The Blog Hub
Content marketing and public relations are “in the family” you might say, each a distinctive marketing tool within the broader strategy of brand communications.
However, like most family members, they have their similarities and their differences: each come to the family marketing reunion with their very distinct benefits and challenges.
Which should you use? Both, really, but the how, when, and why depends on your resources and goals.
Did you know that 80% of prospective customers or clients prefer learning about a company from custom content? What that means is content that describes the business and offers value, insight, and even incentives, about the brand. What are the options, then, to advertising and promoted content strategies?
A recent survey by the highly-respected research company Nielsen reveals confidence-inspiring findings for all of us who believe in the power of the fourth estate: A 2018 Nielsen Survey notes that journalism is trusted by 92% of consumers, ranking above independent consumer reviews.
I have to tell you about an interesting business proposal we received last week. Interesting not for the complexity of the project, but fascinating in terms of the proposed terms. Fascinating, yet not unique, which leads me to this conversation.
Intrigued? Hmmm...yes.
There's been a lot of change happening in the world of communications, much of it is affecting two issues near and dear to my heart:
1. My client's thought leadership
2. The swiftly-evolving landscape of marketing, and the expansion of paid content.
Last week had some serendipity happening, in that several incidents converged and prodded me to give some thought to our evolving communications marketplace, and the changing roles of Paid, Earned, Shared and Owned Media*. Here's the outcome:
Three Things Happened
1. Top Media Access for Almost No Money
Yet again, someone called and wanted to be featured in the New York Times for a grand total investment of $500. I responded in my usual fashion; thanking them politely for contacting me, sending on some free DIY reading materials, then hanging up and having a small fit. Again.
2. Yet, Someone is Doing This
A number of someones, apparently, as a partner of mine mentioned one of several companies that provide "cooked to order" articles in top publications, for the cost of most New York agency's lunch meetings. While this has been part of the landscape for quite some time, I'm seeing a proliferation tipping point.
3. I had my Bias Surgically Removed
By this, I meant I stepped back and took a hard look at the industry and its changes. I need to stop automatically dismissing, and start thinking about this here-to-stay member of the marketing ecosystem.
Here is What I Saw, This is What I Think
Yes, indeed, the change in access to top publications has opened dramatically. Content networks, and agencies focused on providing client-vetted articles to "top outlets" has proliferated, and this is not anything new.
Democratic Ecosystem
It is part of the very democratic ecosystem that allows enterprises and thought leaders to get their messages out in the marketplace in a controlled manner. From dialogue across social platforms, to paid-message positioning and paid amplification, the enterprise is now also the gatekeeper. This is an excellent thing, as elbow grease and budget can now allow companies and their founders to drive their market dialogue.
The Slippery Slope Downside: Third Person Credibility
There is a caveat however; institutions, conventions, media and markets are in many ways like a luxury car or fine jewelry: these things only hold their value if the market consensus agrees there is value; and one of the hallmarks of value is quality and rarity.
To put it bluntly, if anyone with the price of a weekend trip to the beach can be featured in a top business magazine, then what is the value of that coverage in the publication?
Right. Not much. So, what protects the asset value of true earned media, the independent coverage of an issue, executive or company, by a credentialed journalist when favorable coverage and low-cost interviews are readily available?
Google: Thought Leadership's Digital Guardian
While Google means many things in the marketing universe, for the discipline of public relations and its role as conveyor of thought leadership, Google has emerged as ultimate boundary and gate-keeper. It ranks and reveals quality content, and pushes away the also-rans (which is why some of my client's coverage outranks even their website; a powerful earned media placement carries significant gravitas in the search world).
Why is Google the thought leadership gatekeeper? Because it needs to retain its role as unbiased source of legitimate search. Allowing search to be impacted by paid-placement media results ultimately lowers the confidence of the consumer in Google ranking and results. An earlier post of ours takes a look at the power of Google, SEO and public relations.
This is content which is featured "as seen in" on company websites cannot be found in search. Google won't index independent content, as it impacts credibility. And that is an issue as critical for thought leaders and enterprises as it is for the world's foremost search engine. Which means, in my humble opinion, the need for journalists, and independent news coverage, is here to stay. But so are the other communication strategies.
What does all of this boil down to? Here's what I decided
Pam's Three Laws of Thought Leadership Immutability
1. Original, Visionary Thinking Always Needed
Leaders of companies and causes lead precisely because they see pain points, solutions, big pictures, and are often the very first to see things in a fresh new light. Society needs them; we most especially need to hear what they have to say, and read their words. The role of the public relations expert is to help them get their words out to a larger world. This need will never change.
2. The Market Decides. Always
Marketplaces are peculiar things. On a collective level, there is a continual surge and recede as solutions, products, trends and thinking are adopted and discarded. If prestigious publications are flooded with paid content, it is highly likely the market will decide the publication is not as prestigious, or more importantly, credible**. It is no accident that media outlets considered to be "authentic" have seen extraordinary rise in readership and revenues; it is a natural reaction to the rising tide of paid and opinion-driven content being served across all channels. So, yes, paid content is valuable, and will largely find a receptive audience. But issues such as credibility and trust will belong to what they perceive as independent media coverage.
3. There is a Time and a Place
The reality is the marketplace - and marketing industry - needs a smart mix of ALL the channels, paid and earned. While there is tremendous benefit to having an independent journalist cover an executive's forward thinking, or a company's breaking news, the reality is paid marketing content is critical for sustained, managed engagement with the consumer.
