What do you do if your content marketing campaigns need a personal touch?

Create a lead magnet - a valuable piece of gated content like an in-depth guide, toolkit, or video course that relates to a key pain point your audience faces. Promote it across channels and require an email opt-in to access it. Then, build an automated nurture sequence that delivers a steady drip of helpful content pieces over several weeks or months. This content should provide more education, social proof, and low-pressure sales insights. The cadence and content mix can vary, but the goal is to stay top-of-mind, build trust and credibility, and move leads further along their buyer's journey until they're primed for sales outreach.

1. Tailor content to audience interests and know your audience as much as you can. 2. Use storytelling to connect emotionally. 3. Incorporate personalized messages or something relatable for them. 4. Engage with customers one-on-one. 5. Show appreciation through personalized offers. 6. Collect feedback and adjust strategies accordingly. 7. Maintain a human tone in communication, so people know you remember them and think of them.

Understanding the pain points of your target audience is the real win of any content marketing campaign. If you win this first step, then bringing in creative ways to convey "we know your problem and this is how our product or solution, solves this problem" is way more easier. PS: Using emotive tone would be a PLUS!

If we are talking to everyone, we are talking to no one. This is even more relevant in the online world as the attention span is getting shorter and shorter, and there are a lot of distractions. In content marketing, it usually helps when we are creating content as if we are talking to one person and everyone that has similar pain and desires will resonate more to the content.

If you want your content marketing to feel more personal, there are some simple steps you can take. Firstly, get to know your audience better. Understand what they like and what matters to them. Make your content fit their interests. You can also tell stories to make your content more interesting and easier to relate to. Use real stories from people or customers to make it more authentic. Lastly, talk directly with your audience through comments or messages. This makes them feel closer to you. Adding a personal touch makes your content more special and memorable.

Can a content marketing campaign succeed without storytelling? I highly doubt that. The power of storytelling lies in connecting people while stirring their emotions and enticing them to action smoothly. All the elements of a good content marketing mix are present. Still, when addressed in a story format, the result is influential.

A content marketing campaign without a story is a missed opportunity. We learn better through examples, use cases, customer testimonials - all of which are framed as stories. More importantly, when you use client stories, there is nobody else who has them. Only you - because they are your clients. And when Google sees that type of content, it knows it's original and not generated from AI tools or generic information. Content marketing can enhance your SEO dramatically when you incorporate stories into your material.

Okay, ditch the corporate jargon. Think of storytelling like the best gossip session ever. You know, the juicy details, the relatable mess-ups, the underdog-to-hero moments… *that's* what people secretly crave in your content. Forget "customer success story" – think exposing the awkward before-and-after transformation. Not "behind-the-scenes", but the hilarious blooper reel that almost broke the internet. See the difference? It's less about sounding like a brand, and more about being that friend whose stories you just can't wait to hear.

I recommend you identify the central theme or message you want to convey. Just like a storyteller crafting a plot can create a narrative that resonates with your audience's emotions and interests. Use characters, scenarios, and relatable situations to bring your message to life.

The personal touch I assume is not limited to the seller or the customer. It can be either or both. The initial struggles and success of the seller as well the benefits of the customer rallies a strong personal connection. The satisfaction of negating a customer’s struggle for a seller is an example for both costumer and seller side of things making it easy for to connect and provide a personal feeling to the content.

Instead of just you saying how amazing your product is, you've got a whole squad of real people hyping you up. It's like when your friend raves about that new restaurant, you're way more likely to try it than if you just saw an ad, right? Plus, everyone wants to feel like they're part of the cool kids' club. UGC is basically handing your audience the membership card and letting them show off a little. It's a win-win!

Encourage your audience to create and share content related to your brand, products, or services. It could be reviews, testimonials, photos, videos, social media posts, or even blog articles. UGC adds a personal touch and social proof that resonates with other potential customers.

Encourage your user to share SPECIFIC content and share this content on your platform. By encouraging, I mean, give them incentives. It can be an ambassador / fidelity program, or by often resharing content from your audience with a personal note to thank them. And by specific, I mean, giving a specific objective / content creation idea to your ambassadors / clients. Asking them to just share something about you is too large and will not be heard. but asking them to share on xyz platform in xyz format about xyz subject or product will encourage people to do so.

I recommend you take your time when trying to understand your audience's preferences, interests, and needs. The goal is to segment your audience based on demographics, behavior, or preferences to tailor your messages accordingly.

Before I led Content Marketing teams, I was a TV actor. If there's one thing Hollywood taught me, it's that people love a peek behind the scenes. It's totally acceptable to directly act your audience by way of open-ended prompts and polls what content they want most. Asking for input creates a stronger connection that builds brand affinity. It gets you directly in touch with customers, as well as potential contributors. And, when you ask folks what they want more of, they'll almost always answer, giving you actionable ideas.

One strategy that requires more thoughtfulness but works: create content with your community. At B2B2C companies, I try to keep up with both audiences on social. Here's an example for optimizing blogs for SEO. I'll listen to both perspectives and needs (let's say parents and providers) to develop a comprehensive and unique POV. Then I'll create content that brings all these ideas together to help our customers (new parents). Before publishing, I'll ask thought leaders I meet along the way (providers, advocates) if they want to collaborate. And depending on the topic and platform, I'll ask for more feedback on the final piece. Usually it's very positive, and sometimes I get more feedback to edit and improve content for our audience and SEO!

Inviting people to share is the easiest way to make it personal and get engagement. I don’t think I’ve ever met a person who doesn’t like their own opinion. Some just internalize it more than others. No matter what you’re talking about or what content you post, you can always ask their opinion about something related. Also, looking for ways to have them share their own lives through a related picture not only encourages engagement, but builds community among your following. For example, if you’re sharing something going on at your office, you can ask others to share what’s going on at their offices that day. You’ll not only get comments with pictures, but people will comment on other people’s pictures.

AI Sora could help develop videography from whitepapers, reports, etc. Generating such illustrations, diagrams, and other graphical elements enhances understanding and engagement for viewers. This capability is particularly useful in making complex information more accessible and easier to comprehend :)

Try to use a character for your story that’s a persona of your audience, that character can have the same pain points, thoughts, difficulties, a similar daily life. Your audience will most likely resonate with whom they feel resembles to them, that’s how you create some sort of personality to your content.

Going beyond the standard approaches, consider Embracing Content Co-Creation. This method involves directly collaborating with your audience or specific members of your community to produce content. Here’s how it can add a personal touch: Host Interactive Workshops: Invite your audience to participate in workshops where you brainstorm content ideas together or gather insights into their needs and preferences. Collaborative Story Development: Share the beginnings of a story or concept and invite your audience to contribute their ideas, endings, or twists. Crowdsourced Content Series: Launch a series where each piece is influenced or created by a different member of your audience. It could be blog posts, videos, or podcasts.