One of my favorite quotes from this video series (and the eBook accompanying it) comes from Todd Wheatland, VP and Head of Thought Leadership and Marketing at Kelly OCG. It’s about what makes content compelling to buyers:
“It’s about being comfortable enough with who you are to step outside and surprise people.”
What does he mean? Well, we’re all a little weird. The good news is that your target buyers are a little weird, too. And there’s no reason you can’t let some of that weirdness into your content marketing. So when I hear that quote, I hear that you should run with the ideas that make you smile the second you think them. That you should trust your instincts (and your sense of humor), and not be afraid of something that’s “a little out there.”
For example, maybe you’re working in the garden over the weekend, destroying the snails snacking on your prize plants, when you get a brilliant but odd idea for a piece of content. Or maybe you’re a huge Game of Thrones fan, and as you watch Jon Snow venture beyond the Wall, you think about how those feuding houses aren’t so different from social media networks.
Weird inspiration is everywhere, but you have to use it intelligently. With that in mind, we put together a group of 4 infographics and visuals that have molded inspiration into brilliant visual storytelling. Emerging from the worlds of content marketing and social media, they work because they’re different, intriguing (even a little disturbing), and explain complicated topics that, when outlined in words, read like a dictionary thrown into a blender.
So without further ado, let’s get weird:
Feldman Creative Squashes Conversion Killers
Disturbing, useful, brilliant. My favorite is the squashed centaur. AND THERE WERE ALREADY SO FEW!
Click on the image to see the full infographic.
Marketo Wrangles Panda and Penguin
I mean, there’s a panda attacking a zookeeper in this infographic. Need I say more? Oh, well I guess I should also say that it will also help you understand Google’s Panda and Penguin updates, and how to avoid getting nailed by them.
Click on the image to see the full infographic.
HootSuite: In the Game of Social Media, You Either Win or You Die (Well, Lose Followers)
In no way did my love for Game of Thrones influence my choice to include this infographic in the mix. Okay, it did a little bit, but it’s also a brilliant play on pop culture. Having the skill to tell a social media story like this is a valuable asset. Almost as valuable as 3 dragons (just saying).
Click on the image to see the full infographic.
Gartner Is Riding That Digital Marketing Train
You can almost imagine how this clever representation of the digital marketplace came to be, can’t you? Sipping on coffee, waiting for the subway one morning when, BAM! The caffeine hits, the subway map glows under the florescent lights. It’s a beacon of hope, hope that content can make things as easy as that subway map makes traversing the underground world of NYC. I mean, Gartner has 2 New York offices, so it’s possible.
Click on the image to see the full infographic.
The moral of this story: We’re all a little weird…and nowadays, letting your freak flag fly via your content may be the best thing you can do to drive traffic and thought leadership for your organization. Who’d have thunk it?
**Note: We missed one! Why? Because it was published the day before this post went live, which proves that getting weird is more than a good marketing play…it’s also hip and trendy. Here’s one more from Marketo on the viral power of Kittens and Bacon.
Did we miss any weird and brilliant infographics from 2013? Share in the comments below.