What Guacamole Can Teach Us About Content Marketing

Let's talk about guacamole.

No, really. Let's...

The green, fresh delicious mush that we all crave -- that dissolves in our mouth and is the perfectcompanion to the tortilla chip and a friend to the margarita. We all love it, and we can't get enoughof it.

Now let's talk about content marketing. Maybe not as delicious as our green, gooey favorite, but justas desirable. A crop of blog posts and thoughtful strategies can equal success for the most consistentof marketers. The phrase "content marketing" is the subject of much discussion in the digital realmand is touted as the best and most relevant way to engage with customers, old and prospective.

The Content-Guacamole Link

So what do guacamole and content marketing have anything whatsoever to do with one another? (Iknow you're wondering that at this point. Or you're just hungry.) Either way, this really all has to dowith one type of guacamole: Chipotle's.

If you haven't heard already, Chipotle recently released a full recipe of its tasty guacamole. TheInternet reverberated with the news in every corner, and it seemed you couldn't get away from this"hangry" post on Twitter, that avocado image on Facebook, and so on.

Chipotle already has a track record of being a content marketing darling. Where its other initiativeshave been larger, more heavily produced moves, the recipe unveiling was pretty darn simple.

That's kind of the the point, though, isn't it?

This piece of "content" was highly useful to Chipotle's hordes of followers who want to mimic thechain's guac goodness at home. The key word here is useful -- not groundbreaking. But it didn't haveto be. Guacamole isn't that hard to make, and Chipotle's version is pretty similar to every otherrecipe out there.

What made this different is that a very large company revealed an adored recipe to its fans to makeon their own and had no qualms about giving away its, almost literal, "secret sauce" to its customersand competitors. The very act of doing this made the recipe go viral. (See also: Tesla CEO ElonMusk's unveiling of his electric car patents.)

So why did Chipotle do it, and what can we take away from Guac-Gate of 2015 ascontent marketers? A lot actually...

1. Transparency

Chipotle isn't a mom-and-pop shop -- it now has more than 1,700 locations. The biggest investor inits fledgling years was McDonald's -- hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars McDonald's.

But unlike behemoth Micky D's (even with efforts to put some positive spin on its food of late),Chipotle is completely up front about its ingredients. It's transparent.

In an age of questionable business dealings and often more questionable food sources, this is abreath of fresh air, and Chipotle fans eat it up...literally.

Transparency is a concern for many businesses adopting a content marketing philosophy, andrightfully so. Traditionally, businesses have protected their intellectual property and processesunder lock and key, hiding them away from the all-seeing eyes of their competitors. But, this isn'thow you win online.

We, as consumers and searchers, have reams of information at our very fingertips. If you aren'tproviding the content we're searching for, surely someone else is. So we'll happily move on toforming a relationship with them.

Don't let your prospective customers cheat on you before you even get a chance to go on a firstdate. Be open. Be honest. Be the best answer.

Be open. Be honest. Be the best answer.

2. Trust

People buy from organizations they like. People like organizations they can trust.

Chipotle garners trust by being transparent about its ingredients, and also its follow-through, as inthe case of the guacamole release. Think about it -- can you really imagine McDonald's releasing arecipe for anything? "Here's how to make a Big Mac...Whip up your own McNuggets!"

Chipotle's mythos of farm-fresh ingredients is perfectly reflected into the act of the recipe release.The only statement Chipotle released was this, which focused on providing value to its customerswhile hinting at the freshness of its brand:

"We know that you know that guac is extra, but have you ever thought about what makes it sodelicious? Well, it starts with sourcing the best whole ingredients possible, and ends with a quickmash in our restaurant. In fact, it's so easy, we're going to show you how to do it..."

As content marketers, providing information to people in need builds trust. And the more youbecome the source of information that addresses people's specific needs, the more theywill naturally form a relationship with you. Take it a step further and start to give them a completeexperience with your content, and you'll have them hooked.

People are looking for information that helps them make an informed decision. Businesses that gaintheir trust by providing this information will win.

3. Loyalty

Chipotle provided a recipe to its fans without much fanfare -- a simple blog, gif, and text content.The act of transparency helps build a trusting relationship with its customers, which, in turn, createsa loyal following that always comes back for more.

Even though we all now have the recipe, most of us will still choose to go into a Chipotle location forthe experience and convenience the whole brand provides...even if it costs $2 extra.

Trust begets loyalty. Loyalty begets trust. Both can be nurtured through content that is useful,relevant and helpful.

Take The Content; Leave the Guacamole

Now that I've explained why guacamole can teach us a lot about content marketing, I want you to

forget about the guacamole altogether. Our favorite green topping may be a fun example to use toexplore this idea, but it's really just an opening to a larger conversation.

Transparency, trust, and loyalty are the most important ingredients for your content marketing.

Transparency, trust and loyalty are the most important ingredients for your contentmarketing. These are the values that move your strategy forward, regardless of what content youmay create. Remember to use these values as guidelines for your content marketing strategy, andyou'll be on your way to a delicious outcome.

Some opinions expressed in this article may be those of a guest author and not necessarilyMarketing Land. Staff authors are listed here.

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About The Author

Quinn Whissen is the Marketing Manager for Vertical Measures, a Phoenix-based internet marketingagency helping clients drive profitable growth through content marketing. Quinn has keen insightsinto both the high-level strategy work and day-to-day implementation that goes into creating digitalmarketing that drives results. She teaches content marketing workshops around the country andspeaks regularly on topics of unconventional marketing, the importance of content, design, andsocial engagement.

(Some images used under license from Shutterstock.com.)

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