Here's what Halloween can teach us about delivering valuable content experiences

​My favourite time of the year is around Halloween.
 
In the weeks leading up to the holiday, I watch more horror movies than usual, I read more horror, and I go to every haunted attraction near me in a 60 km radius, if possible.
 
Halloween is more than a holiday for me. It’s a celebration of horror, a genre I’ve appreciate since I was a kid. The changing of the leaves, the pumpkin-spice everything, and the fire pit in my backyard all help to create the right aesthetic for this time of the year— a time the ancient Celts believed is when the veil between the living and the dead is thinnest.
 
When I watch a horror movie in late September or October, it’s a more holistic experience. It’s no wonder so many horror-related tv shows and movies are released as soon as the air begins to cool.
 
It just makes sense.
 
In the world of marketing, the value of ‘place’ is key when you’re trying to share a message with your audience.
 
Think about it this way: if you’re into horror movies, watching a horror flick in early spring doesn’t feel the same as watching one in early fall. The experience of watching a horror movie is a lot more enjoyable and timelier in the fall.
 
I’m sure the horror movie’s content is great either way, but there’s something about watching a horror when pumpkins are ripe for picking that adds to the experience.
 
And you don’t have to be in the business of horror to appreciate this.
 
Producing great content is important for your business, but it’s just as important to offer your audience a content experience that gives them all the feels when they’re digesting that content.
 
The idea of ‘place’ is a key consideration when creating content. Think about how your readers or viewers digest content.
 
Are they on their phones? On their tablet, or computer? Is the design around your content making the experience more enjoyable for the reader?
 
Co-founder of Uberflip, Randy Frisch, talks about the value of content experience in his cheeky-titled book, F#CK Content Marketing. He defines content experience as the environment in which your content exists—from how it’s structured to how it compels customers to engage with your brand.
 
Frisch argues that while some companies are great at producing valuable content, they fall behind on delivering a valuable content experience.
 
“A positive experience bonds you to your prospective customer and helps you build trust and loyalty in your company. A negative experience can have the opposite effect, with 65 percent of buyers coming away from the buyer journey frustrated by inconsistent experiences,” Frisch writes.
 
Before a potential customer purchases your product or service, they’ll conduct quite a bit of online research ahead of making a purchase. Frisch notes that 75 percent of buyers conduct half of their research online before making a purchase.
 
It’s why delivering a content experience that hits it out of the park is important.
 
While you might not need glowing orange pumpkins to make your respective content experience ideal, consider ways you can make your content experience as rewarding and enjoyable as a pumpkin spice latte on a crisp fall walk through the woods.
 
Both you and your new customers will be glad you did.