Did you see the season finale of HBO’s “The Last of Us?” As an avid gamer, every episode was must-watch TV. Perhaps more importantly, as a fan of the game, each episode was knocked out of the park, in my opinion. Here are 3 things (plus a bonus) that businesses can learn from TLOU when it comes to creating content.

1. Give each story a beginning, middle and end.

Whether you’re talking about the series overall or every episode, “The Last of Us” had a clear story to tell every time. Whether it was the story of two brothers caught in the apocalyptic world or the story of how Joel became numb to killing, the directors took their time to tell it well. When posting SEO-friendly blogs or other content, it’s important to have these, as well. Consistent flow and solid story structure not only keep readers going but also make them want to come back and see what else you write in the future. That’s how you build a relationship that could turn them into fans or customers.

2. Stories about your company should be driven by a character or a relationship.

Initially, the story of “The Last of Us” followed Joel, an everyday dude living his life in an upside-down world. However, it then evolved into a story about the relationship between Joel and Ellie (both the good and the bad). When considering content for your own company, consider the “characters” you have within your own office. What do they enjoy? Why did they get involved in your industry? What’s their backstory? Have they ever lived through an apocalypse? You’ll notice that each episode chose a character or relationship and tells the story from that angle. That, in turn, bolsters the audience’s connection with the show. Alternatively, why not get in the weeds about how your company’s relationship with your clients/customers has grown? We all know about case studies and they certainly have a place on your website. But perhaps you create content around how you met this client or any other angle that might drive traffic. Perhaps that SEO-optimized blog post gets you traffic from curious people who then follow a link to the case study.

3. Repurpose other businesses’ content for a shortcut to building your brand.

No, I’m not saying “CTRL+C, CTRL+V” is your way of building up your blog. Those who have played “The Last of Us” know that this was more of a reimagining than a retelling. However, if you see a company doing good work, work that impresses you, on their blogs or perhaps YouTube, find a way to emulate them. If a business has a fun, regular feature that showcases employees’ favorite industry-related books, what’s stopping you from doing the same while optimizing for SEO?

4. Ultimately, you can’t fail if you put some freaking zombies in there.

Comment below if you want to talk about content and how to identify and tell the great stories that exist in your office. Bonus points if you manage to get a CLICKER in there.