Context

Context is the dirty word in search. While everyone pays lip service to it out of necessity because it is key in search marketing and branding everyone, really, hopes it will sort of take care of itself if everything else around it is done properly.

So, when it comes to marketing we pay a lot of attention to messaging, on-page optimization, thematic linking and brand values. Of late we have even began to use the ‘E’ word, because we know that content that’s created with empathy resonates deeper with the intended audience and leads to behaviors that provide the outcomes we seek.

A quick snippet from my talk with Jason Barnard of Kalicube, on the subject, is below.

If we are willing to tackle all those items, some of which are just as hard to do well as context, the question we should ask is why does context drop off our radar so easily?

Context Is Hard To Do Well

The primary answer is that context is hard to do well. The explosive use of social media that resulted from the underlying interconnectedness of digital technology affected the way fresh generations curate and define their identity. As a result, context collapse, became a thing.

This, in turn, affected marketing by making marketers unsure of how exactly to fashion an approach that included the potential ‘everyone’ who may see their marketing message.

One way to avoid this, of course, is to try and circumvent context by going straight to intent. If we envision that the intent of an action is the result of the environmental pressures applied on the individual in the context of their situation it makes sense to use that.

I have discussed both context and intent in search before.

So, in theory, this should totally work. Actions, whether in the physical world or the digital one, are observable. Observable actions, unlike context which is complex or intent which is invisible, provide a handy basis which allows us to extrapolate and then work backwards to define intent.

The reasoning goes that if we understand the intent of a potential customer we can act to satisfy it and convert them into a customer who provides direct value to us. That, however, no matter how reasonable it may sound, is actually a very hard thing to do correctly. Guessing intent from observable actions is only possible when the context is sufficiently narrow to restrict the available choices.

This is something I also explained in my interview with Jason Barnard and the snippet is below:

Gen-Z Provides The Answer

The answer to the question of how to use context correctly both in search and marketing; it is important to establish the role context plays. If we take, for example, the squiggles we put on screens and scrolls and paper which we then read, we understand that words have meaning. My famous example of saying “My brother is a trained SEAL” highlights the problem of context immediately. Because words have many meanings a word can mean anything, unless context is provided.

So context, really, adds precise meaning to the potential definitions of a word. Words without context could mean anything which is why they often mean nothing. The same goes for a marketing message or a piece of content. Context adds meaning. Meaning, in turn, leads to a sense of purpose (which we covered in last Monday's Newsletter).

All this is great, except, you now need to know exactly what to do. What is it that you must apply in the way you run your business or create the content you create, to better address this elusive “context” we are discussing?

Coming to save us is what marketers and companies freely admit is the hardest generation to market to: Generation Z. As the first generation of true digital natives, Gen-Zers present a challenge that’s defined by the breadth of a McKinsey Report on the subject. Gen-Zers, circumvent the leveling of values, goals and a sense of identity imposed by context collapse and use the digital domain in a hyper-niche way to develop their own unique aesthetic.

Google’s paper on the subject indicates that suddenly, context is back on the menu with a vengeance. Except now it requires hyper-targeting of a very specific audience in a very specific moment, time or space.

While Gen-Zers are the most obvious, visible example, we all, more or less fall into these trends, especially when we exhibit purchase behaviors that fall into what researchers call the ROPO effect (Research Online, Purchase Offline), or the ROTOPO effect (Research Online, Test Offline, Purchase Online). A research paper on the subject also highlighted the need for content that is created with specific context in mind.

What Are The Fresh Content Creation Guidelines?

Even as far back as 2004, the trend towards creating content with context in mind was evident as a 2004 research paper on advertising indicates. Mood was key when content was viewed, it sums up.

So, if you are creating content and you want that content to resonate with an audience struggling to find what it wants in a digital domain that is full of content, work with context in mind.

• Start with emotions: Ask yourself what your audience’s frame of mind is likely to be when they look for the content you have created?
• Visualize the micromoment: When your content does appear in your visitor’s emotional journey (a term Google uses) what are their circumstances?
• Provide emotional assurance: Content usually works hard to provide a solution to a problem such as “how can I organize my wedding?”, “where can I get a tire fixed?”, or “what’s the best laptop to buy?” but really when asking those questions online visitors are looking for reassurance that the entity they are about to engage in a relational exchange with is reliable, trustworthy and willing to put in the effort to understand them.
• Be hyper-specific: If you’re a wedding planner, for instance, it’s not enough to put up content about “making the best day of your life stress-free” every wedding planner says the same thing and that is, by definition, the job. But few actually focusing on making a happy day, even happier and explaining specifically how that is achieved and how it can be measured.

I hope all this helps a little.?