Image Source: www.bbc.co.uk
The BBC or British Broadcasting Channel is definitely a powerhouse in the television and news market. It used only to be available for British citizens, but the BBC has since branched out to reach a wider audience. In the past, American citizens could watch things such as Miss Marple or other BBC mystery shows or dramas on PBS, but these shows were few and far between. Now, the BBC has a channel in America called (of all things) BBC America.
This has given American citizens the ability to watch extremely popular BBC shows right away and on their own TVs. This has saved the BBC from people illegally downloading shows and has brought in significant revenue. How are they so successful that Americans desperately want their shows? The BBC has some incredible content marketing skills! Anyone can learn these skills from the BBC and this blog is going to explore this company’s excellent copywriting skills.
BBC and America: Doctor Who and Sherlock Taking Over
The main thing people think of when they hear the BBC mentioned is the company’s two successful shows – Doctor Who and Sherlock. While the BBC has many popular shows both in the United Kingdom and America, these two shows are television juggernauts. There is no denying the power of these shows and the fandoms created around them. How did the BBC get here though? Easy. They made two shows that are expertly crafted with great marketing strategies and made them available to anyone. Before Sherlock ever came about, Doctor Who was taking America over, but it began long before Matt Smith took the mantle of the 11th doctor.
In the early days of this science fiction show, the BBC would show it on a few HAM television stations. It was poor quality, but people loved it nonetheless. This show brought about something no one had done yet: it was science fiction, yet incredibly human. After a hiatus, the show came back in 2005 and took the world over by storm.
How did the BBC manage to take over the world with their shows? They expertly marketed to different audiences. Each show is varied; Doctor Who is story-based with cheesy special effects while Sherlock, also story-based, is filled with gorgeous filming and graphics. They appeal to different groups and the BBC knows that this is how they bring in money outside of a British audience. As a copywriter, you can learn from this. You need to reach a wide audience with your content marketing. The best way to reach them is to research each audience and make different content formats available to bring them in.
BBC News: Becoming A Trusted Source
Outside of popular television shows, the BBC has become a trusted news source in America, surpassing CNN or Fox News. How did this happen? They started writing articles that were filled with facts without any personal opinions until further in their articles. Many times, they do not seem like they are trying to influence people to feel one way or the other about an event, which is refreshing for many.
Outside of keeping personal bias separate from facts, BBC news and TV channels also offer a wide variety of different content. They have their news section, they have entertainment, and they offer simple stories as well as in-depth articles about various things. This is great for copywriters to learn from because it shows that the varied posts are beneficial to anyone. Sure, the BBC could write on simple news stories around Britain but that would cut down on the amount of international readers and watchers.
Understanding the Need For Social Media Copywriting and Engagement
The BBC also understands the power of social media and promoting engagement among customers. On all of their articles, they encourage people to share with their friends through social media sharing buttons. On the news angle, they use social media to share news articles but to also keep followers up-to-date with any breaking news around the world. Social media is a powerful tool for all businesses whether it is for a news corporation such as the BBC or for small businesses in a small town. Social media gets you out there and makes important information available for followers.
The BBC is also incredible at promoting fan engagement. A perfect example of this is Sherlock season three’s interactive trailer. The BBC released the season three trailer with an unusual fanfare of involvement. They provided fans with the ability to watch the original trailer, but to also click on various things throughout to receive insider information about the show. This could be a clip from the new season or interviews with cast and crewmembers. There were many a fan who spent countless hours watching behind-the-scenes information and this interactive trailer was shared far and wide across the Internet.
While you may not be able to do something as drastic as an interactive trailer, you can engage with clients through social media or on your blog site. You can even hide little Easter eggs throughout your webpage encouraging people to look through every little detail. One example of this is a group of women who wanted to start up the art of letter writing again. When the International Geek Girl Pen Pal Club (IGGPPC) released their new website, they also released an incredible achievement game. All one had to do was go throughout the entire site to find the various achievements. This helped all of the women using this site to learn every detail about the IGGPPC and created an excellent feeling of community.
In Closing
The BBC has countless copywriting tips you can learn; all you have to do is read through their numerous sites. Take a few lessons from them and start implementing them into your company’s website. You will notice that you start bringing in great revenue the more you involve your clients and craft incredible content.