Folks like to hate Steven Singer.
That “hate” is so pervasive that the jewellery retailer’s web site is: IHateStevenSinger.com. The corporate is so dedicated to celebrating the “hate” that it doesn’t even personal the area StevenSinger.com.
What’s behind all that “hate” pervading Philadelphia radio and satellite tv for pc airwaves? (The corporate says it’s the longest-running advertiser on The Howard Stern Present.) It’s the story of buyer suggestions (presumably apocryphal) that launched a advertising and marketing marketing campaign that’s lasted for years.
It’s additionally a narrative concerning the energy of contrarian considering – a useful reminder for content material entrepreneurs.
@IHSS (I Hate Steven Singer) reveals the facility of contrarian considering, a helpful #ContentMarketing lesson, says @AnnGynn by way of @CMIContent. Click on To Tweet
Contrarian technique stands out in a gift-driven market
The web site’s Historical past web page recounts the origin story: A Steven Singer buyer returned 20 years after shopping for an engagement ring to purchase one other diamond ring for his or her anniversary. About 9 months later, the couple returned to the jewellery retailer to indicate off their new child. The spouse exclaimed, “I like Steven Singer,” to which the husband responded, “Right here we go once more. We’re up all night time with feedings and diaper adjustments. I HATE Steven Singer.”
(Right here’s the audio rationalization used of their commercials.)
Steven Singer Jewelers turned that humorous remark right into a model viewpoint.
A weblog submit known as Why Hate Steven Singer explains recounts why huge retailer jewelers hate Steven Singer:
- Steven Singer Jewelers says it doesn’t low cost as a result of it affords the most effective value from the start and mocks different jewelers’ huge low cost gross sales
- The impartial jeweler criticizes the lower-quality diamonds bought by the massive shops, referring to them by their trade title, “frozen spit.”
- Steven Singer lets prospects improve purchases from the corporate by giving them a trade-in worth equal to the value they initially paid.
The contrarian messaging continues all through the location. The positioning record the enterprise handle as “the opposite nook of Eighth and Walnut” in Philadelphia. Even the Oops message (proven beneath) continues the theme, declaring, “Steven hated this web page … so he moved it. Strive these as a substitute.”
Learn how to craft a contrarian content material advertising and marketing strategy
A contrarian or unfavourable strategy can rework your content material advertising and marketing technique.
The purpose is to get your viewers to say, “Wait, what?!”
Subverting the expectations of audiences dulled to related messaging provides them pause – and entices them to decipher what you’re speaking about.
You’ll be able to apply components of reverse or unfavourable considering to particular person belongings or make it the “voice” of your content material, as Steven Singer does.
A contrarian, unfavourable, or opposite-thinking technique is daring –some folks might not perceive what you’re doing. Simply make sure that your model’s management does. In any other case, they’ll cease it virtually as quickly as you publish it.
Listed below are a number of methods to place that technique into motion (as soon as it’s accredited).
A contrarian or unfavourable #ContentStrategy is daring. Not everybody will get it. Simply make sure that your management does, says @AnnGynn by way of @CMIContent Click on To Tweet
Write an sudden lead
Begin small by crafting introductions to articles utilizing reverse messaging. This small step may also help you check whether or not your viewers is receptive to this strategy.
Do that train internally to make sure your staff understands what you need them to do: Give the writers an article you already printed and ask them to rewrite the lead following the contrarian, unfavourable, or opposite-thinking technique.
Instance:
Quick Firm printed an article with this intro:
After almost three years of a worldwide pandemic and months, if not years, of working from dwelling, the principle factor drawing employees again to their places of work is the will to easily give attention to their work. However on the identical time, places of work within the U.S. have hit a 15-year low in relation to how efficient they’re for enabling centered work.
This troubling mismatch is among the prime takeaways from the 2022 U.S. Office Survey from the Gensler Analysis Institute, the analysis arm of the worldwide structure and design agency Gensler.
Contrarian-strategy revision:
U.S. employees don’t know what they’re speaking about.
That’s the revelation from the 2022 U.S. Office Survey from the Gensler Analysis Institute.
Its survey discovered the preferred motive for employees desirous to return to the workplace is to give attention to their particular person work. But, it additionally finds U.S. places of work are at a 15-year low in how efficient they’re for enabling centered work.
