Part 1: Method for categorising website content using the "Hero, Hub & Hygiene" structure. Part 2: Method for analysing content ideas to make them more 'sticky' using the SUCCES framework. Originally presented at Outreach Digital event on 10th Jan 2017
Sticky content strategy for a digitally healthier 2017
1. Sticky content strategy for a
digitally healthier 2017
Anthony Tuite
Head of Digital
anthony@barracuda.digital
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/anthonytuite
web: barracuda.digital
3. Methods for brainstorming
Methods for generating better ideas
Methods for outreaching content
Come talk to me afterwards
What we won’t be covering
4. How to recognise and frame your idea so you
can tell everyone about it with maximum
effect, on-line.
5. Part 1:
Disambiguate ‘content’ and introduce concept
of ‘Hygiene,’ ‘Hub’ and ‘Hero’ as content
classifications.
Part 2:
A framework for making your content like
treacle, or, how to identify and craft ideas that
stick.
10. TitleContent; Hygiene, Hub & Hero
HubHero
“Hero content” refers to the
big, tent-pole events that are
designed to provide a massive
step-change to your audience
growth.
84,784,253 views
“Hub content” is regular, scheduled
content that provides a reason to
subscribe to a channel and return on
a regular basis. Episodic and
formatted series work best as hub
content.
971,350 viewshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7FIvfx5J10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krQEinPk1ds
11. Content; Hygiene, Hub & Hero
Hygiene
Hygiene or “help content” means your channel’s basic,
always-on videos. These could include tutorials that
answer the most popular search queries in your
content area. It can also be product demo videos.
8,694 views
84,784,253 views
971,350 views
8,694 views
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rvjXez4TSQ
12. Reduces old ‘viral’ thinking of ‘fire and forget’.
Content synergy: all content types cross-pollinate.
Increases audience retention.
Increases sales and revenue.
Why?
15. Title
Subtitle
Content; Hygiene
The reason for your
website’s existence.
This is the stuff you want
ranking in Google.
Product / service /
category pages.
Be the most compelling
answer to a searcher’s
question
Hygiene
SEO
16. Content; Hub
Your brand’s voice on-
line.
Content to keep in regular
contact with existing
audience.
Valuable and engaging
content.
Usually content found in a
blog.
Hub
Content &
Social
17. Title
Subtitle
Content; Hero
Expand your audience with
‘sticky’ hero content.
Potential to really drive link
equity.
Produced on a less regular
basis.
More resource intensive.
Hero
PR
31. A pomelo is the largest citrus fruit. The rind is very
thick but soft and easy to peel away. The resulting
fruit has a light yellow to coral pink flesh and can
vary from juicy to slightly dry and from seductively
spicy-sweet to tangy and tart.
32. A pomelo is basically a supersized
grapefruitwith a very thick and soft rind
36. “Gap Theory” of Curiosity
Open a knowledge
gap
Curiosity is a pain
point
Bad movies
The pain of ‘Huh?’
The satisfaction of
‘Aha!’
37. Why the hell does click-bait work…
given that it’s so annoying?
“An eye-catching link on a website
which encourages people to read on.”
– Urban Dictionary
40. about shit that
nobody cares about… number 7 will blow
your mind,
“11.5 things you didn’t know,
cause your jaw to drop clean off,
and make you wee a little bit.”
41. The promise of upsetting our schemas.
‘Huh?!’ reaction achieved.
Knowledge gap of curiosity opened.
Basic human need to acquire knowledge tapped.
‘Aha!’ payoff is rubbish.
Schemas actually not challenged.
Made to feel pain of curiosity without the
satisfying payoff of acquiring new knowledge.
43. Title
Subtitle
Concrete
Make them understand and
remember
Do not speak in the abstract
Don’t forget people don’t
know what you know
Put people in the story
Use sensory references
Make it real
Write with the concreteness
of a fable
44. One hot summer day a fox was strolling through
an orchard. He saw a bunch of Grapes ripening
high on a grape vine. “Just the thing to quench my
thirst,” he said. Backing up a few paces, he took a
run and jumped at the grapes, just missing.
Turning around again, he ran faster and jumped
again. Still a miss. Again and again he jumped,
until at last he gave up out of exhaustion. Walking
away with his nose in the air, he said: “I am sure
they are sour.” It’s easy to despise what you can’t
get.
50. Statistics = Relationships
It’s more important for people to remember the relationship than the
number.
Stats are rarely meaningful on their own.
