The Fundamentals of Brand Journalism

Dear Steemians,

Here my second post in a serial on brand journalism. Brand journalism is a philosophy that many think is the future of PR. It allows brands to become an authority in their area of expertise, by investing in content and becoming a regular provider of news. Silicon Valley reporter Tom Foremski captured the essence of brand journalism in the formula EC=MC: Every Company = a Media Company.

Photo Source: Pixabay

In my previous post on this topic, I discussed what brand journalism means and why it’s so important for brands to embrace it.

Some believe that there is more discussion about brand journalism than brands actually practicing it. However, there are many more brand journalism initiatives out there than you might think. It’s a technique being used successfully by B2B and B2C companies alike.

Although there is no definitive recipe for success. First you need to get the basics right. So here are my ten fundamental rules of brand journalism:

1. You must read (not just write): There is a lot of content out there. If you want to be a true brand journalist, it is vital to read what others are writing about your topic. Duplicating existing content is a waste of your, and your audiences’, time.
2. Engage with other influencers: The key to becoming an online influencer is finding others and having meaningful interactions with them – not just because they can make you well-known. If you are only interested in someone because they have a lot of readers or followers, you will not build a meaningful relationship. Compare it to a sales person who is only nice to you because they want to make a deal – it’s not genuine, and people will see through it.
3. Honour your community: Don’t just read what other experts are writing about. Listen to your community and invite them to be a part of the brand, and even shape its values. Only by giving value back to your community, will your content travel and be shared by the people in your network.
4. Be smart with keywords: SEO is an important aspect of brand journalism. Google loves unique and regular content that is shared by readers. Pick your keywords wisely – think about which words and phrases your prospects will use when they are looking for your product or service. They may not necessarily be the same words that you use as a company.
5. Get visual: Online readers want to consume information quickly. Think about how you can tell your story in other ways than just words. Images, infographics and videos are a far more attractive way to get the message across and will boost engagement. So get creative!
6. Share, share, share: If you want readers to share your content, be sure to make it as easy as possible. This not only means including social share buttons on your blog platform, but also proactively sharing content with community members and influencers that you know are interested in it.
7. Don’t attempt to sell your products or services: It goes without saying that lead generation is nice to have, but it is never the ultimate goal of brand journalism. Bear this in mind when you are writing. Only unique, original and useful content will attract readers and keep them.
8. Avoid thinking in siloes: Brand journalism is largely fuelled by the marketing or communications team, but it cannot succeed without the support of other departments. Internal ambassadors are key, both in generating interesting stories and amplifying them.
9. Measure and report: Brand journalism contributes to a brand’s reputation and thought leadership. Although there is no exact way to measure this, there are many metrics that can help to show the impact of brand journalism, like web traffic, online engagement and search engine positions. Predefining KPIs, monitoring them and reporting results will help to get internal buy-in.
10. Don’t expect instant results: It takes a long-term effort to build a reputation with brand journalism. Don’t assume that success will be instant – it will come if you persevere.

 

Do you agree with these top ten rules? What would you add to the list?

Read the original on my company blog as well as on my personal one:
CommunicationsFuture

Read my first post on the serial about brand journalism