Bacon Content

What’s that content that you can’t resist?

I’ve often read content marketing advice that says that if you include numbers and lists in your blog posts and mention them in the title – everyone clicks on them. So, if I see a headline that says “top 10 things to do about this” or “5 things you need to know about that” in the back of my mind I always suspect it’s a content marketing tactic, maybe even a cynical ploy for attention.

Yet, I’m a sucker for them. Especially if it’s about things I know I should be better at – like blogging, or social media reach or writing that bloody book I’m never going to write. I take the bait.

Yet from experience I know that at least half the time it’ll be bad for me, as unscrupulous bloggers, probably reading the same advice I have, use this tactic to dress up thin and obvious content,  I’ll spin away precious moments in a banner ad, popup infested digital hell hole.

Yet, despite this, if I see the top 10 reasons how I can be better, I click away. It’s almost irresistible. It’s like bacon.

For example, do you blog? If so, try NOT to click on this link (it’s from the Huffington Post, so nothing dodgy – honest) – 10 Simple Tips for Improving Your Blog.

Maybe you didn’t click on the link above, maybe a top ten list of blogging advice isn’t your thing, maybe you geek out on astronomy, have a guilty secret about cat videos, love those inspirational quotes on Facebook or you are looking for an answer as you struggle to get the best out of Google Analytics.

Today, on International Bacon Day – I would like to formally name this content “Bacon Content”, whatever it is you are interested in or need, if I offered you a link to it right here, right now; that would be your bacon.

This is what we as marketers, communicators and content strategists need to figure out, the compelling, timely relevant, engaging, maybe even useful content (not the “popup infested hell hole” bit) that is our audiences bacon.

And as we know, everything is better with bacon.

Or maybe, your choice, religion or taste means that bacon is not your bacon, in which case, I should have written a different blog post… maybe 9 Unfortunate Truths About Juicy, Scrumptious Bacon.

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Ian Truscott

I’m a 3xCMO, now a marketing strategy advisor and podcast host at Rockstar CMO. Although, I’m not a rock star, but a marketing leader, strategist, content marketer, columnist, speaker, industry watcher, and creator of ART (Awareness, Revenue, and Trust) for the companies I work with. But most of all, I am an enthusiastic tea drinker.

You can find me on LinkedIn, Twitter, or now Threads! – or listen to my weekly podcast at Rockstarcmo.com

The half-baked thoughts shared on this blog may not reflect those of my employer or clients, and if the topic of this article is interesting or you just want to say hello please get in touch.