Et tu, Brute? What Shakespeare Can Teach Us About Content Marketing

Arguably the greatest dramatist of all time, Shakespeare's appeal is nothing short of iconic, especially to his legions of fans around the world. You don't need to be a literature aficionado to appreciate Shakespeare.

You just need to be able to appreciate a cracking good story to understand what makes this playwright/poet/actor/theatre entrepreneur/did I miss anything? so hugely popular.

Shakespeare, a Content Marketer Extraordinaire

Shakespeare's mastery of storytelling makes him an exceptional content marketer. Content marketing, fundamentally, is all about story-telling, i.e. leading the consumer through a journey from a starting point of boredom, despair or hopelessness towards empathy, expectation, hope for the future, [insert any other equally powerful emotion evoking positive expectancy], and then finally ending with the promise of happily-ever-after.

We sell.

Primarily.

Hope.

But it doesn't stop just there. Shakespeare also displayed many of the traits that would characteristically come to define what 'good' content marketing is all about in the 21st century:

• He was a passionate writer who was uncommonly prolific. At the last count, he had written at least 38 plays and over 150 short and long poems. Content marketers have to stay in the eye constantly. To be out of sight is, simply put, to be out of mind. For that, you do need passion and a steely resolve to persist in your marketing efforts.
• He had keen insights into his target audience and was able to tailor his content to the audience of his specific work at the time, whether it was comedy, tragedy or history. Shakespeare wrote in different genres and catered to different classes with what some would call a reckless glee, and yet his profound understanding of the social norms of the time and a remarkable ability to get under the skin of his characters meant that his work continues to be popular long after his death.
• He built a strong and solid personal brand solely on the basis of good content. All content marketers know that nothing sells like good content. Shakespeare built his brand persona, without even actually trying, based on authority, skill, visibility, and subject matter expertise. In the process, he also created many new words and phrases ( almost 1700 new words!) that have come to be part of everyday language even today. Think 'breaking the ice', and 'heart of gold' to name just a few.

5 Lessons in Content Marketing from the Bard Himself

Shakespeare could say a lot within the structure of a few words in a manner that was both original and powerfully authentic. I often imagine that if Shakespeare were still alive he would?take to content marketing like a babe to bathwater.

Let's unpack some of his more famous quotes and understand how we can apply his phenomenal insights to the world of content marketing.

1. ''All That Glitters is not Gold'' - The Need to be Authentic

Customers these days know their way around. And then some. They've been subjected to so many marketing messages, it's relatively easy for them to separate the wheat from the chaff.

The saturation of marketing messages has created a generation of consumers that 'like to keep it real'.

• Is what you're saying a true depiction of your product benefits?
• Have you taken the trouble to understand your consumer's pain points?
• And, most importantly, do you have brand values that have some meaning and impact for your consumers?

Overhyped marketing can fall flat on its face even before it's had the time to take off. It's wise to respect consumers and recognise them for what they are - smart, intelligent people looking for the best choice and a brand with values that they can identify with.

2. '''Brevity is The Soul of Wit" - The Need to be Concise But Value-Packed

This says less about the actual length of your marketing material and messaging and more about relevance.

In a sense, it can also be about length when we go into promotional material like blogs, articles, video content, and the like.

Consumers these days have no time. While a song and dance may temporarily draw the crowds, a lack of substance won't behove them to stay, and neither will a speech when a quote will do instead.

When businesses put out collateral it's critical to be brief, concise, but provide all the information that a customer needs to make an informed choice.

3. "For Mine Own Part, it Was Greek to Me.'' - The Need to Speak Plainly

You see this conflicting dichotomy of simplicity versus complexity most often in brands with product or service offerings that are highly technical and technological in nature.

Marketing messages that go into a lot of technical detail can be considerably off-putting when your target customer is the average person who just wants to know if it solves the problem, how it does, and how the good the results are.

Make your marketing messaging simple and easy. It shouldn't be Greek to anyone, unless...

Well, unless you know Greek or are actually Greek.

4. "Better Three Hours too Soon than a Minute too Late.'' - The Need to Anticipate or Be Aware of Trends

Another critical skill that is ideal for content marketers is the ability to stay in tune with the masses and keep up-to-date on trends. You either have to be first to the party and arrive boldly with your entourage in tow or arrive at a comfortable timeframe closer to when everybody else is arriving and blend in.

You can't ever be late, which is when your arrival becomes a lot more conspicuous in comparison. It's the same with trends.

How fast are you able to pivot to keep up with what's in, style-wise, language-wise, tone-wise? Do you know what would appeal to a specific segment at this moment in time?

Are you a harish-trendsetter or a snailish-follower, boo?

5. "The Devil Can Cite Scripture for His Purpose" - The Need to Establish Know-Like-Trust

This goes back to what we spoke about earlier in terms of authenticity but takes it up a notch to building trust. With so many brands out in the market today, and so much choice, consumers increasingly prefer to turn to brands that have been able to establish trust at the grassroots level.

Does your marketing messaging enable your consumers to get to know you, like you, and get to the level where they feel like they can trust you? If so, then 99% of your work is done.

The remaining is 1%, which is the actual sale, and if you've done the work, that cat's already in the bag.

Meow.

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About the Author:

Irene Lopez is a content marketer/strategist and writer specialising in writing marketing and technological content for businesses. Talk to her at [email protected] or message her on Linkedin if you would like to connect, collaborate, or hire her expertise.