What Content Marketers Can Learn From The Golden Girls

My teammates pick on me, just a little, for my near-obsession with the most fabulous television sitcom ever, The Golden Girls.  I have no shame, though because it’s just as funny now as it was more than 20 years ago.

I think there are some lessons content marketers can learn from The Golden Girls. Why? Think about the things that make up quality content marketing.

Attributes of Quality Content Marketing

• It entertains
• It engages
• It tells stories to provide connections
• It is high quality
• It is valuable
• It is relevant

Every one of those attributes (and more) exists in The Golden Girls.  You might think I’m biased, and maybe I am just a bit, but take a look at each of the characters and you too will see the lessons come to life.

Learning from the Golden Girls

Dorothy Zbornak

When I think of Dorothy (my favorite GG), her sense of humor stands out.  Snappy comebacks and sarcastic wit were Dorothy’s best attributes.

The  Dorothy Lesson

Don’t be afraid to let your sense of humor come through in your content. You have a story to tell.  Inject some humor into your content and show people you’re human.

Rose Nylund

Storytelling.  As soon as you hear ‘Back in St. Olaf…’, you know Rose is about to launch into one of her stories.  Sure, the other Girls always rolled their eyes during a Rose story, but you can’t deny that they were memorable.  And entertaining, to say the least.

The Rose Lesson

Can you share a bit about the people behind-the-scenes in your company?  Is there a compelling tale about how your company got started?  Find those interesting stories to tell.

Side Note: Betty White is such a good model for longetivity.  She has remained relevant and beloved for decades.

Blanche Deveraux

She’s the resident exhibitionist.  Blanche doesn’t hold back.  In fact, she’s loud and proud about who she is and her life choices.

The Blanche Lesson

Don’t hold back.  Be proud of who you are and celebrate what your company does well.  Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn.  And share what makes you different with your customers and provide a reason to buy from you instead of the competition.

Sophia Petrillo

Sophia doesn’t mince words, ever.  According to the storyline, she lost her internal ‘filter’ or censor after suffering a stroke.  She doesn’t use a lot of flowery words or beat around the bush.  She’s pithy and to the point.

The Sophia Lesson

The people reading your web content have a lot of other stuff competing for their attention, online and offline.  Don’t waste their time or your space with extra words that aren’t needed.  Make it easy for readers to scan your post and quickly pick out the takeaways.

Sophia illustrates the ridiculousness of unnecessary words, in one my most favorite show clips, ever.

Stanley Zbornak

Dorothy’s ex-husband Stan was nothing if not persistent.  He was constantly trying to be part of the Girls’ lives, and he was always present in some way.

The Stanley Lesson

When you’re just starting to blog, and make use of social media outlets you might not get much traction at first.  But don’t become discouraged.  Remain committed to creating relevant and engaging content that is useful to your customers.

The Golden Girls is a show that’s memorable because its stories are evergreen and transcend any particular time period.  It’s a show that entertains while remaining relevant years after it first aired.

What else can the Golden Girls teach us about good content?