One Pink Tutu at a Time

Breast cancer. There’s nothing fun or funny about it. It’s not a subject that makes you think about content marketing. Breast cancer and social media content marketing might appear to be an unlikely combo, but Bob Carey and The Tutu Project not only succeed, they excel.

Bob’s wife, Linda, is a breast cancer survivor. During her treatment, he sought ways to help her through it. His concept—ridiculous photographs of himself—struck a chord with his wife, and she shared them with others during her chemo treatments. Bob’s a professional photographer, and they had just moved to the East Coast when he began taking self-portraits wearing a pink tutu. The photos made Linda laugh and six years after her second bout with the disease, Bob and Linda self-published Ballerina, a collection of his photos and stories. The media picked up the story, there was an appearance on Today, and the rest, as they say, is history. Now there’s a website, blog, social media presence, book, calendar and prints.

So, you may be thinking, a guy had a clever idea and that’s great, but how does that help me? The Tutu Project’s success is worth noting because they’re doing content marketing right. They have something of value to say. They understand the power of a great image. They deliver an authentic message. They do not deviate from their mission. They know how to leverage social media.

The Tutu Project’s Pinterest has 11 boards, including two community boards with hundreds of pins each. Their Instagram account has more than 4,600 followers for the clever images they’re posting. On Twitter, their tweets are not shorter versions of their Facebook posts; they are a conversation with their 6,000+ followers. The Facebook posts draw strong levels of engagement, which is supported by having in excess of 200,000 likes.

Each time you see something pink during the month of October, chances are you’ll be asked to think about breast cancer, donate, support or take action by having a mammogram. I would add asking yourself if your efforts to communicate are as successful as the Carey’s. You don’t need to wear a tutu on a deserted beach like Bob, just deliver authentic content that speaks to the hearts of your audience.

Enjoyed this post? Read other articles by Kathleen.

Kathleen Gossman – Project Manager