Clients ask about online “best practices”, so we’re pleased to share that latest from the Council of Public Relations Firms’ annual Critical Issues Forum, entitled “The Content Frenzy.” Speakers at the October event in New York included the world’s top social media, news and marketing experts.
They agreed upon some universal themes:
- Building relationships with readers/viewers should be the priority, not filing up content. Give people what they want/need: useful and valuable info.
- Companies (and their customers) should tell stories; that’s the content that works. (relevant and readable)
- Engagement should be the goal in creating content. “Create conversations, not campaigns” in the voice of the customer (as in real people talking to one another, rather than “brand” messages.
- The creation of compelling and sharing content should begin with every organization asking itself three questions:
- Is it “real” (authentic) or “staged” – and first identify the “universal truth” regarding if/why people want a product/service.
- Do we have capacity to create it? (this drives the decision about hiring it done, and who to hire)
- What’s the value of the earned media and sharability that we hope to gain from creating this content? (this drives the budget)
- “Content Marketing” (non-paid content placed on a site owned by the marketer) and “Native Advertising” (paid reach on public or social platforms) are both pervasive and “here to stay.” All speakers agreed “Transparency is the Key” (disclosure of a paid role).
Pro Tip: Lewis Dvorkin, Chief Product Officer at Forbes Media, said, “Forbes selects topics, writes text and designs pages with “online shareability” foremost in minds.” Forbes tracks how content is shared online, and reaches a larger audience of people who are more likely to consume products/services.
Hanser & Associates can help your social program and extend your reach.