The recipe

I was prompted recently by @contentSTHLM to discus a technique that should be in every content marketers arsenal. We were sparked by the idea of print magazines after reading this article on the Waitrose Kitchen magazine.

Free and in full view of those waiting at the checkout, the magazine is often seen prompting a customer to give up their spot in the queue to dive back into the store to find missing ingredients.

Recipes are so compelling as a content type because its shows how to build on a number of items to form a sum greater than their ingredients. But what other blends of content could this apply to?

Thinking it through – a number of recipes sprung to mind. The most successful examples did not just detail the recipe. The secret ingredient is the storytelling as they explain the skill of the artist.

• http://lifegoesstrong.com – Proctor and Gamble, the original content marketers instigators of soap opera storytelling around their products, have also created a giant recipe book for everything a household might need at lifegoesstrong.com
• http://cyclistmag.co.uk – teach you how to put components together, get the most out of your bike and where the best rides are.
• http://fueltank.tv – brings hotrod and car enthusiast together to look at amazing cars, their details and what makes them special. from Rat Rods formed of others “junk” to historic cars painstakingly detailed and restored.

The recipe works for B2B and services as well

For example, lawyers could talk of the medley of business services that are required to launch a start-up. Mix their patent advice, company structure advice with an accountants view on taxes. Pepper with a little marketing advice and package it up as a free ebook for those wanting to start their own business.

What is ultimately compelling about the recipe is it gives us another method to address clients’ needs or pain points and educate them on how to get the best out of our products and services.

The collaborative approach shows that the company is interested in putting the right mix together. Not just talking about their products or services, but what is truly RIGHT for the client.

What recipes do you have floating around your content marketing?

^{Photo credits: My Samhain stew : Potaje de garbanzos by Enric Martinez, on Flickr}