Content Marketing Deep Dive: Saddleback Leather

Welcome to our new series, Content Marketing Deep Dive, where we examine successful brands that consistently produce examples of great content marketing. We'll cover what each brand does well and what you can learn from them, with 3 key takeaways you can begin applying to your content marketing efforts.

This week we're taking a look at Saddleback Leather. They're no strangers to content marketing, with some great blog, video, and photo content going back over half a decade.

Here are 3 key insights from Saddlback you can apply right now:

Insight 1: Get Your Customers Involved

Content creation doesn't have to be a one way street, nor does creating quality content have to mean churning out an endless series of long blog posts.

Saddleback Leather does a great job of getting their customers involved in creating great content around the web that shows off the beauty and quality of their bags and other leather products.

Image credit: Saddleback Leather Facebook Page

Key takeawayS for your brand

1. Social proof - User generated content (UGC)  demonstrates that customers enjoy your products or services after the time of sale. This can help alleviate fears of buyer's remorse, especially for a big ticket purchase.
2. Advocacy - Creating UGC gives your most impashioned advocates a chance to get involved and share their love of your products and your brand.
3. Customer stories - It also gives your customers a chance to add their own personal stories to your brand story. This can help shape how other customers view your brand and what their lifestyle might be like with your product.

Insight 2: Tell Customers Who Your Brand Is In An Interesting Way

Reading an organization's mission statement is about as boring as it gets. It's much more interesting to demonstrate your brand's commitment to quality by explaining how the people who are ripping off your products could build better knockoffs. 

In the video below, Dave Munson does a great job of explaining Saddleback's commitment to quality in a way that is both entertaining and educational:

"We are making film a significant part of our website because we like telling stories and connecting with our customers. It’s all about relationships. So this was going to go on the quality education page anyways."

Interview with Dave Munson on carryology.com

Saddleback also uses photos to show off their hands-on process and their commitment to quality in the design process:

Image Credits: Saddleback Leather

Rather than read a boring page on a website that nobody will ever see or care about, with one 12 minute video and a 100 year warranty on parts and labor, Dave tells you everything you need to know about who Saddleback is, and you'll learn some interesting facts about quality leather bags along the way.

Key Takeaways for your brand

1. Don't tell, show - Telling us about how you use the best materials and the highest quality craftsmanship is boring. People may not even believe you if you tell them. Showing us what makes your brand unique, and how that sets you apart from other competing products, is far more likely to get you on people's radars.
2. Leverage video - A well planned and produced video is a powerful way to get your message across. Most people probably wouldn't read a 4,000 word blog post on what makes one leather bag better than another, but who doesn't have time to watch an entertaining ~10 minute video?
3. Be entertaining, be funny - One of your best opportunities to gain attention and break into a new segment of customers is to produce entertaining, funny content. When I first watched that video I wasn't planning on buying a new briefcase, but the video was funny and I enjoyed it. It's how I first learned about Saddleback Leather. Now, I'm a happy customer who owns many of their products.

Insight 3: Create Content That Educates

From Dave's video on how to knockoff his bags to user generated reviews, photos, and stories, to a series of blog posts and whiteboard videos explaining the quality materials and workmanship that goes into each Saddleback bag, a common theme in all of Saddleback Leather's content is education.

Image Credit: Saddleback Leather

When you get right down to it, Dave is selling an expensive, over-engineered product that should last longer than you will, and is built to a much higher standard than most of the things that people are used to buying.

The only way Dave could ever create a sustainable market for a product like this is to educate his potential customers on why it makes sense to "buy once, cry once."

Education isn't just a nice to have for Saddleback Leather, it is key to the core success of their business.

Key TAKEAWAYS FOR YOUR BRAND

1.  Visibility - Educating your potential customers on what they should know to make the best buying decision makes you a useful source of information that people who are looking for what you sell will be interested in, will find, and will share with their friends.
2. Simplifying the buying decision - Helping your customers better understand why your product is more expensive than your competitors and why you're worth that extra money also helps them justify the added expense of hiring you or buying from you.
3. Building relationships with your customers - Educational content gives you a positive reason to continue sharing helpful content with new and existing customers. This keeps you top of mind, whether someone is in the early stages of the buyer's journey or if they're an existing customer whose considering making another purchase.

 Want to learn more about how to consistently create high quality content? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Content Marketing in 2016 and download our ebook on How to Write Great Blog Posts!

➤ UPDATE - Hear more about this blog post in Fresh Thoughts Podcast Ep 05 - Multiple Facebook Pages and Content Marketing Deep Dives.