Week 2: A Conversation with Matt Meeks by Tyler Lau
By UCLA X469.21 Student Tyler Lau Our Week 2 guest speaker was Matt Meeks – a media and marketing expert with vast digital experience. He has worked with a wide range of organizations, from Warner Bros. and Kia Motors to the Vatican. Here are a few of the things Matt discussed:
1. Target Your Content Marketing
Focus on the audience you are targeting and how can you craft meaningful content that will resonate. Once you have defined the audience and developed your strategy, it’s time to consider which platforms you will use to reach those audiences.
2. Follow the Hero’s Journey
How do you tell a brand’s story? Look no further than the Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell. Most stories have an arc — find the hero, learn the issue/problem, go on a quest, find a mentor, develop a plan, implement that plan, avoid failure and ultimately succeed. This is the recipe for successful storytelling. Think “Star Wars” if you’re looking for a modern example.
3. Use the Marketing Funnel to Frame Different Types of Stories
When it comes to content marketing, a great brand story has suspense that helps drive change. Use the phases of the Marketing Funnel (awareness, consideration, intent, purchase and advocacy) to help frame your story. Keep in mind that customers are at different levels along the funnel.
4. Develop Relationships
Understand that your competitors are also targeting your audience, so focus on fundamentals such as developing relationships with influencers, maintaining good customer service, protecting your online reputation, engaging with followers, etc. Doing so will help you build a solid foundation for your content marketing strategy.
5. Diversify Your Content Marketing Strategy
Don’t rely on one form of branded content. Think about Paid, Owned and Earned Media (P.O.EM). Diversify your content to reach a variety of audiences through a variety of media channels. Plan and organize your content posting by using a content calendar or planner, which allows you to pivot your content posting strategy if needed. The goal is to create an ecosystem and environment that allows someone to find and related to your brand story. Just as a movie uses multiple forms of communication (video, audio, dialogue, music, etc.), so should your content marketing. To illustrate a successful POEM marketing campaign, Matt told us about the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Competition featuring Blake Griffin dunking over a Kia Optima. The campaign utilized paid influencers, press releases, billboards and other media channels to tell the brand’s story.
