As the UK prepares for its last bank holiday before Christmas, the way we approach our leisure time can provide insight into the future of content marketing
The August bank holiday in 2016 is a very different animal compared with bank holiday weekends from 50, 25, even five years ago.
The final long weekend of summer used to signify a dash to the coast and booked up hotels; played out on news broadcasts with footage of motorway queues and traffic chaos.
But in recent times, the holiday landscape has changed dramatically as disruptors such as Airbnb, budget airlines and price comparison websites have entered the fray.
The disrupted business environment has been an abrupt wake up call for the entire leisure industry. But content marketing can also take cues from a shift in people’s perceptions of supply and demand.
Build your own
The rise of build-your-own-holiday platforms for flights, hotels and activities puts the power back in the hands of the consumer.
One size no longer has to fit all as individuals seek out their own uniquely tailored solutions.
Content marketers must understand this shift in expectations and capitalise on the growing sense that people are looking for a custom-made solution, and one that they can design themselves.
Technology should be driving every step of the process. There is a traditional content cycle of PLAN, CREATE, SHARE, ANALYSE. But what if an additional stage, LISTEN, followed SHARE?
This would be the point where audiences took up the reigns themselves and told you, the content producer, exactly what they wanted.
Just as holidaymakers this weekend can easily and efficiently curate the details of their trip at the click of a button, so content marketers must respond to the bespoke nature of people’s demands.
Such proactivity among audiences is hard to achieve. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try, but a more reliable Plan B is also required.
Meeting expectations
For content marketers, meeting and exceeding people’s expectations relies on understanding the audience as completely as possible.
Smarter use of the full range of analytics will give a better understanding of the market you’re aiming to attract. A more detailed and multi-faceted approach to content marketing will enable greater targeting and sub-division in messaging.
Just as the sharing economy of Airbnb relies on feedback – hosts and guests leave a feedback trail that improves choice and drives up quality – so content marketers should seek feedback which will drive improvements at both the individual and macro scale.
As technology continues to link people and product in a connected economy, traditional modes of behaviour are rapidly changing.
Content marketing must reflect these changes. The days of a bank holiday ice cream on the beach may not be over, but the importance of knowing each person’s favourite flavour is becoming ever greater.
