4 Ways to Create Killer Content, Inspired by King Henry VIII

If we must still say “content is king,” why not turn to a real king  —  King Henry VIII specifically  —  to teach us all about it? 

The following four points, inspired by King Henry’s personality and actions, will show you how to craft killer content that captures  —  and retains  —  your audience’s attention and stands the test of time.

The King Henry VIII Guide to Killer Content Marketing

King Henry VIII is known for being ruthless, determined, and controversial. And while he may not have left the greatest legacy, we can look to him for some pretty effective lessons in content marketing.

So, grab your goblet of wine and settle in. All hail The King Henry VIII Guide to Killer Content Marketing.

1. Identify Your Goal and Achieve It. Period.

Nothing could stop King Henry once he set his sights on something, and that type of laser focus is exactly why he was so successful. (Wife not producing a son? Get a new one!)

If you want the same fruitful results, first ask yourself what you want to get out of your content marketing efforts.

Could it be brand awareness? Customer loyalty? Lead conversion? Something else? Once you’ve outlined your goal and set metrics, attack it with the same gusto as King Henry and his notorious, lust-filled, one-track mind.

Success is the only option when you’ve got that much drive.

Content marketing can serve various goals depending on the specific needs of your business. Here are some of the most important content marketing goals and metrics:

• Increase website traffic: The amount of traffic your website receives is a key metric to measure the success of your content marketing efforts. You can track website traffic using tools like Google Analytics.
• Improve search engine rankings: By producing high-quality content that is optimized for search engines, you can improve your website’s search engine rankings and attract more organic traffic to your site.
• Generate leads: Content marketing can help you attract potential customers and generate leads for your business. You can track the number of leads generated through content marketing campaigns.
• Increase brand awareness: By creating engaging and shareable content, you can increase your brand’s visibility and reach more potential customers.
• Boost social media engagement: Social media can be a powerful platform for distributing and promoting your content. You can track metrics such as likes, shares, comments, and followers to measure the success of your social media content.
• Improve customer retention: Content marketing can also be used to engage and retain existing customers. By producing content that provides value to your audience, you can build stronger relationships with them and encourage repeat business.
• Measure ROI: Ultimately, content marketing should contribute to your bottom line. By tracking metrics such as conversions, sales, and revenue, you can determine the ROI of your content marketing efforts.

2. Be Shamelessly Ruthless

If something wasn’t working for King Henry, he got rid of it. Whether it was a member of his court, a wife, a political policy, or anything else. Apply this ruthless strategy to your killer content marketing efforts, and you’ll have much greater odds of truly connecting with your target market.

• Are your blog posts not getting many views, or are people sticking around for mere seconds? Conduct research to find better, more targeted topics to write about.
• Take a look at your approach to content formatting. Maybe you need to chop paragraphs so they’re shorter and easier to digest. Or maybe you need to add more appealing images and gifs.
• If your social media posts are being ignored, analyze statistics to determine if your content needs tweaking or if you should be posting at a different time.
• If your emails aren’t being opened, do some A/B testing to find out what types of subject lines would score you better results, conduct a time-of-day test, or try playing around with the size and color of your “read more” button.

If your content isn’t meeting the needs of your audience, and you continue with your strategy as-is, all you’ll be doing is wasting your time  —  and the time of anyone who bothers to read it. This is why it’s necessary, although not always comfortable, to put your content on the chopping block on a regular basis.

And if you determine something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to order its immediate death in true King-Henry style. (Usually via one swift blow, delivered by axe.)

3. Remain Consistent

King Henry created a strong brand for himself. His court, wives, allies, and enemies knew what to expect when dealing with him because he always stayed true to his brand.

But he also understood the importance of an adaptable tone of voice. If he was trying to woo a new wife, his tone changed. If he was trying to get his way with a political ally, his tone changed. If he was upset with a member of his court, his tone changed.

Just like King Henry, killer content needs a strong brand voice that encompasses the spirit of your company and stays consistent through all of your marketing materials.

Your brand voice won’t change, but your tone will take on many forms depending on whom you’re writing for and the individual situation you’re addressing. Your tone lets you show empathy to an upset customer, allows you to add humor to a tired blog post topic, and helps your readers connect with your company.

4. Embrace Controversy

Meek, mild, mundane… these adjectives definitely don’t describe King Henry, and they definitely shouldn’t describe your content. If you want your content to be noticed  —  and remembered — you can’t be scared of making waves.

Henry’s off-with-their-heads attitude toward wives who displeased him and his shakeup of the Catholic Church secured his ticket into the annals of history. His reign ended in 1547, but his legacy will live forever. 

The Evergreen King, if you will.

If you want to create the type of evergreen content your target market will regularly read and return for, you need to find a way to make it stand out. Maybe it’s through challenging a popular opinion in your industry, introducing a new way to tackle a customers’ pain point, or developing a brand voice that entertains while teaching.

However you choose to convey your take on “controversy,” give it your own, brand-embodying spin. Doing so will help make sure it aligns well with your target market and keeps your content in their good graces.

Rule Content Marketing Like a Monarch

Don’t want your killer content marketing strategy to have the same shelf life as one of King Henry’s wives? Then you must make sure it is well-defined, serves a clear purpose, and matches your brand.

If you take the time to develop a strong strategy and rule your content with an iron fist, you’ll stay in control of its outcome.

This means investing time and energy into developing content that connects with your readers on a personal level. But it also means regularly analyzing what is working and what isn’t and staying on top of trends.

King Henry, controversial as he was, certainly made his mark on the world; isn’t it time your content did the same?