Steps To Create Content That Connects with Larger Movements
Creating content that connects with larger movements can significantly amplify your brand's message and help you engage with a broader audience that shares similar values or causes. Whether it’s a social cause, environmental movement, or industry-wide shift, aligning your content with these movements can establish your brand as an advocate for positive change. However, doing so requires sensitivity, authenticity, and strategic planning. Here are key steps to effectively create content that connects with larger movements:
1. Understand the Movement’s Core Values and Goals
Research the Movement: Before jumping in, take the time to fully understand the movement or cause you want to align with. What are its core values, goals, and messages? This could be related to sustainability, diversity, mental health, gender equality, social justice, etc.
Understand the Audience: Who is involved in the movement? What are their pain points, needs, and aspirations? Understanding the emotional drivers of the movement will help you create content that resonates.
Identify Key Figures: Research thought leaders, influencers, and advocates within the movement. This can help you identify trusted voices, language, and topics that are essential to the cause.
2. Align Your Brand’s Values with the Movement
Assess Brand Fit: Is the movement a natural fit for your brand? Ensure that the values of the movement align with your own company’s mission, vision, and ethos. Avoid co-opting a cause that doesn’t genuinely resonate with your brand or feels like a marketing ploy.
Long-term Commitment: Authentic connection comes from long-term, sustained commitment to the cause, not just a one-off campaign. Consider how you can align your brand’s actions and mission with the movement over time.
Internal Reflection: Align your internal company culture with the values of the movement. Employees should be on board with the cause, and your internal practices should reflect the same values you communicate externally.
3. Be Authentic and Avoid "Performative Activism"
Avoid Tokenism: Ensure that your content isn’t just a superficial attempt to jump on a trend for marketing purposes. Audiences can quickly detect inauthentic or performative content, which can harm your brand’s reputation.
Show, Don’t Just Tell: Rather than simply creating content that mentions the movement, show how your brand is actively involved. Share stories, real-life examples, and evidence of your brand’s commitment to the cause.
Engage in Meaningful Action: Go beyond the content and get involved in tangible ways. This could include donating to the cause, supporting activists, hosting events, or encouraging employees to volunteer.
4. Create Empathetic, Emotionally Resonant Content
Tell Stories: People connect with stories on an emotional level. Use storytelling to highlight real people and experiences within the movement. Whether it’s a customer, employee, or community member, sharing authentic stories can humanize the cause and help viewers connect more deeply.
Use Visuals that Reflect the Movement’s Impact: Use visuals (photos, videos, infographics) that show the positive impact of the movement or the challenges it addresses. Highlight personal testimonials and experiences that align with the movement’s mission.
Focus on Empathy and Understanding: Approach the topic with empathy, showing that you understand the gravity of the issue. Use content to educate your audience, helping them see the movement from multiple perspectives.
5. Incorporate User-Generated Content (UGC)
Engage Your Audience: Encourage your community to participate in the movement by creating and sharing their own content. This could be through hashtags, challenges, or user-submitted stories and images that reflect their personal involvement in the cause.
Feature UGC in Your Campaigns: Amplify your audience's voices by showcasing UGC in your content. This not only strengthens the connection with your audience but also builds a sense of community around the movement.
6. Collaborate with Influencers and Advocates
Partner with Movement Leaders: Collaborating with influencers or activists who are already deeply involved in the movement can help lend authenticity and credibility to your content. Look for thought leaders who have a strong following and whose values align with yours.
Co-Create Content: Consider co-creating content with activists, nonprofits, or social advocates. This could be through joint videos, podcasts, interviews, or events. A partnership can help reinforce your brand’s commitment to the cause.
Leverage Social Media Amplification: Use influencers or advocates within the movement to amplify your message on social media. Their credibility within the movement can help spread your content to a wider, more engaged audience.
7. Use the Right Tone and Language
Be Mindful of Language: The way you communicate can significantly impact how your content is received. Use language that is respectful, inclusive, and consistent with the tone of the movement. Avoid jargon or language that could be seen as tone-deaf or patronizing.
Avoid Over-promising or Hypocrisy: Be cautious not to overpromise or claim that your brand can solve all of the issues related to the movement. Instead, focus on the steps your brand is taking to contribute meaningfully and sustainably to the cause.
Transparent Messaging: Clearly communicate why you are engaging with the movement and what you hope to accomplish. If you are supporting a cause through a campaign or donation, be transparent about the specifics—how much is being donated, how funds will be used, or what outcomes are expected.
8. Create Action-Oriented Content
Call to Action: Make sure your content includes a clear call to action (CTA). Encourage your audience to take action, whether it’s donating to a cause, signing a petition, attending an event, or supporting a product with proceeds benefiting the movement.
Enable Easy Participation: Make it as easy as possible for your audience to get involved. For example, provide a link to donate, a petition to sign, or social media hashtags to share their own stories.
9. Be Consistent and Stay Committed
Ongoing Support: Don’t treat your content as a one-off campaign. Stay committed to the movement over time by continuously producing relevant, meaningful content. Acknowledge milestones, progress, and setbacks, showing your ongoing support for the cause.
Consistency Across Channels: Ensure that your commitment to the movement is reflected across all your marketing channels, from email and social media to paid ads and website content. Consistency builds trust and reinforces your commitment to the cause.
10. Monitor Feedback and Be Prepared for Criticism
Listen to Your Audience: Pay attention to how your audience is responding to your content. Are they engaging positively? Are they asking for more information or action? Monitoring feedback will help you gauge the impact of your content.
Be Prepared for Backlash: Aligning with a movement can attract criticism. Be prepared to listen to negative feedback, address concerns transparently, and adjust your messaging if necessary. Acknowledging and responding thoughtfully to criticism can demonstrate your commitment to learning and growing.
Example of Content Connecting with a Movement
Movement: Sustainability and Climate Change
Step-by-Step Approach:
Research: Understand the key issues in sustainability, such as reducing carbon footprints, using renewable energy, and supporting eco-friendly products.
Align Your Brand: Ensure your company has sustainable practices, like reducing waste or sourcing materials responsibly.
Content Creation: Create a video showing how your product is made sustainably, or share a customer story about how your brand has helped them reduce waste.
Partner with Influencers: Collaborate with environmental activists or eco-conscious influencers to amplify your message.
Call to Action: Encourage viewers to take part in sustainability challenges, like reducing plastic use, or donate to environmental charities.
Ongoing Commitment: Continue supporting sustainability initiatives through regular updates, partnerships with environmental organizations, and campaigns like tree planting or carbon offsetting.
Conclusion
Connecting your content with larger movements requires authenticity, respect for the cause, and a genuine desire to make a positive impact. By aligning your brand with the movement’s values, engaging in meaningful actions, and using compelling storytelling, you can create content that resonates deeply with your audience while contributing to a larger purpose. Always ensure that your efforts are rooted in genuine commitment, as audiences can spot insincerity, and you risk alienating them if you are not aligned with the cause at a deeper level.
