A lesson from professional sports on how to engage readers and turn them into fans.
My son woke at 5:51 this morning to check the NBA draft picks from last night. I spent the next half hour drinking coffee and listening to him discuss various players with my husband.
Andrew Wiggins to the Cavaliers.
The Knicks got Cleanthony Early.
UConn’s Shabbaz Napeir was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets and traded to the Miami Heat.
Scores Matter but People Win
Sure, avid sports fans track scores and standings. But it’s really about the people, the players, the individuals. Derek Jeter’s last season and how stadiums celebrate him when he plays a last game. How Baylor’s Isaiah Austin lost his dream and the NBA celebrated him anyway. That spot in the distance Babe Ruth promised to hit. And did.
I’ll admit, major league sports aren’t my major thing. But the stories about the players get me, reel me in, hook me into the game or the team.
Content marketing’s the same way. Your product, your service, your technology may not yet be your audience’s thing. So tell them a story about a person whose problem it solves or who uses it in an interesting way. That’s what they’ll remember. And then you’ll have the chance of turning them into a fan.