Welcome back to our thematic marketing series. Having explored the importance of crafting main themes, we now turn to subthemes. Subthemes are vital in breaking down your broad, overarching themes into more specific, targeted narratives. This step is crucial in creating a detailed and nuanced marketing plan that resonates with different segments of your audience.

Subthemes are like the chapters in a book that make up the overarching story – your main theme. They allow you to dissect your main theme into smaller, more focused topics. This breakdown helps maintain interest over time and covers a broader range of topics within the main theme.

It is important to differentiate subthemes from the daily themes you might employ in your social media, email marketing, and other channels. Daily themes often provide context or add depth to your ongoing marketing narratives. They are more about enriching the customer experience and offering varied content each day rather than furthering the overarching theme. For example, a daily theme on social media could be “Tip Tuesday,” where you share practical advice related to your subtheme, offering immediate value without necessarily expanding the subtheme’s scope.

The Process of Developing Subthemes

Step 1: Dissecting Your Main Theme

Dissecting your main theme into subthemes allows you to explore the theme’s various facets in-depth, providing your audience with a comprehensive understanding of the topic without overwhelming them. For example, if your main theme is “Sustainable Living,” subthemes could include “Eco-Friendly Home Products,” “Sustainable Eating Habits,” and “Green Transportation Solutions.” Each subtheme allows you to delve into specific areas, offering your audience detailed insights and practical tips. This targeted approach not only keeps your content focused and relevant but also helps build a deeper connection with your audience.

In essence, subthemes are your roadmap for diving deep into the various dimensions of your main theme. They provide a structured way to present information and craft a narrative that is rich in content yet easy to navigate, ensuring that your audience stays connected and interested throughout their journey with your brand.

Step 2: Simplification and Clarity

Simplicity is key. Avoid jargon and overly complicated language. Your customers should easily understand your subthemes. Jargon refers to specialized or technical language that is often understood only within a specific profession or group. In marketing, using such jargon can alienate or confuse your audience, especially if they’re unfamiliar with these terms. Instead, aim for clear, straightforward language that your customers can easily understand. This approach ensures that your message is accessible to your audience, keeping them engaged. Remember, the goal is to connect with your audience, and clarity in your communication is a key step in achieving this.

Step 3: Aligning with Customer Needs

When developing your subthemes, it’s crucial to remember that the focus should not be on listing all the features and benefits of your products or services. While these details are important, the essence of effective marketing is about creating a meaningful connection between your customer’s needs and what you offer.

This connection is not just about stating what your product or service does; it’s about illustrating how it fits into the lives and values of your customers. For instance, if a subtheme is centered around “Eco-Friendly Home Solutions,” the goal should be to paint a picture of how your products can be integrated into an environmentally conscious lifestyle.

You can achieve this by telling stories that resonate with your audience’s experiences, desires, or challenges. For example, instead of just highlighting that a cleaning product is made with natural ingredients, you could share a narrative about how eco-friendly products contribute to a healthier home environment.

Moreover, it’s about demonstrating an understanding of your audience’s deeper motivations. People are often looking for solutions that align with their values or aspirations. Your marketing should tap into these motivations, showing how choosing your products is a step towards achieving these personal goals.

If you are in the Shattering Expectations Club, you can use your target audience worksheet and pain points document that accompanies the Market Like You Mean It course to ensure each subtheme is relevant and engaging.

Step 4: Duration

Deciding on the duration for each subtheme plays a crucial role in the impact and effectiveness of your marketing efforts. The timeframe for a subtheme can vary – it can be as short as a week, extend for a month, or even span several weeks. Remember, these are broken down from your main themes, whose duration also can vary.  The key factors that guide this decision include the depth and complexity of the topic at hand, as well as the specific marketing activities and campaigns you plan to execute around it.

A subtheme with a rich, multifaceted topic may require a longer duration to explore and engage your audience fully. For instance, a subtheme like “Mindfulness in Daily Life” could span a month, allowing time to delve into various aspects like meditation techniques, mindfulness in the workplace, and its benefits for mental health.

Conversely, a more straightforward subtheme might be effectively communicated in a shorter timeframe. A week-long focus on “Summer Hydration Tips” could be ample to cover essential advice, product recommendations, and user engagement activities.

Remember, effective marketing is not just about broadcasting your message; it’s about creating a dialogue that speaks directly to your audience’s interests and needs. Subthemes are your tool to make this conversation engaging, relevant, and impactful.

In our next blog, we’ll explore how to choose and utilize imagery that not only complements your thematic content but also strengthens and amplifies your message. Stay tuned to deepen your understanding of thematic marketing and how it can elevate your brand’s connection with its audience.