Hallmark Media is aware of you don’t look a content material present horse within the mouth.
That’s why The Hallmark Channel and its sister networks will debut 33 films this vacation season. (And for Hallmark, the Christmas vacation season began Oct. 21.)
Audiences tune in by the hundreds of thousands – 80 million watched not less than a part of one in 2021. And the flicks don’t require large budgets.
And but, no Hallmark vacation film is all that unique. They share related plots. Some even share the identical lead actor (with a unique character identify and job). Forged members pop up in supporting roles throughout the lineup.
The formulaic content material works so nicely that Lifetime, Netflix, HBO Max, GAF, Hulu, Uncover+, Peacock, and others have created their very own “unique” cavalcade of this vacation film style.
All of it combines to present a present to content material entrepreneurs – rethink the concept you have to create revolutionary or fully unique content material to draw and hold audiences.
#Content material have to be revolutionary to draw audiences, proper? The success of @HallmarkChannel method would possibly make you rethink this in #ContentMarketing, says @AnnGynn by way of @CMIContent. Click on To Tweet
The Hallmark film method
Love them, hate them, or don’t care, you’re in all probability considerably aware of a Hallmark film plot:
- A girl experiences a life change and travels to a brand new vacation spot that’s speculated to be short-term. It’s typically a visit to go to household or a short-term relocation for a piece challenge.
- Whereas there, she encounters a problem – the household enterprise is failing, or the proprietor of a property her employer desires to accumulate doesn’t wish to promote.
- She additionally encounters a person with whom she has a battle – a childhood classmate who wasn’t good to her, an individual who works for her employer’s competitor.
- As she works to resolve her problem, she discovers the person is useful or just isn’t the unhealthy man she thought he was.
- The couple realizes they like one another.
- She decides to remain, and the film ends with a kiss.
(Sure, every one of these films function a person and a lady within the lead roles, with Christmas because the central vacation. This yr, The Vacation Sitter turned the primary Hallmark film that includes a same-sex couple within the lead roles. And Hannukah has been the featured vacation in solely a handful of the flicks.)
Why does it work to inform variations of the identical theme day-after-day for months and even all yr (Hallmark has expanded that storytelling mannequin from Christmas to all 4 seasons)?
Let’s discover how one can undertake a Hallmark strategy in your content material advertising and marketing.
1. Unique content material isn’t (all the time) required
Take a web page from Hallmark’s script and spend much less time attempting to provide you with unique concepts and distinctive content material. Acquainted content material remixed into new packages works simply as nicely and even higher to draw and develop audiences. Recognizable content material indicators make consuming content material simpler and set expectations for easy-to-understand and rewarding outcomes. (Hallmark films lend themselves to multitasking – you possibly can simply catch up even in the event you don’t concentrate for a couple of minutes.)
I’m not suggesting that none of your content material belongings ought to be unique or thought-provoking. You continue to want so as to add your model’s distinctive spin and a special approach to the acquainted parts in your content material. Sprinkle in just a few unique concepts that can appeal to viewers members who all the time need one thing totally different whereas retaining those that depend on the acquainted to assist them heat as much as contemporary concepts and approaches.
Sprinkle unique ideas into your #ContentMarketing, however repeat acquainted parts, too. You will assist audiences heat as much as the contemporary concepts, says @AnnGynn by way of @CMIContent. Click on To Tweet
2. One story just isn’t essentially worthy of a marathon
Repeating a well-known tone, model, and story arc gained’t assure content material success instantly. Hallmark aired solely 9 films in 2009 and added just a few extra annually till it went right into a Countdown to Christmas film marathon stretched over two months.
After you publish or air just a few items of content material based mostly on acquainted parts, stand again and have a look at your viewers’s response. Verify your analytics: What number of impressions or views does the content material get in the course of the first week or month? How a lot time do readers or viewers spend consuming it? How regularly do they click on on the decision to motion?
Your analytics questions ought to join straight with the objectives of your content material advertising and marketing technique. As soon as you discover which content material kind, theme, or story arc resonates greatest, double down on that method.
3. No spoiler alerts wanted – it’s OK for the viewers to understand how the story ends
All Hallmark films have joyful endings. In the event that they didn’t, they may not be as well-liked. Audiences benefit from the consolation of figuring out how issues will prove. They don’t have to fret an excessive amount of that issues will prove badly for the characters.
In advertising and marketing, case research play an analogous position. A model wouldn’t publish a buyer story that goes awry and stays unsolved. Audiences eat them regardless that they know the result will likely be optimistic. They wish to know the story that introduced a profitable consequence to the shopper. What drawback did they should clear up? How did they seek for an answer? Why did they select yours? What advantages did they expertise from the answer? That’s the plot of a case examine.
