Episode Summary: How to Win with Zero Click Content with Amanda Natividad, VP Marketing at SparkToro | Ep. 336

In Episode 336 of The Marketing Millennials, host Daniel Murray engages in a deep and insightful conversation with Amanda Natividad, the Vice President of Marketing at SparkToro. The episode delves into the innovative concept of zero click content, exploring its origins, effectiveness, and practical applications in modern marketing strategies. Below is a comprehensive summary of their discussion, highlighting key points, notable quotes, and actionable insights.

1. Introduction to Zero Click Content

Timestamp: [01:20]

Amanda Natividad introduces herself and the concept of zero click marketing, crediting herself with coining the term. She explains zero click content as material that provides immediate, standalone value within the platform, eliminating the need for additional clicks or external context.

Quote:

Amanda Natividad: "I originated the concept of zero click marketing or zero click content." [01:42]

Key Points:

• Zero click content aims to deliver value without requiring users to navigate away from the platform.
• The term has gained significant traction in marketing vernacular, becoming a staple in discussions about effective content strategies.

2. Developing "Taste" in Marketing

Timestamp: [02:26]

Daniel and Amanda discuss the importance of developing "taste" in marketing—the ability to discern what resonates with audiences. They emphasize that taste is cultivated through consistent practice in both content curation and creation.

Quote:

Amanda Natividad: "Good taste really comes from a lot of practice in both curation and creation." [02:26]

Key Points:

• Consumption and Creation: Regularly consuming diverse content helps marketers understand what works and why.
• Critical Analysis: Asking critical questions about why certain content appeals can refine a marketer's sense of taste.
• Repurposing Content: Creating versatile content that can be adapted across multiple platforms enhances its value and reach.

3. The Genesis and Impact of Zero Click Content

Timestamp: [07:57]

Amanda recounts the origin of zero click content during a conversation with Rand Fishkin. Recognizing the diminishing reach of posts with links, she coined the term to emphasize content's native, standalone value.

Quote:

Amanda Natividad: "It needs to be native to the platform, standalone value where there isn't really additional context that is needed." [07:57]

Key Points:

• Algorithmic Suppression: Social platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Meta prioritize content without links, suppressing posts that include them.
• Dark Social: A significant portion of referral traffic is hidden, making traditional click tracking less effective.
• Shift to Impressions: With reduced emphasis on clicks, marketers are returning to metrics like impressions to gauge content performance.

4. Establishing Effective KPIs for Zero Click Content

Timestamp: [16:29]

The conversation shifts to identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) for zero click content. Amanda suggests focusing on qualitative metrics that reflect content's value and engagement rather than traditional click-based metrics.

Quote:

Amanda Natividad: "If you're over, if you're insistent on posting links... there's no point because you're going to kill your reach anyway." [15:41]

Key Points:

• Repurposing Potential: Assess how much mileage can be extracted from a single piece of content by repurposing it across different formats and platforms.
• Quality of Engagement: Monitor the depth and quality of discussions generated by the content, such as insightful comments and active participation.
• Sustainability: Ensure that content strategies are sustainable by maximizing the utility of each content piece through various repurposing techniques.

5. Aligning Content Strategy with Aspirational Customers

Timestamp: [24:34]

Amanda emphasizes the importance of aligning content creation with the interests and behaviors of aspirational ideal customers. She suggests identifying key figures or personas that represent the target audience and tailoring content to resonate with them.

Quote:

Amanda Natividad: "Come up with an agreed upon aspirational ideal customer... how do we get Sam Altman to share our stuff?" [26:01]

Key Points:

• Persona Development: Create detailed personas representing the target audience to guide content creation.
• Behavioral Alignment: Analyze what aspirational customers share, comment on, and engage with to inform content strategies.
• Unique Positioning: Develop content that only your brand can uniquely provide, ensuring it stands out and adds distinctive value.

