Topical Marketing: Using Trending Content To Build a Brand

10 minutes read

Introduction
Deep Dive into Topical Marketing
Topical Marketing vs. Moment Marketing
Types of Topical Posts
News Jacking or Moment Marketing
Benefits of Topical Marketing
Implementing Topical Marketing
Topical Marketing Strategies
Case Studies: Success Stories of Topical Marketing
Conclusion
Frequently Asked Questions

Introduction

In the dynamic landscape of digital marketing, staying relevant and timely is more crucial than ever. This is where topical marketing, also known as moment marketing, newsjacking, or trend jacking, comes into play. Leveraging current events and trends, topical marketing allows brands to create content that resonates with the audience, enhancing brand momentum predominantly through social media platforms.

Understanding the nuances of topical marketing can be a game-changer in your marketing strategy. It not only helps in enhancing brand visibility but also fosters engagement and can significantly boost sales through industry-specific campaigns.

In this comprehensive guide, we delve deep into the world of topical marketing, exploring its various facets including its definition, the different types of topical posts, and the strategies to implement it successfully in your marketing campaigns. We will also look at some successful case studies and address frequently asked questions to give you a 360-degree understanding of this marketing approach.

Join us as we unravel the potential of topical marketing and how you can use it to steer your brand to new heights.

Deep Dive into Topical Marketing

Topical marketing, synonymous with moment marketing, is a dynamic strategy that leverages the pulse of the current happenings to craft content that is both timely and pertinent. It is pivotal to delineate the fine lines distinguishing it from moment marketing to harness its full potential in your marketing blueprint.

Topical Marketing vs. Moment Marketing

While both strategies are grounded in leveraging contemporary events, topical marketing casts a wider net, encapsulating seasonal happenings, commemorative days, and other pivotal dates. In contrast, moment marketing is more impromptu, capitalizing on viral phenomena or current news to craft content that strikes a chord with the audience at that precise moment.

Aspect	Topical Marketing	Moment Marketing
Scope	Expansive, covering seasonal events	Spontaneous, riding on viral waves
Focus	Long-term engagement	Short-term, fleeting engagement
Content Creation	Pre-planned	Spontaneous, reactive
Audience Reach	Broad spectrum through diverse platforms	Targeted audience via viral channels

Types of Topical Posts

Topical posts stand as the pillar of topical marketing, offering a fertile ground for brands to foster a connection with their audience. Let’s explore the diverse types of topical posts that can be a powerhouse in your marketing strategy.

Seasonal and Topical Days

Seasonal and topical days are a treasure trove for brands, presenting an opportunity to craft campaigns that resonate deeply with the audience. These posts, which can be curated in advance, recur annually, encapsulating festive days, awareness days, and days of national and international significance. Aligning your brand message with these pivotal days can forge a deeper bond with your audience, enticing them to actively engage with your content.

Date	Significant Day
January 1	New Year’s Day
February 14	Valentine’s Day
March 8	International Women’s Day
March 17	St. Patrick’s Day
April 22	Earth Day
May 1	International Workers’ Day
June 21	International Yoga Day
July 4	Independence Day (USA)
August 15	Independence Day (India)
September 5	Teacher’s Day (India)
October 31	Halloween
November 25	Thanksgiving (USA)
December 25	Christmas Day

Please note that this list is not exhaustive and focuses on widely recognized and celebrated days.

News Jacking or Moment Marketing

Newsjacking or moment marketing is a dynamic strategy that involves crafting spontaneous posts that ride the wave of viral events or current happenings. This approach offers a fresh and unique perspective on trending topics, thereby enhancing visibility and fostering deeper engagement with the audience. By keeping a finger on the pulse of the latest news and trends, brands can swiftly jump onto the bandwagon, presenting content that is both fresh and resonates with the audience at that particular juncture.

The essence of this strategy lies in its spontaneity and the ability to offer a fresh take on a trending topic, which can garner more visibility and engagement. It is a strategy that thrives on timeliness, requiring brands to be always alert and ready to leverage a trending topic to their advantage.

Benefits of News Jacking

Implementing topical marketing in your strategy comes with a plethora of benefits that can significantly enhance your brand’s visibility and engagement. Let’s explore some of these benefits in detail.

Increasing Brand Awareness

Topical marketing allows you to reach a broader audience by creating content around trending topics. This strategy not only increases brand awareness but also fosters a community of engaged followers who are more likely to interact with your brand on a deeper level.

Boosting Social Media Visibility

By leveraging trending hashtags wisely, you can increase your post’s discoverability. This strategy fosters engagement and drives traffic to your brand, creating a ripple effect that enhances your social media presence exponentially.

Implementing Topical Marketing

Successfully implementing topical marketing involves a strategic approach that encompasses various elements. Here, we delve into the strategies to help you implement topical marketing successfully.

Finding Relevant Topics

Choosing topics that align with your brand and industry is crucial. It ensures a clear connection between the topic and your brand, fostering relevance and engagement. By staying updated with the latest trends and news, you can find topics that resonate with your audience, creating content that is both timely and relevant.

Creating Bite-Sized Content

Topical posts are generally packaged as bite-sized content, allowing your audience to grasp the message at a glance. This strategy fosters engagement and resonance, encouraging users to share your content, thereby increasing its reach.

Utilizing Trending Hashtags

Employing trending hashtags judiciously can increase your post’s discoverability. Choose hashtags that are relevant and resonate with your brand to create a buzz around your content, encouraging more users to engage with it.

