Feel like your marketing tactics are getting a bit 'meh'? Content not cutting through the online clutter? Make your content marketing truly marvellous with these tips from the lords and ladies of Downton Abbey.

1. 6 TIPS FOR MARVELLOUS
CONTENT MARKETING FROM…

2. - Matthew Crawley

3. 1. EMBRACE CHANGE, M’LORD
Whether it’s the Great War, women’s rights or the fall of the aristocracy, life at
Downton Abbey is always changing. Downton only survives because of the
Crawley family’s ability to embrace change and accept Matthew’s plans for the
estate. While at Duneagle Castle, their cousins, the Flinchers, face financial ruin
because they didn’t adapt to this new way of life.
Channel your inner Lord Grantham and respond to changes in your company or
industry – don’t ignore them. Don’t be afraid to try something new, whether it’s
new subject matter, a new style of content, a new strategy or new platforms. Keep
flogging the same tired tactics and producing the same kind of content and you’ll
become irrelevant very quickly.

4. “The truth is
neither here nor
there. It’s the
look of the thing
that matters.”
- The Dowager Countess

5. 2. APPEARANCES MATTER, MY DEAR
Yes, it matters what you do. But it also matters what you look like – especially to
potential customers.
What do they think of you? How do they perceive your brand? It’s no good feeling
proud of your fantastic after-sale services for five products if people only think you
sell two.
Heed the advice of Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham, and make
sure your audience views your brand the way you want them to. Present to the
world what you want them to see – perception and reality are often much closer
than you think.

6. “You’ve lived
your life, and
I’ve lived mine.
Now it’s time
we live them
together.”
- Matthew Crawley

7. 3. TIMING IS EVERYTHING, OLD CHAP
Mary and Matthew Crawley very nearly miss their chance at happiness. For
seven years they dance around each other, back and forth, each one ready to
confess their true feelings but always at the wrong time. And although the couple
finally get their act together, they waste a lot of time and effort along the way.
Similarly, the timing of your content marketing efforts can mean the difference
between success and failure. Is there a relevant industry, national or even global
event whose popularity you can capitalise on? Or will that time of year just
distract attention from what you’re doing?
What time of day is your target audience most likely to be online or looking for
information? When are they most likely to share content? When do they need
your help the most?

8. “Suppose he won’t
do anything?
Suppose he
throws you over?”
- Anna Smith
“That’s a risk I’ll
have to take.”
- Lady Mary

9. 4. TAKE RISKS, M’LADY
When Lady Sybil elopes with Branson the chauffer, she faces social ruin and the
estrangement of her family. Instead, she’s rewarded with a loving marriage and
the grudging acceptance of her father.
And Lady Mary takes a great risk with her reputation when she confesses her
shameful secret to newspaper mogul Sir Richard Carlisle. But her courage
ensures Mr Bates keeps his job and the scheming Vera is prevented from bringing
shame down upon Downton.
No one ever achieved anything remarkable by playing it safe. Make your content
stand out by pushing boundaries – challenge your audience and chances are,
they’ll reward you with their loyalty. If not, try something else!

10. “Sir Richard, life
is a game where
the player must
appear
ridiculous.”
- The Dowager Countess

11. 5. THERE’S ALWAYS A PLACE FOR HUMOUR, SIR
Regardless of the circumstances, people always respond to humour. Case in point
is the Dowager Countess. Violet Crawley is everyone’s favourite character, and
that’s because she has the funniest lines – even in the most serious situations.
Regardless of how ‘boring’ your brand or product, or what you think about your
audience, remember: we respond to the same things at work as we do in the rest
of our lives. Emotions are far more likely to change someone’s behaviour than
facts.
So many B2B marketers think they have to be boring because their sales cycle is
more complicated, but it’s not the case. If you can make someone laugh, they’ll
share your story for you.

12. “First electricity, now
telephones.
Sometimes I feel as if
I’m living in an H.G.
Welles novel.”
- The Dowager Countess

13. 6. TECHNOLOGY IS YOUR FRIEND
From electricity in the kitchen to telephones, gramophones and sewing machines,
the Crawleys are at the forefront of the latest technology (even if Carson can’t
abide the idea of an electric toaster).
In order to keep your content marketing in tip top condition, you’ll need to keep
up to date with the latest technological developments – whether that’s a new
marketing automation system that gives you a deeper view of how your audience
interacts with your content, or the latest analytics tools to measure the
effectiveness of your efforts. When it comes to your content marketing, technology
is your friend.

14. Can we be of service? Contact Cirrus Media for first class
content marketing solutions.
02 8484 0950
contentmarketing@cirrusmedia.com.au