Over the past decade, the world of late night has changed significantly. The end of the Leno/Letterman era ushered in a new batch of hosts keen to attract the next generation of late-night viewers. What can us content marketers learn from their tactics?

Brevity is the soul of wit…

What the new era of late night understands is: today’s audiences don’t watch TV like they used to. We get fidgety and start to zone out faster than you can say ‘attention span’. The late-night hosts—particularly Jimmy Fallon, with the others soon following suit—zeroed in on this change in audience behavior and adapted the late-night format into a series of short segments that could be chopped up into easily digestible YouTube clips.

From Fallon’s ‘True Confessions’ and ‘Lip Sync Battles’ to Conan’s ‘Alex Trebek Has Gone Insane’, millennials finally had some late night they could sink their teeth into! Let this be a lesson to all us content marketers: for social, viral success (particularly with video), keep it short!

...but don’t be afraid of a deep dive

Every rule has its exceptions, and when it comes to the brevity rule, John Oliver’s show ‘Last Week Tonight’ is one of them. John Oliver’s success hasn’t, in fact, been due to short, snappy segments. Instead, the former Daily Show correspondent excels in thoroughly-researched presentations on life’s rage-inducing, yet under-reported, controversies.

Oliver’s comedic lectures are evidence of another important content marketing lesson: in the clickbait age of Buzzfeed listicles and Upworthy headlines, audiences crave quality. Perhaps best exemplified in his unexpected interview with Edward Snowden, Last Week Tonight gives us the substance we seek. Most impressive is Oliver’s follow-through—his commitment to his viewers. When he founded his ‘Church of Perpetual Exception’, donors were thrilled to discover an actual ‘thank you’ letter in their mailboxes, complete with cartoon sketch of the prophet himself.

Establishing your unique voice is key

Just like the web, late night television is a crowded space and audiences aren’t as loyal as they once were. Whereas the generations before us picked a show and stuck with it for sixty years, viewers these days follow the funny wherever it may lead them. For each host to get noticed, cornering their niche—their unique brand of comedy—has been vital.

Like a bit of self-deprecation? Conan’s a good bet. How about some silly SNL-style sketches? Fallon’s your man. With Kimmel, you’ve got your mainstream likability. Or there’s always Colbert for some intelligent character comedy.

Remember, essential to defining your brand is defining your audience. That’s where your brand story must begin.

Audiences love user-generated content

When presented thoughtfully, user-generated content often does a better job of showcasing your brand than any fancy ad campaign ever could. Content created by real customers is inherently more authentic and relatable. Better yet? It’s free! Jimmy Kimmel tapped into this with his now-iconic ‘Celebrities Read Mean Tweets’ segment. The simple sketch has now been borrowed by everyone from the Drag Race queens to the National Hockey League.

And Kimmel’s user-generated success doesn’t stop there. His YouTube challenges—from asking parents to film their kids unwrapping terrible Christmas presents to urging kids to serve their dads breakfast in the shower—are some of his most successful bits to date. Hmm, I think it’s time Kimmel gives his viewers a raise!

It’s all about timing

Finally, there’s something late night has always done well: relevance. With most shows airing every weeknight, late-night writers pull from the day’s hottest news stories to create an entertaining show that matters to viewers right now.

Although 'evergreen' content plays an key role in content marketing, fresh, timely content is equally important. From real-time video streaming via Periscope to quick-thinking tweets that capture a cultural moment in time, being agile is crucial for quality content marketing. Essential to this is a short sign-off process, and therefore a trusting relationship between brands and their marketing teams.

Read more about our content marketing services and get in touch to find out how your company can benefit from a thoughtful content marketing strategy.

At what point should you reconsider your content sign-off procedure? When it starts to inhibit, rather than promote, creativity.

I believe in democracy.

And boy, do I love a referendum. Having just moved back to the US from Scotland, I’m super into them. A massive public vote where every citizen gets his and her say—what could be better than that? It’s democracy in its purest form.

I also believe in content marketing that’s of the people, for the people and by the people. The editing process is a fantastic way to collaborate, build on each other’s ideas and create something that’s better than the sum of its parts. But every system has its limits.

In theory, democratic content creation is brilliant. In reality, it’s a bureaucratic nightmare. [Tweet this]

When a single blog post goes through seven rounds of feedback emails, a new person cc'd each time, you end up with content that’s a shadow of its former self. Like a ghost-written celebrity memoir, it’s safe, watered down and devoid of all personality.

The solution? When it comes to content marketing, try thinking more ‘democratic republic’ and less ‘referendum’. You elect your leaders (savvy marketing experts) and place your trust in them to get the job done.

Here’s what that looks like:

✓ Limited revision rounds

Reduce the number of feedback sessions to two. That gives stakeholders one round for initial feedback and then another round to ensure any required changes were made correctly. When they view the content for a third time, it should be in its final, pristine state. Any new ideas or last-minute concerns? Too bad. Too late. You missed the boat. Sorry, not sorry.

To develop a successful content strategy, you need to produce regular, relevant content. A lengthy revision process makes this impossible. Being strict about your two feedback sessions will force stakeholders to narrow feedback down to specific requests rather than aimless questions like “Is this paragraph necessary?” or “Should we check with Legal on this?”

✓ Relevant stakeholders

Why is the HR Director giving feedback on an infographic? What does the Head of Finance have to do with a blog post on cool, new industry trends? Why is the Office Manager cc’d on an email about blogger outreach strategies?

Internal stakeholders are an integral part of content marketing, but only if their role is relevant to the content. If you’re writing a product guide, the product manager is a key stakeholder. If you’re producing an HR training video, he’s not. Adjust your stakeholders on a project-by-project basis and only include those that actually play a role in that project's subject matter.

✓ Smart delegating and outsourcing

Key to successful content marketing is knowing your limitations. Instead of piling into a conference room for a three-hour meeting on a single web page, hire a copywriter who specializes in filtering detailed information into catchy taglines and concise calls-to-action.

Working with agencies and contractors that you trust makes your job, and that of your colleagues, easier. It gives you a huge head start on producing high-quality content in a reasonable timeframe.

For more content marketing tips, follow us on Twitter, or get in touch about creating a content strategy for your organization.

Content Marketing Lessons from Late Night