Regardless of how much planning (obsessing) you’ve put into your content marketing campaigns, feeling uninspired is part of the package as a creative marketer.
To help you bounce back from your content marketing rut, pull up a chair and listen to one (or all) of these thought-provoking TED talks we've curated for you.
TED Talks Every Content Marketer Needs to Watch
The following TED talks are guaranteed to help steer you back to building one content cog after the other!
1. The Power of Storytelling by Andrea Gibbs
Okay, this isn’t one of those talks that wax poetic about how storytelling is the next big thing out there. This one’s different (we promise) and dedicating 12 minutes of your time to watch this hilarious talk is worth it.
Learn how a one-sided love affair with an incredibly hot delivery man (think tall, broad-shouldered guy) made acclaimed comedian Andrea Gibbs realized that the best stories out there aren’t that difficult to craft and tell. It simply boils down to showing the world that you’re human - made of flesh, bones, and a hundred kinds of emotions.
Isn’t that the point of content marketing?
Customers don’t just buy your product or service. They want to experience your brand.
As a content marketer, you accomplish this by shaping stories and telling them through the lens of what makes your audiences feel human after all.
2. Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson
In this 17-minute talk, author Steven Johnson debunks the myth that good ideas spring forth from a sudden stroke of insight, light bulb moments, or middle-of-the-night epiphanies.
It turns out that great ideas reveal themselves to us when we talk and interact with each other — from folks you’ve known since grade school, to strangers at the coffee shop.
Johnson presents a whole new way of looking at how innovation (or anything massively rad) happens based on this premise: harnessing new insights is not about turning on and off a certain switch.
For content marketers running low on ideas for the next big content piece, grab some coffee, relax, and check out this TED talk.
3. How to Make Choosing Easier by Sheena Iyengar
This one’s an oldie but a goodie. Choice and decision-making researcher (yes this job description exists) Sheena Iyengar discusses how having too many choices can hinder people from making sound decisions, driving them to choose not to choose instead.
Iyengar further outlines four research-backed techniques that you can implement immediately to help prevent choice overload. The fourth technique- condition for complexity - is our favorite.
Click on the TED talk link and start making notes! It’s only 16 minutes long but you’ll end the talk with new insights on how to improve your buyers’ experience.
4. The Clues to a Great Story by Andrew Stanton
Remember when children’s television host Mr. Rogers said “Frankly, there isn't anyone you couldn't learn to love once you've heard their story."
This TED talk by filmmaker Andrew Stanton (of Toy Story and Wall-E fame) is chock-full of similar insights that are worth digging into, particularly if you're struggling with telling stories that will help customers identify with your brand.
Stanton details how the Unifying Theory of 2 + 2 helped craft story themes at Pixar - pushing them beyond the realm of simply entertaining to immersing the audience toward caring.
Hint: The best stories out there never fail to infuse wonder.
5. How to Get Your Ideas to Spread by Seth Godin
A lot of, if not all, modern marketers are smitten with Seth Godin.
When he talks, people truly pay attention. This TED talk (that’s already more than a decade old) is proof that Godin has truly influenced the seismic shift in how we do marketing and advertising today.
If you’re one of those content marketers who’s stuck in a content rut — from what to blog about to where to promote your content, this rousing TED talk has you covered.
Hint: Don’t talk to an audience who’s not even interested at all.
6. What Consumers Want by Joseph Pine
Author Joseph Pine reveals how marketers and branding strategists should shift their perspective in addressing consumer wants and needs.
While human needs haven’t really changed over time, Pine explains in this 14-minute talk that the mass production days of the Industrial Age are over. Consumers are now demanding better experiences and are more concerned with the authenticity of your brand.
Got shoddy conversions rates with your recent content marketing campaign? It’s high time that you keep it real, audit your existing content, and figure out if it truly speaks your brand voice.
7. 404, The Story of a Page Not Found by Renny Gleeson
This short TED talk packs a punch as self-proclaimed skeptimist (skeptic + optimist) encourages marketers, information architects, and website designers to rethink their 404 Pages.
Remember how Joseph Pine in the previous TED talk emphasized the gradual shift of mass production of goods to today's experience economy? Redesigning your 404 page content is a good start. It’s a great opportunity to turn a frustrating experience into something funny, entertaining, or even informative.
There you have it! Got another TED talk that puts you back into hustle mode as a content marketer? Let us know in the comments below!
Kyjean Tomboc finished nursing school but found joy in plucking and stringing words to ​create value-driven content for brands in the health, life sciences, and lean startup niches. She loves everything strategic in creating content -- from CRO to SEO to SMM to UX (the Internet sure loves acronyms!). Her current obsessions include the human gut microbiome, A/B testing, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Kyjean is also a seasoned trekker.
