Content Marketing: An Example of Spreadable Content (Nick Carr's Post About a Restaurant) That Helps to Raise Money For A Film



Nick Carr makes his living as a location scout based in New York City - but what he really wants do to do is direct...

I suspect Nick Carr will get his chance as a filmmaker, and here's why...

Nick maintains a blog where he offers everyone who donates the promise of "thanks" in the credits. Also, for anyone who donates $10 or more, Nick will provide a "snazzy sticker." But that's not "content marketing." What distinguishes Nick Carr from many other aspiring filmmakers is that he understands how content marketing works online.

How do I know that Nick understands online content marketing? Check out his August 6th, 2012 post about El Sabroso, a 5 seat lunch counter tucked into in a gritty freight entrance in midtown NY.


In this slice-of-urban-life post Nick Carr has created content that anyone who loves New York will enjoy.

The central organizing principle of Nick's blog is NOT give me money - or an ad for his (yet to be shot) film. Instead, Nick Carr uses his blog as a platform for spreading content that celebrates New York City.

And, as someone who shares Nick Carr's love for the surprising vitality and diversity of New York, I might share the link to Nick Carr's post about El Sabroso with my friends.

That's content marketing.

When a reader clicks "share" next to a post about El Sabroso, they become part of a growing support system for Nick's filmmaking. Without feeling manipulated, everyone who shares Nick's content (in this case, not an ad for Nick's film, but a fun post about an unusual restaurant) becomes a marketer for Nick's project. That's because, in sharing the gift of Nick's entertaining post, which comes with a subtle pitch for supporting Nick's film, everyone who shares Nick's post is helping to spread the word about Nick Carr's passion for filmmaking and NYC.

By creating content that has a good chance of spreading, Nick is building a core audience for his film work - even before he's really told his readers much about the film itself. And that's great content marketing.

For example, in writing this post, where I've identified Nick as a creator of valuable content, I've become part of Nick's "core audience."

Nick Carr has mastered content marketing because he's created a small gift that I can easily share with my social network. When I share Nick's content with my friends online, a few hundred more potential supporters of Nick's film work will get the message. And all Nick needs is for one or two of my readers to share that link with their friends. That's how Nick's posts will become "viral."

The idea is for a growing audience to know about Nick Carr and his filmmaking. The key is content that will spread.

Because Nick has made it easy for potential fans to share valuable content with our like-minded friends, fans and followers - the definition of spreadable content marketing - I suspect that any film that he creates will spread just as long as it speaks to his core audience around our shared interest - or "theme" - of "I love NYC."

No comments:

Randy Finch's Film Blog:

Thoughts from a film producer about making and distributing films.