Why Content Flops Without a Human Touch: How to Breathe Life Into It

Today, content plays a key role in attracting customers and building a brand. But not every piece of content delivers the results you expect. There are many reasons content “flops” (fails) and never gets the attention you hoped for. One of the most important causes, and one marketers often overlook, is a lack of “humanity” in the content.

content flop
Is your content “flopping”?

Content That Lacks a “Human Touch”

Durex, the famous condom brand, keeps people buzzing with its “unique and quirky” marketing campaigns. What is the secret behind their success? The answer is Durex’s subtly “un-human” content strategy:

  1. Focus on the customer: Content revolves around the needs, wants and mindset of the target customer, creating connection and understanding.
  2. Stay close to real life: Use relatable, everyday images and stories with humor to break down barriers around sex in a gentle, witty way.
  3. Jump on trends quickly: Keep up with trends and put creative spins on them to feel fresh and catch the attention of young people.
  4. Keep it short and sharp: Visuals and copy are concise and punchy yet carry double meanings, sparking the viewer’s imagination and curiosity.

In an age of information overload, content plays a vital role in grabbing attention, building a brand and driving revenue for a business. However, not every piece of content achieves the results you want. Many marketing campaigns fail because they are haunted by content that lacks humanity, with no connection to customers and no emotional pull.

Yet many marketing campaigns still stumble because their content lacks “humanity,” leading to results that fall short of expectations. This article will help you decode the causes and share tips for “breathing life” into your marketing strategy, turning content into a “golden key” that wins customers over while driving revenue and building a successful brand.

Content
Content

How to Make Content Touch Your Customers’ Hearts

According to the Knowledge Management Hierarchy mentioned in Philip Kotler’s book Marketing 5.0, two main information domains play an important role in managing and using knowledge effectively:

  1. Machine Domain:
  • Data: Where raw information is stored, including figures, records and observations that have not yet been organized.
  • Information: When data is analyzed and processed, it becomes meaningful information that helps users make decisions.
  • Knowledge: Information combined with the user’s experience, context and understanding becomes knowledge, the foundation for practical application and value creation.

However, focusing only on information in the Machine Domain is not enough. Marketers need to:

  • Add real-world elements: When introducing a product, don’t focus only on features; describe the specific benefits for the buyer.
  • Convey the brand message: Content needs a clear message that helps users understand and remember the brand.
  1. Human Domain:
  • Noise: Information that is abundant and everywhere, but not yet carefully filtered.
  • Insight: A deeper understanding that reveals the meaning and hidden truth within the information.
  • Wisdom: Applying understanding and knowledge intelligently and effectively to solve problems and make decisions.

To create content that feels “alive,” marketers need to:

  • Connect with emotions: Tell stories and share genuine feelings to build a connection with readers.
  • Engage and encourage discussion: Encourage readers to comment and share to build relationships and increase trust.

The three-tier system within the Human Domain is the key to helping businesses understand customers, deliver messages effectively and build a successful brand. Make the most of its power to create breakthrough marketing campaigns, win over customers’ hearts and reach your business goals.

See more: A Basic Guide to Performance Max Campaigns in 2024

To make your content “explode”: Blend the Machine Domain and the Human Domain in harmony.

Learn from the Di tích Hỏa Lò – Hoa Lo Prison Relic Facebook Page:

The Di tích Hỏa Lò – Hoa Lo Prison Relic Facebook Page is a textbook example of successfully combining the “human element” with the “power of the machine” in content marketing. The Page has attracted millions of followers and created a “buzz” on social media thanks to creative, distinctive and emotional content.

Some typical examples:

  • Wisdom content: “Vietnamese people have a deep, burning love for their country.” This content hits the “human element,” stirring national pride and patriotism in everyone.
  • Information content: “Come to Hoa Lo to see with your own eyes and hear with your own ears the stories of our ancestors’ sacrifices.” This content provides useful information that helps customers better understand the history and value of the Hoa Lo relic.
  • Noise content: Creative memes paired with the call to action “Đi Hoả Lò đi” (Go to Hoa Lo). This content uses the “power of the machine” to analyze trends and create “on-trend” content that catches the attention of young people.

To create effective content that attracts customers and wins the market, businesses need to blend the “human element” and the “power of the machine” in harmony. Learn from successful examples like the Di tích Hỏa Lò – Hoa Lo Prison Relic Facebook Page to build a creative, distinctive and emotional content strategy, and bring your brand new successes.

“Human like Human Things”: The Mantra for Decoding Effective Content

“Human like Human Things” – This mantra holds the secret to “breathing life” into content, helping you create material that attracts readers and touches their hearts.

Why does “Human like Human Things” matter?

People are always drawn to what feels familiar and in tune with themselves. Content without “humanity” comes across as dry and distant, and it struggles to create a connection.

Tips to make your content “shine”:

  • Listen to the “noise”: Take time to “talk” with people and gather different perspectives. From there, you can “filter” out useful information and “understand” your target audience more deeply.
  • Combine “knowledge” and “wisdom”: Based on the data, information and knowledge you have gathered, use your ability to “see the big picture” and “solve problems” to create content that is truly valuable.

Conclusion

Content that “flops” because it lacks humanity is a common problem. To fix it, marketers need to create content with a human touch by understanding the target audience, using natural language, sharing stories and emotions, encouraging interaction, and using striking images and video.

Nguyễn Đình Bảo

As CEO of The7, I am committed to sharing practical, useful knowledge with every reader. Every article on The7 is based on my 7 years of hands-on experience in marketing — Facebook advertising, LinkedIn advertising, Google advertising, and marketing strategy. I hope you take away plenty of insight from these posts and apply it successfully in practice.

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