Topical Marketing Strategies

Developing a robust topical marketing strategy involves careful planning and collaboration. Let’s explore the strategies that can aid in creating successful topical marketing campaigns.

Strategy and Planning

Collaborating with colleagues in the campaign process is essential. Pitching post ideas to coworkers and acquaintances fosters a collaborative environment, encouraging diverse perspectives and innovative ideas.

Collaborative Efforts in Topical Marketing

Engaging in collaborative efforts involves your team in the brainstorming process. This approach encourages innovative and relevant content ideas, fostering a rich and diverse content strategy.

Case Studies: Success Stories of Topical Marketing

Case Study 1 : CRED’s #IndiraNagarKaGunda Campaign

In a recent topical marketing campaign, CRED utilized a trending hashtag, #IndiraNagarKaGunda, to create a substantial buzz and virality around its brand. The campaign started with an advertisement that quickly gained popularity, even though opinions on the ad were divided. The ad sparked a meme fest on Twitter, with many brands, big and small, jumping on the bandwagon to leverage the trend.

For instance, Zomato tweeted, “Deliveries in Indiranagar might be late today due to an angry gunda on the road,” and Dunzo invited the “angry gundas of Indiranagar” to avoid traffic jams and order in. This collaborative engagement of brands created a ripple effect, enhancing the campaign’s reach and engagement.

The campaign was incredibly successful, generating over 3.6 million views on YouTube and over 114K engagements within just a week of its launch. The hashtag became a top trending topic, fostering discussions and boosting brand awareness significantly.

This case study showcases the power of topical marketing in creating buzz and fostering engagement through collaborative and spontaneous content creation, leveraging a trending topic to enhance brand visibility and reach

Case Study 2: Amazon Prime Video’s Campaign for “Mirzapur”

Amazon Prime Video orchestrated a meticulous campaign to drum up excitement for the launch of the second season of the Indian TV crime series “Mirzapur.” The campaign aimed to draw in a new viewing audience and ensure consistent engagement from potential spectators.

To reach people who might have missed the show’s launch, the agency released a follow-up campaign encouraging them to tune in. This strategy successfully leveraged a new audience, many of whom hadn’t watched the first season. The campaign’s success was evident as it managed to create a buzz and attract a substantial new viewer base.

Case Study 3: IVA Global’s “Beauty is Within” Campaign for Salus Haus (Floradix)

In this campaign, Floradix aimed to reframe its status as a market leader in iron tonics in Europe to fit the Chinese market. The strategy involved understanding Floradix’s customers deeply and using data to inform the campaign’s strategy.

They chose to represent the brand through independent women with no prior association to Floradix to appeal to other women and attract prospective customers. This approach was highly successful, leading Floradix to become a market leader in iron tonics on Alibaba, China’s largest e-commerce platform.

Conclusion

As we come to the end of this comprehensive guide, we hope to have provided you with a 360-degree understanding of topical marketing. Leveraging current trends and events offers a rich ground to foster engagement and enhance brand visibility, steering your brand to new heights. As we move forward, it remains essential to stay abreast of the changing dynamics to effectively leverage topical marketing in your strat

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) :

What is a topical advertisement?

A topical advertisement is a marketing strategy where a brand leverages current events or trends to promote a product or service. This kind of advertisement is designed to resonate with the audience by connecting with something they are already interested in, thereby leveraging their enthusiasm to promote the brand or product.

What is an event marketing campaign?

An event marketing campaign is a strategy designed to create interest and engagement around a specific event with the goal of building brand recognition and fostering customer loyalty. These campaigns can take various forms, including sponsoring a sports team, hosting a product launch event, or organizing a music festival, aiming to create a memorable experience for attendees.

How do topical advertisements and event marketing campaigns differ in their focus?

While topical advertisements focus on promoting a product or service that is relevant to a current event or trend, event marketing campaigns are centred around creating an experience that builds brand recognition and customer loyalty. Topical advertisements generally generate short-term interest, while event marketing campaigns have the potential to create a longer-lasting impact and deeper connections with customers.

Which approach generates short-term interest, topical advertisements or event marketing campaigns?

Topical advertisements are generally more effective in generating short-term interest as they leverage current events or trends to create timely and relevant content

Which approach has the potential to create a longer-lasting impact and deeper connections with customers, topical advertisements or event marketing campaigns?

Event marketing campaigns tend to create a longer-lasting impact and foster deeper connections with customers as they focus on building brand recognition and loyalty through memorable experiences.

How do the timing and planning differ between topical advertisements and event marketing campaigns?

Topical advertisements require quick turnaround times to leverage current events or trends effectively, necessitating swift action and creativity. In contrast, event marketing campaigns require substantial planning and resources to create a successful event that builds brand recognition and loyalty over time.

How do topical advertisements and event marketing campaigns reach their target audience?

Topical advertisements reach a wide audience through various media channels, including television, social media, and print media. In contrast, event marketing campaigns target a specific audience interested in the event or experience being offered, reaching them through targeted advertising, direct mail, or social media campaigns focusing on specific demographics or interests.

Which approach should a business choose for its marketing goals?

Mobile apps, websites, software applications, smart gadgets, and even wearable technologies can all benefit from incorporating micro-interactions into their designs. Micro-interactions can improve the user experience of any digital interface.

About Author

Leeya Joseph Nellary

Leeya is a passionate content writer intern at Itzfizz Digital, eager to apply her love for writing to the dynamic space of digital marketing. She is committed to honing her talents, taking on new challenges, and contributing to the agency’s aim of providing clients with great content and marketing solutions.

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