The unique model focuses on what folks say they need. The negative-strategy model exposes the mismatch between what folks say they need and the truth of workplace environments.
The tone is eye-catchingly unfavourable, and the sentence makes a U.S.-based viewers curious to find why they could be flawed.
Dig deeper for thought management content material
You’ll entice a much bigger viewers in case your thought management isn’t the identical previous standard. However that doesn’t imply you need to take an opposing view should you don’t consider it.
The subsequent time you sort out a thought management asset, analysis what’s already written or stated concerning the subject and the way it’s usually expressed. Then, ask in case your view on the subject differs out of your content material opponents’.
In that case, brainstorm the chances and decide the one most related to your viewers. If not, you possibly can nonetheless create one thing totally different by on the lookout for an underdeveloped or unaddressed level or angle on this subject.
When reacting to printed analysis, most individuals write thought management items across the first statistic or two. To create one thing that bucks the mainstream (with out taking an reverse view you don’t consider), go deeper into the outcomes. Discover totally different stats related to your curiosity viewers and body your content material round that.
You’ll entice extra consideration in case your strategy to thought management avoids the same-old story, says @AnnGynn by way of @CMIContent. Click on To Tweet
Instance:
Let’s use the 2022 U.S. Office Survey once more. The Quick Firm article centered on the office effectiveness chart offered on the webpage for the report (because the screenshot beneath reveals).
Surprising different:
However you possibly can dig deeper into the analysis to discover a recent angle.
With most individuals centered on the primary or most blatant chart, search for one thing much less anticipated buried deeper within the analysis.
The chart on the backside of the report internet web page (as proven within the screenshot beneath) appears on the respondents’ “supreme combine” of experiences for an organization office. The chart reveals the chances for eight classes: clubhouse, espresso store, library, artistic lab, boutique lodge, residential, convention middle, and company.
A content material marketer in a related trade might craft a thought management piece across the workplace experiences employees need.
Suppose past content material creation
Whereas the Steven-Singer technique is sensible for content material creation, it can also work for different elements of your content material advertising and marketing program.
Entrepreneurs usually need to know the most effective time and day to ship an electronic mail, submit to social, and many others. You do a Google search and discover Tuesdays are the most effective day to ship emails. That very same report signifies that the most effective time to ship electronic mail is between 9 a.m. and midday.
After all, since so many others will see that very same window listed as a finest observe, electronic mail inboxes get flooded between 9 a.m. on midday on Tuesdays. Why not ship your emails later within the day or on a unique day of the week?
Check the alternate ship time for a number of weeks to see if that opposite-thinking technique works in your viewers. If not, you possibly can at all times swap again.
Don’t neglect about your content material codecs, both.
CMI’s most up-to-date B2B analysis discovered that the majority entrepreneurs (89%) use articles and posts of lower than 1,500 phrases for content material advertising and marketing. Different generally used codecs embody:
- Movies of any size (75%)
- Case research (67%)
- Digital occasions/webinars/on-line programs (62%)
- Infographics/charts/information visualization/3D fashions (61%)
- Lengthy articles/posts (greater than 1,500 phrases)
- E-books and white papers (59%)
- In-person occasions (49%)
However, solely 17% of entrepreneurs use print magazines and books.
That’s an opposite-strategy alternative. Might you develop a print journal in your viewers? Given how few entrepreneurs do, your content material would stand out.
If print isn’t possible, take into consideration different lesser-used sorts, resembling audio content material (utilized by 33% of entrepreneurs), analysis experiences (utilized by 30%), or livestreaming content material (16%).
TIP: An opposite-thinking technique for content material codecs doesn’t require you to desert the unique format. Search for methods to repurpose content material deliberate for fashionable codecs into less-used ones.
You’ll be able to apply an opposite-thinking content material technique with out rejecting frequent codecs, says @AnnGynn by way of @CMIContent. Click on To Tweet
Develop into essentially the most ‘hated’ content material advertising and marketing
Your content material opponents will solely proceed to develop within the months, many years, and years to return. The necessity to stand out and entice consideration and curiosity out of your viewers by no means goes away.
With that in thoughts, adopting a Steven-Singer technique in your content material is sensible. And who is aware of? It would simply be the ticket to outcomes that everyone likes.
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Cowl picture by Joseph Kalinowski/Content material Advertising Institute
