Weekly Alert: All Publicity Isn’t Good Publicity

mlns='> CMWorld keynote announced! [View Message in Browser]( / [Add Us to Safe Sender List]( Weekly News 9.4.20 Connect with CMI Think Strategically About Your Content Model How the heck are we ever going to get organized around content? It seems overwhelming. The answer? Be strategic using a combination of these four operating models. [Read more]( By Robert Rose [High-Level Strategy] Some more of this week's best stuff: - [5 Tips From CMI’s Most Popular Visual Content Articles]( [Ann Gynn]( [Content Creation] - [9 Little-Known Font How-Tos for Instagram Stories]( Olga Rabo [Distribution and Promotion] - [8 Habits You Should Have for Quality Content Marketing]( Ann Gynn [General Success Tips] - [Should Your Brand Enter Controversial Conversations? [The Weekly Wrap]]( Robert Rose [Trends and Research] - [Don’t Say Yes to the Tech (Until You Do This)]( Stefanie Curtis [Chief Content Officer Exclusive]  A Note From Robert Rose All Publicity Isn’t Good Publicity If 2020 has proven anything, it’s that controversy gets people talking. Controversies (or is it conTROVersies? The pronunciation itself is a controver... er, up for debate) are everywhere these days. They range from the profoundly serious (the state of politics, civil rights, and health) to the unmistakably silly (whether toilet paper should spool over or under – it’s absolutely over, by the way). Literally anything can spark controversy – including the fact that Merriam Webster’s definition of “literally” now says the word also means figuratively. But I digress. In marketing, developing controversial content often causes controversy among team members. Some members might want to take a side in a provocative debate to inspire conversation, get wider reach, and pierce through the noise of media. They see it as a form of steganography – a way to slyly embed brand, product, or sales messaging within the body of content around a controversy. Remember Gillette’s 2019 branded content campaign, [The Best Men Can Be]( It intentionally addressed toxic masculinity among young men at the height of the #MeToo movement. Those who see the campaign as successful point to the extraordinary levels of heated engagement it incited. Those who see it as a failure point to the same. The critical factors for success here: who is talking about it and what they’re saying. Whether your brand should take a provocative stand on hot-topic issues comes down to one question: How much does your audience trust you? [Research shows]( the level of conversation a controversy produces depends on two countervailing trends: The more controversial a topic, the more people will find the conversation interesting. However, fewer people may want to discuss it, because they’re uncomfortable about sharing their opinions. The study also found people were more willing to talk about a highly controversial topic with a close friend than with strangers. These findings suggest trust is a big factor when it comes to whether the right audience will take part in a brand’s controversial discussions. If your audience trusts you, they’re more likely to engage with you in a conversation on a highly controversial topic. If they don’t, they may question why you’re talking about that topic. Trust (or a lack thereof) explains why Gillette’s campaign struggled. The [brand hadn’t earned the level of trust]( from its audience that would let them feel comfortable participating in that conversation. So, yes, Gillette created a lot of heated discussion, but it wasn’t with their audience – the very people they wanted to converse with. Good content marketing starts with a distinct point of view. To be right for many, you have to be willing to be wrong for a few. This point of view builds trust and affinity for your approach to solving your audience’s problems. If you overestimate that trust, you may be encouraging the wrong conversation, or presenting it to the wrong audience. Put simply: The old saying that “all publicity is good publicity” is wrong. Wait, is that controversial? Settling the controversy around controversy comes down to awareness of how much your audience trusts your brand on the topic. You may believe something’s important to say. But your audience determines whether they trust you enough to talk about it with you. It’s your story. Tell it well. Robert Rose Chief Strategy Advisor Content Marketing Institute This article from Robert is available only in this newsletter for you, the newsletter subscriber. If you have friends that would see value in Robert's weekly updates, please have them [subscribe](. Tune to the Weekly Wrap Listen to the latest episode, browse the show notes, or watch the video version [right here](. Or subscribe on [Apple Podcasts]( or [Stitcher]( so you’ll never miss a show.  A Word from One of Our Content VIPs Personalization Paralysis You know personalization is increasingly expected. And you know delivering it requires trustworthy data, actionable intelligence, and targeted content. But with so much to do, you can’t decide on your next best move. We call this personalization paralysis. Our guide, “How to get past personalization paralysis,” reveals the cure so you can start personalizing customer experiences now. [Download now »](  Content Marketing Job Listings Currently on a job search? Thinking about switching gears with your career? Please check out our job listings below. Available Positions: - Senior Content Marketer, Crisp Inc, Remote - [Learn More]( Interested in posting a job here? Please see our [CMI Careers page]( for more info.  More from CMI It’s official! W. Kamau Bell, a sociopolitical comedian who is the host and executive producer of the Emmy Award winning CNN docu-series "United Shades of America" with W. Kamau Bell will be one of our keynotes at Content Marketing World 2020! Why Bell? From writing to podcasting, articles to videos, in-person events to books and everything in between, Bell has pushed boundaries, unapologetically published and produced content, and more. [Register today »](  CMI Video Watch our "Mastering Content Marketing" video series on YouTube that includes short, informative videos with content marketing tips and advice for you to use today. 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