After a day of work at a content marketing agency, I came home to settle into a re-run of the Kardashians (guilty pleasure – don’t judge). And there Kim was, talking how she needed “fresh content” for her website. Seriously, Kim? I was watching reality TV to escape my everyday tasks – not be reminded of them.
The next day, I was still struck by the fact that content marketing isn’t just something companies invest in to boost their SEO. It’s become so much more universal.
From that point, I started to think about content marketing and it’s impact on every brand – even when that brand is an individual. Where businesses are trying to appear above competitors in search, celebrities are constantly vying for the attention of the world, and trying to get ahead of bad press. And by publishing positive content on their personal websites, stars can control the conversations about themselves – or at least attempt to rank/show up above tabloid articles. Do you think Kim knows about Google Panda? Because she was spot on with the “quality content” thing.
Kim’s website isn’t live yet – but in the meantime, I did some digging and was surprised to see how many celebrities don’t have a domain to call their own. But I also found five reality celebrities that I think really get content marketing (or at least their publicity teams do.) Here they are:
Bethenny Frankel
Bethenny Frankel was an entrepreneur before she landed her Housewives gig, became a talk show host, author and chef – so it’s no surprise she knows a thing or two about staying up on the latest business trends – in this case, blogging.
Bethenny’s website has a blog that’s broken into several different categories – everything from business tips, relationship advice, recipes and nutrition information and personal recaps of Real Housewives episodes.
Her personal recaps are a great SEO play – she’s hosting the conversation rather than allowing other websites to get ahead of her own story. If a publication wants to quote what she writes in her blog, they’ll link to her page and she’ll gain merit-based links.
This valuable message for marketers: When something big is happening in your industry – don’t wait for others to cover it (in Bethenny’s case, this would be US Weekly or eNews) – get your perspective front and center on your blog.
Lauren Conrad
The former Laguna Beach and The Hills leading lady Lauren Conrad has transformed her persona from teen reality celeb into fashion mogul. She and her editorial team boast knowledge on a variety of lifestyle topics, including fashion tips, relationship and career advice and DIY projects.
Lauren’s a pro at tactfully making sure her products are placed in the spotlight. She hosts giveaways featuring clothes from her fashion line, as well as blog tips for how to wear recommend styles and pair with accessories.
Stephanie Izard
Top Chef winner Stephanie Izard is carefully balancing her personal culinary expertise, while also promoting her restaurants’ websites at the same time.
Stephanie’s website features frequently published recipes, gorgeous images and a uniquely titled blog: ‘Adventure log.’ Stephanie’s calendar of events features the happenings at her restaurants, with ticket links to each website.
This is a website that’s simple and proves personal branding doesn’t have to be the most high tech or glitzy website to be effective.
Ali Fedotowsky
Bachelorette turned E News Correspondent, Ali Fedotowsky is making sure her website ranks above the press. Ali has a serious content calendar – she publishes several blog posts a day – mostly in what appears to be an online personal journal. The catch is that she’s actually advertising the clothing, accessories, food and activities she’s discussing – with links to the websites where people can buy the products she endorses.
She does have a nice disclosure that alerts shoppers she has a motive behind what she’s suggesting – which is more than what other celebrities can say. The FTC has tightened regulations on celebrity endorsements on social media – and Ali’s complying by making sure the motive behind her blog posts is out in the open.
Rachel Zoe
Rachel Zoe was well known in the fashion community before reality TV – but since The Rachel Zoe Project began airing Bravo, she’s become a household name.
Rachel’s website, much like her fashion sense, is sleek and polished. The site is an integrated ecommerce platform where shoppers can buy recommended products directly on the site. The best aspect of the site is the landing page for her biggest product, the “Seasonal box of style.” This a subscription-based program where users can sign up for hand-picked Rachel Zoe finds at the start of each season. The landing page is optimized with video tutorials for some of the makeup products, several simple but effective call-to-action buttons and graphics that carefully display the items.
Blogging is a valuable tactic for branding – and it’s become a mainstream practice. Celebrities have found ways to carve out their own niches, and it’s important brands show their unique value props through their websites as well.
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