We all know the saying, “there is nothing new under the sun”–this could be said for many things content related. Even what I am about to outline here is not a new concept, so I am writing this more as a friendly reminder for those of you that are stressed and under pressure to develop something *new*, *exciting*, and *thrilling*–for an upcoming marketing campaign or email.
A fun way to think about content is what I call “The Taco Bell Strategy”. You essentially have some ingredients. These ingredients are basically awesome and when put together become even greater than their individual sums. In the Taco Bell world, you have tortillas, beans, meat, cheese, rice, and sometimes lettuce. Taco Bell understands their customer–so these ingredients are accepted and have been vetted. They could stop at creating tacos and burritos, but they don’t! From these classic ingredients they have created many other impressive creations–each one appealing to different members of their audience. I mean, one day you want a burrito, but the next you might want a gordita. Good news is they have something for everyone. Use this same strategy for your content marketing. Start with a solid asset like a white paper, case study, or eBook–then get cookin’ and think outside the Bun–or in our case–book.
The Burrito = THE EBOOK
The Burrito is the foundation. All of the basics rolled up into one delicious flour tortilla chock filled with meat, beans, cheese and more. Not only is this tasty meal a Taco Bell staple, but it is also hearty and can fill you up for the entire day. The content equivalent to this is of course the eBook. It is the basic, has all of the classic ingredients, and you might even have some leftovers to take home, like worksheets, blog posts, mini eBooks, and more. Your eBook is great fuel for your lead generation campaigns.
The Enchirito = THE VIDEO
The Enchirito is a burrito covered in sauce and cheese. Still a burrito, still a staple, but the extra sauce and cheese give it that little bit of that “je ne sais quoi”. Mystery and intrigue rolled up into one amazing dish. The content equivalent here is the video. This is the classic eBook or datasheet with some kick! Video is an engaging and exciting way to tell your story. Take the content you already have and re-imagine it into a different and fun new asset.
Double Decker Taco = THE WEBINAR
The Double Decker Taco is a taco-burrito hybrid. If you have never heard of this, give it a try. It is pretty awesome and for those of you who are commitment-phobes. If you can’t really commit to reading the eBook, but want the information, the webinar is for you. Why not have the best of both worlds! Webinars can be very detailed and a powerful way to convey your message. Plus, they appeal to an entirely different audience because they reach the leads that want to consume information in a format other than an eBook.
Grilled Steak Taquitos = CHEAT SHEET
The Grilled Taquitos are the fast-food appetizer of choice. You get these if you are more in the mood for a snack. Tasty, small, and quick to consume, they are very effective at helping to curb your hunger. The content equivalent is the cheat sheet. It’s a good option when you just need the key points or do not have the time to read the full eBook or respective content piece. When you create a cheat sheet make sure you include a good sampling of the topic and make sure it is easily consumable for your readers.
Crunchwrap Surpreme = SLIDESHARE
This is just pretty cool. Oragami works on food! The Crunchwrap Surpreme is creativity at its finest. Everything is here, the hard taco, flour tortilla, a little bit of lettuce, cheese and sour cream. But then, look at that presentation. So sleek, so cool. Perfect for finger food at your next catered event. The content equivalent is a visual SlideShare deck. It is an interactive, visual format for telling your story. Your slide decks should be engaging and present your information in an entirely different way.
Grilled Stuffed Burrito = THE BLOG
The Grilled Stuffed Burrito is not your typical burrito–it is grilled–George Foreman style. It seems like a basic, but the preparation makes it very special. I mean a grilled burrito. Yum! The content equivalent is the blog. It is a personal and fun way to express your content and can be quicker and lighter than the eBook. Feel free to take your blog posts directly out of your ebook, but just make sure you go through and put a special spin on the content.
Cheesy Gordita Crunch = THE INFOGRAPHIC
The gordita. It is so incredible–if just for the name alone! It is a crispy taco with some special sauce. And it may be my favorite Taco Bell treat. The content equivalent is the infographic. It is a visual wunderkind. It can convey a story or data in a creative fun way–with a nice little bit of crunch at the end.
The Apple Empanada = THE MEME
The apple empanada. If you have never had one of these you really need to get on that. It is crispy, delicious, filled with warm apples, and a tasty snack at the end of a big meal. The apple goodness will surely put a huge smile on anyone’s face. The content doppelganger here? The meme. A funny and small bite-sized piece of content that you share on your social channels to get a laugh and engagement from your audience. The perfect way to end any campaign or a fantastic snack right in the middle.
So how hungry are you after reading this? Personally, I can smell the deliciousness wafting off of this screen. I hope this was a fun way for you to rethink some ways of reinventing your content! What are some fun ways that you think about content marketing?