5 Content Marketing Lessons from Gene Simmons of KISS

With over 100 million albums sold worldwide, KISS is arguably one of the biggest and most successful bands on the planet. Led by the marketing genius that is Gene Simmons, they continue to reach new audiences while engaging lifelong fans. Gene Simmons may be best known as the fire-breathing, bass playing demon in one of the most influential rock bands in history, but he can also teach us a thing or two about content marketing.

KISS is a rock n’ roll band, but it is also a business and Gene Simmons is the CEO. Gene has showcased his entrepreneurial  expertise through interviews with such influential publications such as Forbes and Business Week just to name a few.

Below are five business quotes from Gene that translate into great advice for B2B marketing professionals looking to build or improve their current content marketing strategy.

1) “We need the people to like what we do. The more they like us, the more they will buy.” Producing quality content that adds value, solves problems, is consistent, and entertains can have a humanizing effect making your business more likeable. Likeable content translates to likeable business and of course more adoring fans that are much more likely to buy your product.

2) “The most important thing is to use the right language.” When creating content for your business, you have to understand your target audience. What topics are relevant to them and what their pain points are. Monitor the conversations that are taking place in the social world then write your content addressing hot topics and providing solutions to their problems.

3) “If you want to hit the bull’s eye you should do it with a bomb instead of a bullet.” Having a solid inbound marketing strategy behind your content is important to get the maximum reach. It allows you to canvas a much larger online presence and boosts the likelihood of your content being found.

4) “In a stadium, you know the first rows of fans have all your records.” It’s important to produce content for your close community, but it’s equally important to push the boundaries of the content to reach outside of your immediate base as well. Doing so will keep your immediate fans engaged while amplifying your messaging.

5) “You have to understand that nothing appeals to everybody.” Your content cannot be everything to everyone. This is my favorite quote and it’s incredibly relevant to content marketers. KISS has always maintained a steady fan base by giving their fans what they wanted, and knew that they would never be able to please everyone. You are inevitably going to have critics; the important thing is to not let them derail your strategy.

Did you find Gene’s quotes to be helpful? Is there anything additional that you think a rock band could teach us about content marketing? Please join the conversation in the comment section below.