The way PR people and communication professionals are exploring the digital space, I doubt whether the old school content marketers would actually be able to survive.
Most of us generally starts from content promotion at first instance to reach out to the target audience. But we hardly analyse the purpose of the content, whom we intent to reach, what are the tools for promotion, the platforms, what to talk in what manners, what objectives are gonna met and so forth. Now a high time has arrived for the agencies and also for the content marketeers to dig deep into some framework and consolidate the approach accordingly.
A working framework for example:
- Communication TG – Internal and External
- Internal audience- Directors, Employees, Departments, Investors
- External audience- Share holders, Customers, Vendors, Future TG, Govt, Society
Objectives of communication for each of the above TG – Mission/Vision, future risk mitigation, relationship, reputation, Ethics, Trust, Numbers, Growth, Brand, New products, value, innovation, branding, tax, ethics, CSR, PR, support, sales, marketing, training, hr, delivery, future crisis management, media relation etc.
What are talking points to these target audience for the objectives? Storytelling for brand and product, testimonials, reviews, growth story, possible global crisis, structural crisis, competition, inside story, culture, community story, better living for people, tax, technology and products, RnD etc.
How the talking points could be communicated? Images, copy, video, PPT, white papers, blog posts, brochure, annual reports, audio clips, apps, games, public speaking, interviews…keep adding all possible communication ways.
Channels for communication of all the above talking points:
- Digital – website, social media (classify further since purposes and audience behaviors are different), email, apps, gamification, bots, screensavers,
- Traditional – annual report, magazines, in-store audio, DOOH, transit media, MT/GT/SMT, seminars, training…
- Mix bound – See where we can collaborate the traditional to digital – may be live or in terms of content promotion. Decide how we save our content and use the same in digital space as per the objectives, talking points and TG.
Again, if you are in an agency, don’t try this for small clients as this is really time taking and research oriented stuff. Only big clients can afford such consultancy.
If you are a communication professional in certain organization, try to collaborate with digital team or the digital agency to achieve the objectives.
Content marketing is the by product of corporate communication and PR. If done right, this will give you a great mileage and influential marketing will automatically fall in place. The content should be great and authentic.
Hope you will share your thoughts here.
