Even shipping companies need to stay up to date with marketing trends to reach their target audience and remain relevant in an increasingly visual and interactive sales world. Competitors are getting creative, for example, UPS, who has their UPS dogs instagram account. So, how is FedEx using new content marketing methods and strategies to stay in the race?
We’ll walk through how they managed to increase revenue by over 80% with content marketing, and the different ways they have adapted to the rapidly shifting modern business world in order to stay on top. Plus, the number one lesson marketers can learn from FedEx’s content marketing strategy.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
FedEx originally had five agencies working on content for their marketing campaigns. They wanted email newsletters with 80% new content every month, and the revenue hardly broke even. If you’re on their newsletter list, you’ll notice that FedEx still has a monthly send-out, so how did they improve their numbers with it? Rather than 80% new content, FedEx realized they could recycle their old content and turn their newsletter into an amplification machine for content they’ve already spent money on. This means they:
Reduced the amount they spend on creating the newsletter.
Reused valuable content they already created.
Recycled the saved (and new, double-digit revenue) money elsewhere in their marketing budget.
Always maximize the content you create, whether with an e-newsletter, eBook, or through an employee advocate program.
ABLE
FedEx also implemented an ABLE mindset and strategic problem solving flow for their content. You can read about it more in depth at the Content Marketing Institute, but we’ll give a brief overview here.
Through the ABLE process, FedEx recognized that their content and marketing strategy needed to better serve the customer, and was able to make incredible changes that boosted their revenue and engagement. Here are the steps:
Assess
Look into what is at the root of your challenge by assessing the people, process, inputs, technology and measurements used. During the process, you’ll find small changes that can deliver immediate improvements while working towards resolving the larger issue.
Build
Once you’ve discovered where the root of the problem lies, it’s time to build new procedures that tackle the issue. For FedEx, that meant changing their content request forms to place the customer at the center of everything. Their forms went from being product oriented to including the following:
- Goal of the project
- Target customers
- Customer-centric value proposition
- Customer experience impact
- Strategic fit
Launch
The launch phase of ABLE is all about standardization. Standardize the workflow and process from ideation to execution. At a global organization like FedEx, that looked like incorporating checklists, calendars, and themes, as well as creating workflows to help visualize and monitor the process. Plus, they reduced the amount of excess work being done by ensuring all content was organized in a central area so nothing was reproduced that already existed.
Evaluate
As with any goal, constant evaluation is crucial. Set KPIs and measure performance against them consistently. Share results within the team often and make changes as necessary.
Communication
FedEx worked hard to ensure communication surrounding procedures, messaging, and processes were implemented across the company. They incorporated monthly meetings higher up to monitor and update progress, as well as between departments to encourage fluid communication across teams. The increased communication meant that successes could be shared and duplicated for even better results in a timely manner.
Alignment
Using ABLE and changing up focus is great, but if you miss getting even one department on board, the whole thing could be a flop! A successful content marketing strategy requires alignment not just within the marketing team, but throughout the entire organization. FedEx created a clear vision and mission the entire company could use to move forward and direct their intentions. Below is an example of what FedEx shared as a content strategy overview, from their manager of content strategy and creation, Drew Bailey.
The Biggest Lesson
The biggest lesson we took from FedEx’s content strategy is that what you create should always better serve your customers and their journey. How did FedEx increase their revenue by 82%? By figuring out what the customer needed and delivering it, for example, by adding interactive content to what would otherwise be a boring, step-by-step manual about shipping. Plus, a few other changes along the way following the above strategies. Whether it’s providing insight articles for small businesses or making sure the customer is at the forefront, rather than the product, FedEx figured out that to be successful, teams need uninhibited communication flow, alignment in their values and mission, and a clear process that allows them to maximize their content in a way that is valuable to their target audience.
Looking for great content?
At Ghostit, we’re the makers of excellent content. If you’re looking to pull a FedEx and boost revenue with audience-focused, valuable content across your channels, we can help. Book a call today.
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