Content Marketing: "The Taco Bell Strategy"

Heidi Bullock, Director of Demand Generation at Marketo wrote an awesome blog post that will not only get you thinking of ways to reinvent your content, but also about what you should have for lunch.

Heidi’s blog in a nutshell:

A fun way to think about content is with the “The Taco Bell Strategy:” you have tortillas, beans, meat, cheese, rice, and sometimes lettuce. Taco Bell could stop at creating basic tacos and burritos, but they don’t! Using these classic ingredients they have created many other impressive creations each one appealing to different members of their audience – they have something for everyone. Use this same strategy for your content marketing plan:

The Burrito = THE EBOOK
The Burrito is the foundation. Not only is this tasty meal a Taco Bell staple, but it is also hearty and can fill you up for the entire day. The content equivalent to this is of course the eBook. It is the basic, has all of the classic ingredients, and you might even have some leftovers to take home, like worksheets, blog posts, mini eBooks, and more.

The Enchirito = THE VIDEO
The Enchirito is a burrito covered in sauce and cheese. Still a burrito, still a staple, but the extra sauce and cheese give it that little bit of that “je ne sais quoi”. Mystery and intrigue rolled up into one amazing dish. The content equivalent here is the video. This is the classic eBook or datasheet with some kick! Video is an engaging and exciting way to tell your story.

Double Decker Taco = THE WEBINAR
The Double Decker Taco is a taco-burrito hybrid. It is pretty awesome and perfect for those of you who are commitment-phobes. If you can’t really commit to reading the eBook, but want the information, the webinar is for you. Webinars can be very detailed and a powerful way to convey your message. Plus, they appeal to an entirely different audience.

Grilled Steak Taquitos = CHEAT SHEET
The Grilled Taquitos are the fast-food appetizer of choice; tasty, small, and quick to consume. The content equivalent is the cheat sheet. It’s a good option when you just need the key points or do not have the time to read the full eBook or respective content piece.

Crunchwrap Surpreme = SLIDESHARE
This is just pretty cool. The Crunchwrap Surpreme is creativity at its finest. Everything is here, the hard taco, flour tortilla, a little bit of lettuce, cheese and sour cream. But then, look at that presentation. So sleek, so cool. Perfect for finger food at your next catered event. The content equivalent is a visual SlideShare deck. It is an interactive, visual format for telling your story.

Grilled Stuffed Burrito = THE BLOG 
The Grilled Stuffed Burrito is not your typical burrito–it is grilled–George Foreman style. It seems like a basic, but the preparation makes it very special. The content equivalent is the blog. It is a personal and fun way to express your content and can be quicker and lighter than the eBook.

Cheesy Gordita Crunch = THE INFOGRAPHIC
The gordita. It is so incredible–if just for the name alone! It is a crispy taco with some special sauce. The content equivalent is the infographic. It is a visual wunderkind. It can convey a story or data in a creative fun way–with a nice little bit of crunch at the end.

The Apple Empanada = THE MEME
The apple empanada. It is crispy, delicious, filled with warm apples, and a tasty snack at the end of a big meal. The apple goodness will surely put a huge smile on anyone’s face. The content doppelganger here? The meme. A funny and small bite-sized piece of content that you share on your social channels to get a laugh and engagement from your audience. The perfect way to end any campaign or a fantastic snack right in the middle.

Click here to read Heidi’s full article.

What are some creative ways that you think about content marketing?