You’ve probably known the story of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer since you were a small child. From the popular song to the Claymation TV special, that little reindeer and his big red nose have touched the hearts of people across the globe. But have you ever stopped to think what you can learn from Rudolph to improve your inbound marketing strategy? No, probably not. Fortunately, we have.
- Use what you have to stand out. Rudolph’s big red nose made him different from everyone else. Everyone made fun of him for it—until they needed him. Suddenly, his nose didn’t make him weird anymore. It made him special and unique. This is what you need in your content marketing strategy: a unique selling proposition. Something that makes you stand out from the competition, and makes you indispensable to your customers. Maybe you offer a product or service that no one else does, or in a way that no one else does. Maybe your company has an interesting background story that will appeal to your customers. Whatever it is, find it, embrace it and use it to set your company apart from everyone else. And if all of the other reindeer laugh and call you names? Well, hopefully that won’t happen. But if it does… At least they’re talking about you!
- Guide the sleigh. Once you have your unique selling proposition, put it at the forefront of your marketing. Use it to guide the rest of your marketing efforts. This is the essence of branding. Turn that unique selling proposition into your company’s identity. Rudolph’s nose is the key to who he is. Take it away, and he’s just like Dasher and Dancer and the rest, and no one would know a thing about him. Use your unique identity to make a difference. Create a marketing strategy that others will want to follow.
- Join the reindeer games. You may have a shiny red nose, but it still takes a full team of reindeer to pull the sleigh. Always maintain good working relationships with others in your field. You never know when they might come in handy. You can learn a lot from other companies and the way they market themselves. Talk to them and form relationships. Find out what they’re doing, marketing-wise and use it to generate ideas for your own strategy (without sacrificing your unique selling point). Collaborate with them on joint ventures and cross-promotions that will help both of you promote your brands better and allow each of you to demonstrate your unique identities for a whole new group of people.
Everyone saw Rudolph’s nose as a weakness and a hindrance, but he managed to turn it into a strength, that made him the most famous reindeer of all. That’s good marketing in a nutshell. If you can find your company’s own red nose and use it to market yourself properly, you’ll become more than just a business filling a need. You’ll go down in history.