My course of action for my clients is to keep these channels separate and distinct. Do not try and pass off a paid placement, advertorial or other controlled content as the work of an independent, credible journalist. Both Google and your market community will look askance. DO, however, use the paid and and PR channel mix to carry a blend of strategic messages and market touch-points across social, digital and media channels, ultimately connecting with your customer in a fluid, seamless and multi-channel way.
*At the crux of this change is a topic I've written about previously: PESO - the strategic combination of Paid, Earned, Shared and Owned media channels, and their impact on both the brand and the position of company executive leadership.
**This research summary provides a valuable look into consumers'relationship with the media.
NGData.com published a look at business analytics from the perspective of 33 experts across industries, and shared my insight on the role of analytics in the earned media/public relations industry. We're happy to share their comments and my contribution. Full transcript of story can be read here.
Enterprises are making use of business analytics more than ever before, but with myriad options to consider – let alone thousands of metrics to measure and analyze – it’s not always immediately clear what insights companies should be focused on. It’s actually quite easy to get lost in the sea of Big Data, leaving valuable information on the table that could transform your marketing and sales operations and boost your bottom line.
A 15 year+ veteran of the communications industry, Pam relies on data daily in her work through PRA Public Relations. She also serves as mentor, volunteer, speaker, and writer for social impact, entrepreneurism and education/STEM issues. She’s helped countless clients, causes and colleagues work through their toxic thought blocks and go on to be engaged communicators and doers in their industries.
“The best customer insights from data analytics are had by…”
Getting outside! Pulling only internal analytics is like polling your family about their opinion on.your family. It’s immediately accessible, the data participants are highly knowledgeable about the subject matter, they are stake-holders – but it’s not a complete capture of opinion data. You need outsider input too. So my advice is to get outside!
By get outside, I don’t mean heading outdoors to enjoy the fresh air (although that’s really smart advice for any overly-focused data analytics professional). The key to meaningful analytics is to pull enough external data to ensure you are getting a more accurate, comprehensive view of your customer or community segment.
Why does it matter? Because external market data helps us get a 360 degree look at our market environment. It helps us see what our competitors are doing – or not. It helps us identify the trends, developments, and quick pivots by which the enterprise will thrive or die.
So yes, do your cohort analysis, traffic flow, search queries, and the like. Then, go to an external source for data about the competitive community. In my communications field, obtaining external data analytics is key to success. Here are a few resources we use, and a couple that are free/affordable hacks for data seekers working in the limited budget or DIY mode.
Media analytics:
We’re a fan of Meltwater, a media data resource that helps us aggregate and analyze key media trends, overall sentiment ratings, geographical topic focus and more.
Google AdWords:
Google, as usual, is a wealth of resource. Its Ad Planner and Keyword tools help enterprises zero in on the search phrases that are earning traction in the market place, while identifying small silos of opportunity.
Competitor keywords:
Oh, it’s grand to know what your competitors value enough to pay for. Freemium sites such as SpyFu provide reasonable data estimates of paid keyword, budget spends and more.
Social mention:
See in near real time the trending dialogue around competitors, issues, trends and your enterprise.
So, get outside your usual routines, and take a look at the analytics that will deliver insight to your message and marketplace.
Don't cry over your lack of good PR, get to work and master some earned media skills
You’ve tried everything to get digital media coverage. You really worked to get important journalist from that top media outlet interested in your company news. You’ve called. You’ve emailed. Maybe even a little Twitter stalking went on. Yet, no public relations-meets-media-coverage success has happened.
Don’t let your colleagues’ well-meaning sympathy steer your wrong. It’s definitely you. But it's not your fault. Today's world of earned media coverage is a fickle and fast-moving place.
So don't give up,. and don't weep either. Just read through these tips, help yourself to our free "Ten Tools for Media Mastery" download, and get to work on your earned media coverage success.
There's a powerful partnership driving the media world today: the deepening integration of search engine optimization (SEO) and public relations. This partnership is powered in equal measures by Google's changing viewpoint on earned media (PR) content, and marketeer's ongoing understanding that native advertising is only part of the game.
This partnership of credible media coverage and digital traction is the rich material that brand awareness, market reach and web presence is made of for enterprises and the agencies guiding them.
Google: A Slate of Updates
Over the past year or so, Google has released more than 15 updates that have made Google’s preference for credible editorial clear. Some of the most significant changes, from this earned media person’s humble point of view, include:
Taken together, this is a remarkable migration away from mechanical treatment of SEO content, and a positive move towards the ranking of natural, credible, content results. For mobile-friendly communities, this is an equally powerful move, making previously-siloed content easily searchable across the web.
Public relations has emerged as search engine optimization’s strongest tool, and a must-have partner for any digital content or social strategy
The Take-Away? Genuine, Credible, Earned Content is Carrying the Day
The ranking of social content in search further ensures communications are coming out of the "social only," "digital only" and "PR only" silos and merging into an integrated, 360-degree communications model. While the consumer community struggles to understand native advertising and promoted content’s role in the web world, (suggested read on this topic: Native Advertising Survey: Very Few Know of Native Advertising Concept), media-driven coverage, in tandem with content marketing, has emerged as a winning partnership in today's web world.
Which is terrific news for anyone with a story to tell in today’s digital marketplace, don't you agree?
