Content marketing can be a game changer for brands. It accomplishes so many things in one fell swoop - builds awareness, fosters goodwill and trust, and forges an emotional bond that makes your brand irresistible to consumers.

But the things that make content marketing so valuable are also the things that make it so difficult. Content marketing is an authentic, sustained conversation with consumers. It’s not a campaign - and it’s definitely not a transaction. It’s a relationship, and it takes years.

This week, we have content marketing master John Hardesty to show us the way. John is the CMO of Nutrabolt, the makers of mega-hit protein bar FitJoy.

In our opinion, John deserves an honorary doctorate in content marketing. He honed his skill at places like Quiksilver, as the head of his own marketing agency, and as a top content strategist at Bodybuilding.com, a content juggernaut that attracts millions of unique visitors to its site every month with - you guessed it - high quality content.

In this episode, John reveals how to approach content in a way that resonates with your target consumer and inspires them to fall in love with your brand.

Takeaways

• Start with why. Simon Sinek said it best. Understanding why you do what you do is fundamental to brand marketing. John breaks down how to do it.
• Content is King. John explains both why content marketing can be so effective, and how to do it right.
• Ultimately, tasting is believing. In CPG nothing beats getting your product in the hands of real consumers. John helps us make the connection between marketing and trial.

Jump to

• John describes his journey to Nutrabolt, which includes a foray into entrepreneurship and formative years at Bodybuilding.com. 3:31
• Why John needed to join Nutrabolt and launch FitJoy. 8:49
• How to do content marketing right, and how it can work in CPG. 11:23
• The story behind the FitJoy name. 15:47
• John’s biggest challenges, and his proudest achievement at FitJoy. 17:52

Links

• FitJoy
• John on Linkedin
• Bodybuilding.com
• Simon Sinek

Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! Brandbuilder@snacknation.com.

Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.