The skills you need to create effective marketing content are the same skills you need to foster relationships with kids. Kids search for levels of joy, authenticity, and transparency that adults can often take for granted. Spending time with kids can open your eyes and teach you not only how to be a better person, but also a better marketer.
The authenticity and transparency that kids expect mirrors the expectations that the audience holds for marketers. The Content Marketing article Want to Create Better Content? Coach A Kids' Team shares five ways how the skills needed for content marketing and forming relationships with kids are similar.
From understanding your audience to managing expectations, this article provided hacks that show how working with kids can teach you how to create your best content.
Once a babysitter for an older cousin, I grew up around kids and loved spending time with them. The experience helped me fully realize the value of authenticity and consistency when interacting with children. However, this revelation wasn't one that I came to on my own.
During a babysitting experience, I suggested we make DIY corner bookmarks. This was something we had never done before, and there was a lot of prep work involved: we had to trace and cut the paper, search for design inspiration and then add our personal touch through decorations.
Both girls were eager to start creating, but when they noticed I wasn't making one they stopped what they were doing and spoke to it. When I explained that I planned to help them and that I'd be happy seeing them complete their projects, the youngest, without skipping a beat, said: "It would make me happy to see you make one."
At that moment, I realized they felt my decision not to make one, no matter my reason, wasn't "on-brand" with the close relationship that we had formed over the years. They felt a lack of authenticity, and they weren't afraid to speak to it. In a relationship built on being honest and interactive, these girls reminded me that sometimes even plans with the best intentions may not always be the best options if they are not authentic to those involved. This lesson not only strengthened our relationship, but it also helped me understand marketing at a deeper level.
The trust and confidence they had in me paralleled with what audiences seek from marketers. No matter the intent behind their actions, marketers need to be vigilant in remaining true to their brand and listening to their customers. Marketers who create content and act in a way that makes their audience feel listened to and understood will find that their relationship with their target audience will soar.