A Content material Components Is not Lazy – It is a ‘Hallmark’ of Bingeable Sequence

Hallmark Media is aware of you don’t look a content material reward 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 tens of millions – 80 million watched not less than a part of one in 2021. And the flicks don’t require huge budgets.

And but, no Hallmark vacation film is all that unique. They share comparable plots. Some even share the identical lead actor (with a unique character identify and job). Solid members pop up in supporting roles throughout the lineup.

The formulaic content material works so effectively 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 offer a present to content material entrepreneurs – rethink the concept that you have to create progressive or fully unique content material to draw and hold audiences.

#Content material have to be progressive to draw audiences, proper? The success of @HallmarkChannel method may make you rethink this in #ContentMarketing, says @AnnGynn through @CMIContent. Click on To Tweet

The Hallmark film method

Love them, hate them, or don’t care, you’re most likely considerably accustomed to a Hallmark film plot:

• A girl experiences a life change and travels to a brand new vacation spot that’s alleged to be non permanent. It’s usually a visit to go to household or a short-term relocation for a piece undertaking.
• Whereas there, she encounters a problem – the household enterprise is failing, or the proprietor of a property her employer needs 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 shouldn’t be the dangerous man she thought he was.
• The couple realizes they like one another.
• She decides to remain, and the film ends with a kiss.

(Sure, each one of these films function a person and a girl within the lead roles, with Christmas because the central vacation. This 12 months, 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 daily for months and even all 12 months (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.

1. Authentic content material isn’t (at all times) required

Take a web page from Hallmark’s script and spend much less time making an attempt to provide you with unique concepts and distinctive content material. Acquainted content material remixed into new packages works simply as effectively 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 if you happen to don’t concentrate for a couple of minutes.)

I’m not suggesting that none of your content material belongings needs 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 components in your content material. Sprinkle in a couple of unique concepts that can appeal to viewers members who at all times 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 components, too. You may assist audiences heat as much as the contemporary concepts, says @AnnGynn through @CMIContent. Click on To Tweet

2. One story shouldn’t be essentially worthy of a marathon

Repeating a well-recognized tone, type, and story arc gained’t assure content material success instantly. Hallmark aired solely 9 films in 2009 and added a couple of extra annually till it went right into a Countdown to Christmas film marathon stretched over two months.

After you publish or air a couple of items of content material based mostly on acquainted components, stand again and take a look at your viewers’s response. Examine your analytics: What number of impressions or views does the content material get throughout the first week or month? How a lot time do readers or viewers spend consuming it? How ceaselessly do they click on on the decision to motion?

Your analytics questions ought to join immediately with the objectives of your content material advertising technique. As soon as you discover which content material kind, theme, or story arc resonates finest, 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 blissful endings. In the event that they didn’t, they may not be as common. Audiences benefit from the consolation of realizing how issues will prove. They don’t have to fret an excessive amount of that issues will prove badly for the characters.

In advertising, case research play an identical function. A model wouldn’t publish a buyer story that goes awry and stays unsolved. Audiences devour them although they know the end result can be constructive. They wish to know the story that introduced a profitable final result to the client. What drawback did they should resolve? 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 research.

4. Acquainted faces assist

Hallmark films often embrace a well-recognized face (or two). Most of the actors began their careers as youngsters ­ – Lacey Chabert (Social gathering 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 change 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 12 months, Andrew Walker did double obligation, starring in A Maple Valley Christmas on Nov. 5 and Three Sensible Males and a Child on Nov. 19.

Audiences recognize seeing faces they know. Take into consideration that includes acquainted faces – sources or storytellers – all through your model communications.

In the event you do a photograph shoot for a buyer profile that runs in a digital publication, for instance, guarantee that the client 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 sequence 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 suggest copying Hallmark. The channel’s lack of range in casting  ­– particularly for lead roles – got here below criticism a few years in the past and even led to this 2019 Saturday Night time Stay skit. Since then, Hallmark has made some strides (although it nonetheless has an extended method to go.)

5. Contemplate producing sequels to common tales

Some Hallmark films show so common that the channel creates annual sequels. Does any of your content material name out for sequels or perhaps a spinoff sequence?

In the event you’ve profiled individuals or companies, you may do a follow-up content material piece to see what has and hasn’t modified because you final instructed their story. Likewise, if a podcast episode spikes your obtain or listening numbers, take into consideration “what’s subsequent” subjects and add them to the editorial calendar.

Or, if you happen to discover somebody who shines in entrance of an viewers, take into account giving that particular person a video or podcast present.

6. A much bigger viewers doesn’t require a much bigger finances

Hallmark vacation films appeal to about 80 million viewers for one vacation season, barely greater than Netflix sequence like The Crown or The Witcher, which value rather more to provide.

Hallmark productions reuse taking pictures areas (simply as they reuse plot factors) and no matter else they’ll. They could get a package-deal low cost when actors’ contracts embrace a number of films, too.

Maintain this strategy in thoughts as you ponder tips on how to do essentially the most along with your content material advertising finances. Discover the set of content material you’re planning and establish the assets you’ll have to create it. Then, search for methods to avoid wasting by packaging manufacturing. For instance, if you happen to’re planning to publish a month-to-month video, may you save money and time by writing all of the scripts and taking pictures 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 differ their outfits.)

Or, if you understand you’ll have to rent freelancers to write down a number of tales over the subsequent six months, you may 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. Count on copycats

The appreciable success of Hallmark films prompted a number of copycats. This 12 months, 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 flicks. 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 bought into the vacation film enterprise with Holly & the Scorching 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, replicate on what tweaks you may 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 through @CMIContent. Click on To Tweet

Be careful

I’ll finish this text following the Hallmark mannequin and ship what you most likely anticipated – an unambiguous decision. Followers, non-fans, and even haters of the Hallmark mannequin can be taught lots about what to do – and what to not do – by learning its success.

The ethical of the story: Audiences wish to devour one thing acquainted. With a little bit of ahead considering, you possibly can create cozy content material that works for them and your model.

Cowl picture by Joseph Kalinowski/Content material Advertising Institute

This text is an replace of the Dec. 19, 2021, model.