2018)
How does bonding happen?
Experience of attention and sensitivity promotes attachment quality
Bonding refers to the emotional relationship between people. Experiences we have as child in our relationship and interaction with parents or other caregivers, and also in subsequent years with relationship partners in different contexts, shape our bonding experience and bonding behavior. And this goes beyond love relationships. Lifelong research of the British pediatrician and psychoanalyst John Bowlby on all facets of human attachment continues to shape psychological, sociological and educational theory and practice to this day (refers to Bondingtheory). The quality of bonding learned as a child depends largely on the attentiveness, sensitivity and reliability of the caregiver to respond promptly and appropriately to expressions and needs. In short, we as humans are able to bond when our needs have been responded to attentively, sensitively, and reliably. If this does not happen, we develop - in terms of bonding theory - insecure, anxious or avoidant bonding behavior.
What promotes bonding to products or services?
Attention, sensitivity and reliability promotes bonding
Now we can assume that people also have individual experiences in their relationship or interaction with products and services that shape their behavior. Purely hypothetically, these experiences - just like those with reference persons - could also have an impact on the quality of bonding to the "product and service worlds". If products or services do not respond attentively, sensitively or reliably to our associated needs, then the bonding quality will tend to be low. However, if our needs are attentively seen and understood, sensitively implemented and reliably fulfilled in the long term, then we will become very loyal consumers.
Trust in products and services is not based on facts, but on emotions
In September 2015, it became public that Volkswagen AG was using a deactivation device in the engine management of its diesel vehicles to bypass legally prescribed limits for car exhaust emissions. It could actually be assumed that the illegal practice and the reporting arround the emissions scandal would have an impact on purchasing behavior in subsequent years. But this was not the case (see Fig.).
Volkswagen AG automobile sales 2006 to 2019 in 1,000 vehicles, all vehicle brands, worldwide (source: Statista)
According to Dr. Christoph Burmann, Professor of Innovative Brand Management and Marketing at the University of Excellence in Bremen, brand trust for consumers - with a view to the phenomenon at VW - is not based on objective facts, but on subjective emotions: "When consumers have a strong emotional brand bond, they forgive mistakes, forget quickly, blend out and are loyal for quite a long time. Just like in a love relationship between people. But if trust is destroyed, it takes a completely renewed management, including the supervisory board, and serious changes to the corporate culture and identity of a brand to win back trust. The emotional bond with the brand, called brand attachment, therefore protects against the fall into the deep valley of trustless brands." (Horizont: Starke emotionale Markenbindung lässt Konsumenten verzeihen, Interview mit Prof. Dr. Christoph Baumann 20. Oktober 2017).
Customer focus at Volkswagen: individualized customer area „my Volkswagen“ with information, appointment booking, media offers and promotions (source: screenshot, December 2020)
4. Content strategy: connected through user-centered, empathic content
How to develop empathic content?
Attention and sensitivity in quantitative data-driven relevance analysis
IMG relevance analysis: exemplary presentation of the results as topic map: this shows the topic clusters that are particularly relevant for the target group. (source: IMG)
Due to its central role as a gateway to content, services and applications of all kinds and the transparency of search queries and search results, the search engine offers excellent basis for quantitative analysis of user needs. If search volume analysis is combined with the analysis of social media channels, in which people communicate and share preferences through interpersonal exchange, then a high-quality decision-making basis for relevant content offers can be derived from this. However, this does not work as a technical process of collecting and aggregating data, but requires a lot of empathy towards the people who deal with this data: Who is the target group for which such an analysis is to be created? What makes up this target group? What is known about their daily lives, interests and needs? Only on this basis data is collected and evaluated in various iteration stages, critically examined and refined. A high degree of sensitivity is required, especially in communicating the results to content conception and editorial teams and in exchanging information about the implications of the results for content creation: Which topics are really relevant? In what formats should the content be created? How should it be presented, organized and designed on the website? Relevance analysis encompasses all of these steps and provides an important tool for creating data-driven empathic content (Warum eine Relevanzanalyse?, Aaron Herbst, IMG AG).
Attention and sensitivity through design thinking (H4)
David Kelly, Professor at Stanford University and founder and chairman of the innovation consulting firm IDEO developed the methodology of Design Thinking. In course of his years of work as an electrical engineer (NCR, Boeing) and product designer, he had come to believe that products must be thought from human perspective. The method follows a user-centered approach and a clear process in which initial understanding of the problem and observing and putting oneself in the customer's shoes through interviews and listening are central.
Design-Thinking-Process
Ideas and concepts for new products, services or offerings are only developed on the basis of such an analysis of needs and problems. According to a study of Hasso Plattner Institute at the University of Potsdam, users were more frequently involved in development at 48% of companies working with design thinking. Most frequent areas of application include the development of digital products and services (Study: HPI, Parts without a whole). For the development of empathic content - depending on the target group as well as the complexity and emotionality of the topic area - direct contact and exchange with people is a very important and worthwhile addition to relevance analysis.
What quality does empathic content need?
Translation of knowledge into content for people
Once it is clear which topics correspond to the actual interests and needs of the target group and which problem solutions are to be offered, the next step is to translate them into concrete content. A number of quality criteria must be observed in the process:
Relevance: in addition to content that meets their needs, answers to their question, and solutions to their problems, people value timeliness and originality (depending on the topic).
Language: the form of address, complexity and style of language should be geared to the target group. Only those who feel addressed correctly and understand what it's about will enjoy the content or recognize a benefit.
Look & didactics: content needs a suitable form - the right combination of text, images, video, audio, infographics - and structure. How the content "feels" to users depends on the design - color, shape, font and visual language. According to a study by usability expert Jakob Nielsen, as few as 5 test subjects can uncover 85% of all problems with inadequate usability.
Attitude and perspective: people perceive how the content "comes across", which perspective is taken towards them - whether human and cooperative, arrogant and lecturing or opinionated.
Care, accuracy, functionality: people expect carefully researched stories with correct information in high technical functionality.
Conclusion
Even if the desire of a company to report about itself and its products is huge: The very greatest opportunity of corporate content today is to create it for a excellent experience of product and brand - without focusing on the product or the brand. Engaging people as potential consumers only succeeds with a genuine and real attention to their interests, needs and problems they have in wide context of the product. With a sensitivity to provide it according to their interests, needs and problems - in terms of content, language, didactics and design. Finally, people need reliability to get this empathic content in the long run for their attachment and loyalty. If content has real meaning for consumers, it will remain "king".
Appendix: Which procedure is recommended?
Step 1: Set a goal
Step 2: Define your target group
Step 3: Find content-related starting points
Step 4: Conduct relevance analysis / interviews
Step 5: Derive content clusters/hubs
Step 6: Determine your distribution channels
Step 7: Define the content formats
Step 8: Develop a tone of voice
Step 9: Determine a keyword set for content (articles, videos, etc.)
Step 10: Produce and publish content
Step 11: Monitor response, optimize content
