Reinventing the wheel. You probably have heard the term a million times.
It means not doing the work to create something that is already pretty darn good. Well, when it comes to your marketing, sometimes it’s better to “borrow” some hot pop-culture trends rather than trying to build something super buzzworthy yourself.
The simplest way to tap into pop culture is to work it into your social media campaigns. It takes a bit of creativity and some out-of-the-box thinking, but if REI can incorporate the zombie craze into its content-marketing mix, so can your fitness studio.
But it goes beyond just zombies. Movies, music, TV shows, memes, and more can be weaved into your social media and content-marketing programs to bump up the entertainment value while boosting the visibility of your brand.
Learn What’s Hot
Tracking what’s hot in pop culture doesn’t always come naturally to hardworking marketers. Luckily, there are plenty of tools—besides watching TMZ or Entertainment Tonight—that can help you hop on the hot trend, before it cools off. Follow trending hashtags on Twitter. See what’s trending on Facebook. Follow the trending tags on Instagram. Also, make sure you’re following the news, entertainment, and other sites that keep you informed on what’s hot.
Plan Ahead
Sure, you know the release of Spiderman: Homecoming and Star Wars Episode VIII are going to make waves. The season premiere of The Walking Dead is bound to scare up some big ratings. New music coming from acts like Metallica, Green Day, and Lady Gaga will get people up and moving. Major events such as these (along with others such as the Super Bowl and Presidential elections) are typically planned well in advance. Make sure to add them to your content calendar so that you can prepare blog posts, tweets, posts, and photos ahead of time.
Make It Count
Of course, weaving a hot pop-culture reference into your marketing takes some finesse. Sure, you want to ride the wave of something that’s hot, but the content you create still has to resonate with your audience. Want to write about Game of Thrones? Awesome. Just make sure you tie the reference to something your audience will find interesting, entertaining, and informative—e.g. “How strong is the Mountain?” or “What are the health benefits of Tyrion's wine?”
Don’t Overdo It
It is tempting—especially once you see a spike in views, shares, likes, retweets, etc.—to go to the pop-culture well again. While you should, doing it too often may reduce the wow factor of someone seeing a zombie or superhero in your Twitter feed. Now, of course, if something unusual occurs that wasn’t on your calendar and is causing a sensation such as a celebrity divorce, a gaffe by a Presidential candidate, or even a sports star retiring, don’t ignore it. Just keep in mind that you may want to hold off on your scheduled pop-culture campaign for a bit.
While pop-culture references won’t guarantee a bump in business, a little creativity can go a long way to getting your brand seen.
What pop-culture references can you use to market your health club this year?