For example, quality has always been a must in content marketing. So the question becomes: How do we take high-quality content and make it multiply? “It’s kind of hard to really tease that out to some specifics that explain exactly how you’re better.” At Sterling, Copeland says that the business model is perhaps the strongest driver of differentiation. How does the company communicate this difference? “One of the things that we did early on is to initiate a content marketing strategy,” says Copeland, “and I think that is a really effective way to engage with this audience.” From Direct to Digital Every month, Sterling publishes Connect Magazine, a direct mail publication that celebrates a client’s business with a cover story and a nod to Sterling’s contribution. “This is a small magazine, but it’s something that you would stop and take a few minutes to look at.” Making it Multiply Copeland and her team ensure that their content also enjoys the benefits of digital to company and customer alike. “We have a lot of different sales people with a very specific approach,” says Copeland. “I look for a common thread between requests, with the goal of building a program that they can configure for their use.” Complex direct marketing programs are often the product of this kind of problem solving. In terms of creating a cache of high-quality content that’s both differentiating and relevant to the customer, it’s important to avoid a strategy of one-offs, says Copeland. No matter the channel, efficiency comes from creating meaningful content, and then repurposing it.
People love to use the adage “work smarter, not harder” these
days. It implies that the quality of one’s work has outmaneuvered
the hours normally spent on it, sparing unnecessary time and
energy. Indeed, it’s one goal of the modern workforce. Try applying
this to marketing, however, and the phrase comes up short. For
example, quality has always been a must in content marketing. But
any marketer knows that quantity is tantamount to awareness, as
study after study shows that a customer almost always intercepts a
message multiple times before making a purchase.
So the question becomes: How do we take high-quality content and
make it multiply? Suzanne Copeland, CMO of Sterling National Bank,
explains the math that expanded her own department’s content
marketing efforts.
First, Differentiate
In banking, brand differentiation can be difficult. As a
commodity marketplace, many companies offer parallel services and
often refer to customer care as a point of difference. “Everybody
tells you that their customer relationship is better,” Copeland
says. “It’s kind of hard to really tease that out to some specifics
that explain exactly how you’re better.”
At Sterling, Copeland says that the business model is perhaps
the strongest driver of differentiation. The company’s dedicated
teams give their key target – commercial middle-market clients – a
one-stop shop for personal financial assistance. How does the
company communicate this difference? “One of the things that we did
early on is to initiate a content marketing strategy,” says
Copeland, “and I think that is a really effective way to engage
with this audience.”
From Direct to Digital
Every month, Sterling publishes Connect Magazine, a direct mail
publication that celebrates a client’s business with a cover story
and a nod to Sterling’s contribution. “It’s a great value to them,”
says Copeland. Besides honoring and promoting the client, the
article often brings the Sterling brand inside the physical
business, as Sterling sends each its framed cover story. “They
display those in their main conference rooms,” she says….
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