There are a whole host of benefits to creating Episodic content. In summary, here are the 7 benefits to creating a video series for your brand:
Here is the break down of the 7 benefits:
Besides the fact that it is a blue ocean way of thinking that helps build brand, companies gain major efficiencies when they get their teams thinking in terms of episodic content as it holds massive repurposing benefits.
Episodic content helps to relieve the marketer burnout we have discussed earlier.
By repurposing content multiple times per episode, you increase the shelf life, distribution, and reach of each episode (call it campaign if you like) without exerting additional effort in brainstorming and creating new content from scratch.
Everything is systematic. Everything originates from the pillar episode. This improves the chances that the content will be seen, and all of it can then redirect back to the pillar episode (e.g: “click here to watch the full episode”) or to a target URL about the campaign’s goals.
In 2007, Psychologist Barry Schwart presented an eye-opening TED talk titled the Paradox of Choice - his book of the same title.
He explained why having too much choice can often be detrimental to our well-being, even leading to psychological distress. Choice overload, his studies revealed, can cause a lot of stress as people fall into a never-ending cycle of research, comparisons, and feeling of missing out and inability to make the “best” decision.
Schwart reasons that by simplifying the choices we make, we can ultimately derive greater satisfaction from our daily lives.
Let’s put yourself in the shoes of your customer, and apply that to content. When was the last time you were browsing the internet or social and thought “ah, I wish there was more content on this topic”.
Unless it was a genuinely specialist topic that’s hard to find, my guess is: not that often. Oftentimes our struggle is having too much content to sift through. As a result, we find ourselves managing infinite open tabs and reviewing multiple content sources at the same time.
By creating a dedicated “series” and packaging it as such, brands present discerning audiences with a curated, high-value selection of material that promises to entertain as much as it will educate and engage.
It signals a sense of quality and trust. It creates a platform for the culture surrounding a certain industry and connects the disconnected individuals over a common interest point. As they say, “it’s not what you say, but how you say it.”
Our content is at risk of being mistaken as me-too content if it’s not packaged as episodic content, and part of a bigger, more integrated whole.
As a result, creating an original series stands out as more polished, more organized, and ultimately - more attractive. Combined with frequency, credibility by association, and effective distribution - it cements mind share and thought leadership in the eye of your target audience.
With episodic content, the show must go on - by design. When brands plan an episodic content series, they begin with the end in mind. This way, the microcontent pieces from each episode are already planned - ahead of time.
This helps them rest assured that for every episode recorded, it will create multiple content assets that are high value or high entertainment to their target audience, thus ensuring frequency of content just by adopting the episodic content mentality.
Further, it creates a feeling of constant momentum and continuity, that would keep their social calendars full and audience engaged.
They no longer have to worry about coming up with content ideas.
Every time they need a new “idea”, they simply create a new episode, following the overall theme and topic of the original series they created.
To be sure, brands that build episodic series can set the expectation with their guests that this will be co-circulated on both of their channels (more on this later).
Doing so ensures that not only will they get more reach and distribution (read: for free) but that the right people will see it.
For example, if you co-create a growth-focused show with Chief Revenue Officers (CROs), who then go on to share this on their networks - it is quite likely that they are also connected with other CROs, and other executives as well - who may pick this up and get to know about the show (and eventually, your business) through their contact sharing this content in the first place.
According to Jonah Berger in his book Contagious, one of the two top drivers of word of mouth are social currency (things that make us look good) and practical value (things that we believe will benefit others).
Naturally, show guests may be motivated to share content that features them in a positive light, or features them sharing value that perhaps others may benefit from. Once it is shared, this can then repeat it self to the 2nd and 3rd degree level if their network are triggered the same way. All of this organic distribution compounds in your favor.
For show types where you co-market with other influencers, brands, or generally having note-worthy guests on your show, you build credibility by association over time. This is a great exercise to show that you identify and share commonalities with them in areas such as:
If your original series did a good job of providing those guests with a platform to share their knowledge, views, or interests to an engaged audience, they will naturally feel inclined to share that content on to their networks.
Traditionally, it’s common for marketing teams to work in silos based on their function and skillset. For some brands, this means that the functions of video production, blog writing, graphic design, and analytics are often segregated - only meeting each other at team meetings.
Sound familiar?
This often results in duplication of work and hidden costs due to communication breakdowns, which cause additional friction and an overall disintegrated team.
By introducing episodic content to their teams, brands can reduce costs and free up budget to focus on what matters - like building relationships with those who engage with the content - because everyone is aligned and motivated to think in terms of episodes.
They understand that everything is integrated. They understand who is supposed to do what, when, and how.
It works like clockwork.
It brings teams closer when they realize that taking this integrated approach helps them support each other in meeting and exceeding their traffic and conversion targets month on month. The team strategizes once, and deploys without friction in high quality, quantity and multiple formats.
In case you haven't already, check out Build a Video Series 101.