The Whole Truth founder Shashank Mehta is a rare breed of a CEO who is also a creator. A lifelong student of the content & community game, Shashank’s content journey started as a stand-up comedian on YouTube, long before he became the face of The Whole Truth. On this episode of Matrix Moments, Shashank goes deep on content & community, sharing with candour in a profound conversation with Vikram Vaidyanathan. Here are 4 significant takeaways around building brands through content & community for founders:
1. Founders must be clear on the WHAT of their content marketing: The HOW is easier with modern tools & AI. Shashank & Vikram agree that AI in marketing allows marketers to create more and different types of content. Marketers can now easily create all the different formats that audiences consume, with lower incremental costs. However, Shashank sees an opportunity in continuing to be real, authentic, and human when developing the WHAT of a content campaign.
2. Transparency is the biggest tool in the content marketer’s arsenal: Consumers are the best bullshit detectors in today’s hyper-connected world. Brands often struggle to come up with WHAT to say to their consumers, fearing backlash. When faced with this, Shashank believes that consumers care about what brands have to say about the challenges they face, and that marketers can build a strong connection with their audiences by transparently bringing them in, and taking them along the brand’s journey through content.
3. Brand communities are more about GIVING than TAKING: Shashank was candid about his response to Vikram about questions on building brand communities. Acknowledging that building authentic brand communities is hard, Shashank shared how The Whole Truth built their TruthSeekers community by simply creating a space for consumers & experts to interact, without seeking to monetize or sell. This has resulted in a dedicated group of people who advocate the brand to other like-minded consumers.
4. ROI from Content Marketing shouldn’t have a hard linkage to Sales: Founders must leverage content as an editorial lever, and not tactically link it to sales. Content marketing compounds, and attributing it like performance marketing doesn’t allow content teams to flourish. Shashank believes founders or marketing heads must set aside a portion of their budget for content marketing and hire the right team to build this muscle.
If you’re a founder who wants to level up your brand’s content & community marketing game, watch this episode as Shashank & Vikram’s easy camaraderie uncovers the Whole Truth.
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