51. Testable credentials:
“Where’s the beef?!”Ad campaign for Wendy’s in 1984
Original Ad Sequel Ad
Credibility outsourced to the
customers/audience
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dnUs2AqWvs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idnwh6iDnXA
56. Title
Subtitle
Story Driven
Make them act
3 types of story that work:
Challenge – overcome
obstacles
Connection – people getting
along
Creativity – inspiring new
ways of thinking
Stories are simulations that
tell people how to act.
Context for instructions.
59. SUCCESs check-list for sticky content
SUCCESs Yes / No Things to check
Simple YES / NO
Simple = Core + Compact
Find core / is it profound / is it compact / are you using well-known schemas
Unexpected YES / NO
Get their attention & hold it
Create mystery / Open a knowledge gap / break peoples’ guessing machine
/ is it postdictable
Concrete YES / NO
Make them understand & remember
Remove abstract / use tangible schemas / put people in the story
Credible YES / NO
Make them believe
External credibility (authority / antiauthority) / internal credibility (use
convincing detail / statistics to show relationships / Sinatra Test / testable
credentials)
Emotional YES / NO
Make them care
Maslow’s NON hierarchy of needs: Physical, Security, Belonging, Esteem,
Learning, Aesthetic, Self-Actualisation, Transcendence)
Stories YES / NO
Make them act
The Challenge Plot (David & Goliath) / The Connection Plot (The Good
Samaritan) / The Creativity Plot (Newton & the apple).
Beware “The Curse of Knowledge!”
62. Subtitle
Each lapel pin has been made by hand in the
jewellery quarters of London and Birmingham and
is made from British shell fuses fired during the
Battle of the Somme and collected from the
historic front line.
65. Simple
He fought and died for you.
Unexpected
Messes with our schema of a poppy and what it means.
Now it represents an individual fallen soldier.
Concrete
His name on the back of the poppy.
Can imagine being there with him on the battle field.
Credible
Precise detail, a date.
Tapping in to what we already know about the war.
Emotional
It’s about the individual.
Now it’s Richard’s responsibility to remember the Private J Hagan.
Story
Knowledge gap opened. Who was Private J Hagan?
66. “Help us remember. Take on the responsibility of
remembering the man who gave his life for you.”
67. “Help us remember. Take on the responsibility of
remembering the man who gave his life for you.”
“Remember the man who gave his life for you.”
“Remember him.”
Content is an abstract concept.
Is a victim of semantic stretch.
We’ve taken it on and used it to mean too many things, so it’s lost its meaning.
Let’s bring back some meaning and context to this important concept.
Where did it come from?
Almost looks a bit like a funnel, doesn’t it?
Debunk the ‘funnel’
Can be applied to websites, not just video.
Introduce story of LoveAntiques
There is cross-over – not ‘black and white’
Last bastion of scalable
Answer question: Why does content need to be ‘Sticky?’
"a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," which means that having something, even if it is a lesser quantity, is better than taking the chance of losing it in order to attain something else that seems more desirable.
Ridley Scott
Batman vs Superman – 2hrs and 32 whole minutes of my life I’m not getting back.
“The fox and the grapes” was written by Aesop
His stories have been around for millennia!
If you haven’t heard the fable… your sure know the phrase “sour grapes” – which is the lesson. This is concrete.
You can see the fox, the grapes… you can even empathise with the fox. You may even be the fox!
Stats are rarely meaningful on their own. They should almost always be used to illustrate a relationship. It’s more important
30% increase in sales
Aspirational self-interest:
- Equality
- Individualism
- Ideals about government
- Human rights
Starving artists – not a hierarchy.
It’s interesting that most people will align themselves with benefits that speak to the top, but almost always think that ‘other’ people are more interested in the bottom.
All the needs are important, but don’t rob yourself of tapping in to more profound motivations in your ideas when you’re trying to make people care.
Challenge – David & Goliath
Connection – Good Samaritan
Creativity – Apple and Newton
How are you going to write your next case study?
The Royal British Legion have released commemorative lapel pin for the centenary of The Battle Of The Somme.
A lot more (>10x) than you would normally give.
This needs to be sticky.
A lot more (>10x) than you would normally give.
This needs to be sticky.
This is the embodiment of ‘burying the lead’
This is the embodiment of ‘burying the lead’
“Help us remember. Take on the responsibility of remembering the man who gave his life for you.”
This is the embodiment of ‘burying the lead’
“Help us remember. Take on the responsibility of remembering the man who gave his life for you.”
The irony here, with this particular analogy, is that it’s the ‘packaging’ of your ideas that needs to be sticky.
Make it stick, folks.