4. Acquainted faces assist
Hallmark films often embrace a well-known face (or two). Lots of the actors began their careers as youngsters – Lacey Chabert (Celebration of 5), Tamera Mowry-Housley (Sister, Sister), and Alison Sweeney (Days of Our Lives).
Hallmark additionally makes use of the identical lead actors – women and men – in a number of films in a single season. They merely swap out the pairings so the identical actress and the identical actor don’t play in opposition to one another in the identical season. For instance, this yr, Andrew Walker did double obligation, starring in A Maple Valley Christmas on Nov. 5 and Three Clever Males and a Child on Nov. 19.
Audiences respect seeing faces they know. Take into consideration that includes acquainted faces – sources or storytellers – all through your model communications.
Should you do a photograph shoot for a buyer profile that runs in a digital publication, for instance, be sure that the shopper turns into one of many faces in your company web site. That strategy lets your viewers see somebody they could acknowledge out of your different content material and communicates an authenticity that inventory imagery can’t.
Or create a video collection with one particular thought chief as host or presenter in each episode.
TIP: Enhance upon Hallmark’s method for range. Right here’s the place I don’t advocate copying Hallmark. The channel’s lack of range in casting – particularly for lead roles – got here underneath criticism a few years in the past and even led to this 2019 Saturday Evening Stay skit. Since then, Hallmark has made some strides (although it nonetheless has an extended strategy to go.)
5. Contemplate producing sequels to well-liked tales
Some Hallmark films show so well-liked that the channel creates annual sequels. Does any of your content material name out for sequels or perhaps a spinoff collection?
Should you’ve profiled individuals or companies, you can do a follow-up content material piece to see what has and hasn’t modified because you final advised their story. Likewise, if a podcast episode spikes your obtain or listening numbers, take into consideration “what’s subsequent” matters and add them to the editorial calendar.
Or, in the event you discover somebody who shines in entrance of an viewers, think about giving that particular person a video or podcast present.
6. A much bigger viewers doesn’t require an even bigger finances
Hallmark vacation films appeal to about 80 million viewers for one vacation season, barely greater than Netflix collection like The Crown or The Witcher, which value way more to provide.
Hallmark productions reuse capturing areas (simply as they reuse plot factors) and no matter else they’ll. They might get a package-deal low cost when actors’ contracts embrace a number of films, too.
Hold this strategy in thoughts as you ponder learn how to do probably the most along with your content material advertising and marketing finances. Discover the set of content material you’re planning and establish the sources you’ll must create it. Then, search for methods to avoid wasting by packaging manufacturing. For instance, in the event you’re planning to publish a month-to-month video, might you save money and time by writing all of the scripts and capturing them in a single batch? (You’ll want to contemplate whether or not your on-camera expertise ought to put on the identical garments or fluctuate their outfits.)
Or, if you realize you’ll must rent freelancers to jot down a number of tales over the following six months, you would possibly save time by discovering one certified author and making a single contract that covers all of the items. You may even ask for a bulk low cost.
7. Anticipate copycats
The appreciable success of Hallmark films prompted a number of copycats. This yr, Lifetime, Netflix, Peacock, Hulu, HBO Max, and others have dozens of those films. The rebranded Nice American Household community introduced in a former Hallmark govt and among the Hallmark stars (together with Candace Cameron-Bure) to create a brand new lineup of films. Discovery+ took the flicks to a brand new degree, that includes two films with stars from The Meals Community property in minor roles. Heck, even QVC obtained into the vacation film enterprise with Holly & the Sizzling Chocolate streaming on QVC+.
Be flattered when different manufacturers recreate what you’re doing, however don’t relaxation in your (not-so) unique storytelling laurels. Even when your method nonetheless works in your viewers, mirror on what tweaks you can make to maintain your content material present, related, and but moderately acquainted to your viewers.
Do not relaxation in your storytelling laurels. Replicate on small tweaks to your method to maintain #content material feeling present, related, and (but) nonetheless acquainted, says @AnnGynn by way of @CMIContent. Click on To Tweet
Be careful
I’ll finish this text following the Hallmark mannequin and ship what you in all probability anticipated – an unambiguous decision. Followers, non-fans, and even haters of the Hallmark mannequin can be taught rather a lot about what to do – and what to not do – by learning its success.
The ethical of the story: Audiences prefer to eat one thing acquainted. With a little bit of ahead considering, you possibly can create cozy content material that works for them and your model.
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Cowl picture by Joseph Kalinowski/Content material Advertising Institute
This text is an replace of the Dec. 19, 2021, model.