6. Personal Filters and Idea Validation

Timestamp: [30:03]

Amanda discusses her personal approach to evaluating new content ideas, which revolves around "vibe checks" and keyword research to ensure relevance and interest.

Quote:

Amanda Natividad: "It's mostly just does this make my brain light up? Is this interesting to me?" [30:53]

Key Points:

• Vibe-Based Evaluation: Prioritize ideas that are novel, interesting, and resonate personally to maintain enthusiasm and authenticity.
• Keyword Research: Utilize keyword volume to gauge the potential interest and search behavior around content topics.
• Replicability: Ensure that content ideas can be repurposed into multiple formats to maximize reach and utility.

7. Balancing Content Creation Efforts

Timestamp: [38:09]

The discussion addresses the necessity of balancing high-impact and low-effort content creation, especially for smaller marketing teams with limited resources.

Quote:

Daniel Murray: "Is it worth it to just check off the box?" [38:09]

Key Points:

• Prioritization: Focus efforts on creating high-quality content that yields significant engagement rather than spreading resources thin across multiple mediocre posts.
• Trade-Offs: Evaluate the potential impact of each content piece against the effort required to produce it, opting for strategies that offer the best return on investment.
• Sustainability: Maintain a manageable content production schedule that ensures consistent quality without burnout.

8. Marketing Hills to Die On

Timestamp: [39:32]

Amanda shares her steadfast belief that the quality of marketing campaigns should never be compromised for quantity. She argues that in an era saturated with content, making each piece count is crucial for maintaining audience engagement and algorithmic favor.

Quote:

Amanda Natividad: "Nobody cares about the frequency of your marketing campaigns as much as you do... make something better and hold off a day, even if you need to." [39:32]

Key Points:

• Quality Over Quantity: Prioritize creating exceptional content over merely increasing the volume of content.
• Audience Retention: Recognize that consistently mediocre content can alienate potential audience members and harm long-term engagement.
• Algorithmic Impact: Understand that content quality affects how algorithms prioritize and distribute your posts, impacting overall visibility.

9. Negative Signals and Audience Lifetime Value

Timestamp: [42:23]

Daniel introduces the concept of "negative signal"—the idea that poor-quality content can decrease the lifetime value (LTV) of an audience by driving them away. Amanda concurs, highlighting how mediocre content can harm both audience trust and algorithmic favorability.

Quote:

Daniel Murray: "If you put out this piece of content, is my audience LTV going to go down... I've been thinking about negative signal a lot." [42:23]

Key Points:

• Reputation Management: Consistently high-quality content builds and maintains audience trust, while subpar content can erode it.
• Algorithmic Signals: Posts that fail to engage can result in reduced visibility due to negative signals sent to platform algorithms.
• Strategic Content Planning: Focus on content that enhances audience engagement and retention rather than solely seeking immediate metrics like clicks.

10. Conclusion and Resources

Timestamp: [45:00]

Amanda provides listeners with resources to further explore zero click content and audience insights through her personal profiles and SparkToro's tools.

Quote:

Amanda Natividad: "You can make a free account for our tool where you can learn some more about your audience." [45:00]

Key Points:

• SparkToro Tools: Utilize SparkToro's platform to gain deeper insights into audience behaviors and preferences.
• Personal Profiles: Follow Amanda on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe to her newsletter for ongoing insights and updates.

Final Thoughts

This episode provides a thorough exploration of zero click content, offering valuable strategies for marketers looking to adapt to the evolving digital landscape. Amanda Natividad's expertise underscores the importance of quality, audience alignment, and strategic content creation in achieving sustained marketing success.

For marketers seeking to enhance their content strategies and engage more effectively with their audiences, the insights shared in this episode offer actionable guidance and a fresh perspective on content marketing.

Connect with Amanda Natividad:

• LinkedIn: Amanda Natividad
• Twitter: @amandanette
• Newsletter: amandanet.com
• SparkToro: SparkToro

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