Sesame Street teaches you how to count to 20, all the letters of the alphabet, and content marketing if you pay attention. That’s right – this program is filled with best practices that you can use to sell an idea, product, or service. Here are a few that caught my eye.
Sesame Street: A Leader in Content Creation
Lesson #1 – Have a Clear Mission
Sesame Street was initially created as public programming to teach children from all different backgrounds how to count, the letters of the alphabet, and many other things. On their website, the mission is clear: Helping Kids Everywhere Grow Smarter, Stronger, and Kinder. The segments they create are all aligned with this goal. Whether it’s about sharing your toys or brushing your teeth, everyone knows that the show is going to produce content that fits with its mission and strengthens the brand.
What’s your content marketing mission statement?
Lesson #2 – Identify Content Themes
If you break down Sesame Street’s mission statement into categories, you’ll find a few reoccurring themes: healthy eating, sharing, reading, mindfulness, and taking care of yourself (washing hands, brushing teeth, bedtime routine). You can clearly see how each theme ties to the mission of smarter, stronger, and kinder kids.
How can you break down your mission statement into content themes?
Lesson #3 – A New Spin on Old Content
50+ years later, we still hear songs that were created when the show first came out in 1969. Take a look at how they took this segment, “What’s the name of that song?” where everyone is working together to figure out a tune and made it more current. The first one is probably the original, while the second one is an animation with an upload date of 2019.
Do you have any videos or articles from the past that you could reuse? It doesn’t have to be as old as a Sesame Street original to be updated and reworked into beautiful new content.
1980’s:
2004:
They also incorporate old footage, such as claymation of a letter, in newer videos whenever possible. And why not? It’s still relevant and frankly, claymation is still cool.
Lesson #4 – Leveraging Trends in Content Creation
If you start watching Sesame Street parodies, you will instantly be hooked on watching episodes like Orange is the New Snack, Biscotti Kid, or Jurassic Cookie. They are hilarious! Sesame Street knows that while the show is aimed at children, the parents are often watching too. Taking shows that the parents know (Orange Is the New Black, Karate Kid, Jurassic Park) and turning them into kid-friendly content makes it fun and entertaining. The result? Parents will be more inclined to remember when the show comes on and encourage their little ones to watch.
Here’s an example of a post I wrote when Tiger King was the hot new show.
How can you take trending topics and incorporate them into your social media or blog content?
Lesson # 5 – Attract Your Audience to You (and Only You)
The kiddos who watch Sesame Street love Elmo. No other red furry monster will do. Sesame Street creates characters that kids and parents love by showing different personalities that we can relate to. We feel like we know the characters. And that’s why we’ll gladly pay $8 for an Elmo bath toy.
How can you show your personality in a way that attracts clients?
Conclusion
We love Sesame Street for what it teaches our children – to be smarter, stronger, and kinder. But we also love that it provides examples of content marketing at its finest. Think about how you can create a mission statement for your content and break it down into themes. Ask if there’s any old footage or do a Google search for past articles on your company, then repurpose those to create something new. Find trending topics and brainstorm with a team member about how to leverage them. Finally, incorporate your personality and key differentiators in your content so that your audience is attracted to you and only you.
That is how you create content that converts!
Want more tips for generating leads with your company blog? Download our free guide, 6 Company Blogging Rules to Immediately Implement to Drive Website Traffic, Generate Leads, and Build a Powerful Brand.
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