Tangential content is a strategy that, while seemingly divergent, can significantly enhance engagement and reach. This type of content may not be directly related to your brand’s core products or services but still holds the potential to attract and engage a broader audience.
If you’re looking to shake up your content marketing strategy, tangential content has plenty to offer. Let’s delve into the concept of tangential content, exploring its benefits and how it can be effectively utilized.
Understanding Tangential Content
Tangential content refers to material that is not directly related to what a brand typically offers or discusses but is relevant to the interests or lifestyles of the target audience. For instance, a company specializing in hiking gear might produce content on outdoor photography tips—not directly about their products, but still of interest to their outdoorsy audience.
Benefits of Tangential Content
There are numerous benefits to tangential content, particularly in markets that are overly saturated with content. Creating content that is relatable for your audience, even if it’s not on brand, can help you stand out and reach a broader audience. Here are some of the key benefits.
Broader Audience Appeal
By covering topics that are indirectly related to your brand, your business can appeal to a wider audience. This strategy is effective at attracting individuals who may not have been reached through traditional, product-centric content.
Enhanced Engagement
Tangential content often taps into the personal interests and passions of the audience, leading to higher engagement levels. Engaged audiences are more likely to share content, increasing its reach and impact.
Diversification of Content
Incorporating tangential topics helps prevent content fatigue, both for the content creators and the audience. It also introduces variety and freshness, keeping your audience interested and engaged over time. After all, some products/services can get tedious to write about.
Improved SEO
Expanding the range of topics covered can lead to increased traffic from search engines. By targeting a wider array of keywords and queries, your business can improve your site’s visibility and attract new visitors.
Building Brand Affinity
Tangential content can humanize your brand, showcasing its values, interests and personality. This helps in building a deeper connection with your audience, fostering brand loyalty. For example, if you sell furniture and write content about decorating, you show customers how they can make the most of your products.
Implementing Tangential Content Strategically
Tangential content involves more than just creating related content. To be successful in this strategy, you should:
- Know Your Audience. Understanding your audience’s broader interests and lifestyle is crucial. Use social listening tools, surveys and analytics to gain insights into the topics they care about.
- Maintain Brand Alignment. While exploring diverse topics, ensure the content still aligns with your brand’s voice, values and overarching message. The goal is to expand your content repertoire while staying true to your brand identity.
- Use Data to Guide Decisions. Analyze performance data of past content to identify patterns and topics that resonate with your audience. Let these insights guide your tangential content strategy.
- Creatively Link Back to Your Core Offering. Find creative ways to link tangential content back to your core products or services. This can be done subtly, without turning the piece into a sales pitch.
- Experiment and Iterate. Be open to experimenting with different types of tangential content to see what works best for your audience. Use metrics to measure success and iterate based on what you learn.
Expand Your Reach with Tangential Content
Tangential content is a powerful tool in the content marketing arsenal, capable of expanding your reach, enhancing audience engagement and building a stronger brand connection. By strategically exploring topics related to your audience’s broader interests, you can unlock new avenues for growth and engagement.
As with any content strategy, success with tangential content comes from understanding your audience, maintaining brand alignment and being willing to innovate and adapt based on performance insights. To discuss your content marketing strategy in further detail, contact WSI Internet Partners today.
