No matter where you live in the world, you probably aren’t far from a Hooters. Known for it’s wings, beer, and girls in skimpy outfits, this restaurant is far from perfect, but Hooters does have a few things to teach us about creating online content. The next time you’re creating a blog post, podcast, video, or other online content, here are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Packaging matters.
Whether you like it or not, part of the Hooters brand is pretty girls in tight clothing. That’s why some people choose to frequent this restaurant. What Hooters realizes is that how you package your content (in this case, food) matters. Now, I’m not saying you have to post pictures of yourself in a low cut shirt or something to be successful online, but what you do need to do is consider how you’re presenting your content. If your site isn’t well-designed and your content isn’t formatted well, readers will get frustrated.
Keep in mind that what works well today in terms of design might not work well forever. Don’t be afraid to redesign your website as needed to better serve your readers. Don’t allow your content to get lost just because your site is poorly designed.
2. The wings and beer are just as important as the girls.
When I say “Hooters,” the first thing you probably think of is the waitresses. However, no matter how pretty the girls may be, if the food was consistently bad, people wouldn’t go back. Hooters has fans because they actually do have pretty good wings (I can confirm this; I’ve eaten at Hooters and the wings were great). So, while your design and formatting to matter, if the content isn’t awesome, readers won’t keep coming back for more.
3. Controversy is okay.
Hooters is definitely a controversial restaurant. I know lots of people who won’t eat there because they feel like it is demeaning to women – and that’s okay. But what this company has realized is that for every person who hates them, there’s another person who loves them. If they weren’t controversial, they’d be just another chain restaurant getting lost in the shuffle. A little controversy is okay with your content as well. If you’re dumbing down your message to appease everyone, you’re probably writing such generic content that it isn’t interesting to anyone. It’s okay to start debates and voice strong opinions, because while you may lose some readers, the fans that stay will love you even more.
4. Make your brand recognizable.
No matter where you go in the world, Hooters is Hooters. It’s the brown owl with bright orange eyes and the “delightfully tacky, yet unrefined” t-shirts promoting whatever location you’ve visited. Part of good branding practices is ensuring that your fans can recognize you no matter where you go, and that extends to online content as well. Be consistent, using the same name, pictures, etc. on your social media accounts as you use on your home website. Just like Hooters, you want fans of your content to be able to find you and connect with you as much as possible!
Picture source: Beao via Wikimedia Commons.
Stopping by from #commenthour; you make some great points here!
@AnnOdle Thanks, Ann! Glad you liked it! 🙂 Hope to see you around the BlogWorld blog (and on Twitter) more in the future!!
Ok, this is pretty funny. Great tips for blogs! Also, now I have a craving for wings…
@mrs_alana_ Seriously, I had to order wings for dinner after writing this post. Mmmmm. They weren’t Hooters, but still mmmmmm…
Hi Allison,
I like the points you make here – especially the part about being controversial.
Next time I pass a Hooters, I’ll remember this post. Who knows – I may even decide to give their wings a try. ;p
~Tui, from #commenthour
@mentalmosaic Yeah, I think being controversial is super important. Not controversy for controversy’s sake, but I don’t think bloggers should be afraid to be opinionated.
But DEFINITELY give the wings a try next time you’re near a Hooters! 😀
Visiting from #commenthour – glad to have found you 🙂 We really enjoyed this article – great work 🙂
@OnlyTrueNorth Thanks for stopping by! Hope to see you around. 🙂