In the newsroom, ideas move quickly and deadlines are always right around the corner. Though they seem chaotic from the outside, newsrooms are adept at planning, creating new ideas, packaging them, and disseminating them with the public with great efficiency.
At MyMobileLyfe, we believe that this model is extremely beneficial for brands that wish to share their own stories with the public. Here is a practical guide for turning your company into a brand newsroom. MyMobileLyfe, started by two seasoned journalists, specializes in supporting companies as they seek to leverage content marketing in their broader promotional strategy.
- Keep a calendar: Branding should be consistent and established, but not static. Through your website content, social media, and advertisements, keep up with social trends and new ideas. New content leads to showing up in more search results. Keep a calendar to regularly revisit and update your webpages and social media pages.
- Encourage idea generation: Encourage teammates to submit ideas for new blog posts or branding content. This will also keep them in the mindset that they personify and represent the business to the outside world. Keep a “parking lot” pad of paper in the meeting rooms and encourage employees to keep them at their desks for when new ideas come up and schedule regular times to bring all of these “scratchpad notes” to the table for discussion, keep up to date in your industry but also in advertising trends and in the news- a broader social view and even minor cultural shifts can make a difference
- Monitor industry trends: Be on the lookout for what your target audience is interested in, their preferences, and any information gaps. Look at trends across your industry, not only to see what people like about your competitors, but also to identify what you have that others don’t.
- Know your target audience: Assess your geographic audience and their demographics. Make sure your content matches their level of education and adheres to cultural perspectives. Monitor webpage views and clicks, newsletter subscriptions and number of opens, social media “shares” and “likes.” Pay close attention to what clients or potential clients are asking or commenting on social media and in point of service interactions. If you see common questions, ask yourself if the answer is clearly indicated on the website and in ads. Monitoring for increasing inquiries for a service or product you don’t currently offer or for common concerns or complaints can help you determine when making a change would be a worthwhile investment.
- Talk to your target audience: Taking the previous point a step further, you can test messages and ads in focus groups or individual interviews. Engaging your clients on social media will encourage them to leave more useful feedback and questions, in turn, giving you more information on how to improve your product and advertising.
- Write, self-edit, and find another editor: Writing requires patience, technique, and a critical eye. Your first draft is never going to be your best draft, so after you finish your first attempt at an article, give it a thorough edit. This means more than a simple spell-check: make sure your introduction and conclusion are reflective of your idea, eliminate redundant words and sentences, and ensure that your writing style matches the expectations of your audience. And if possible, have someone in your office read your work as well. A second set of eyes can catch subtle mistakes and offer ideas that didn’t occur to you earlier.
- Use multiple distribution methods: Disseminate your brand and your creative content through various channels. Prioritize those your target audience prefers while cross posting content to broaden your reach. Also consider different accessibility needs and different cultural preferences. Diverse content dissemination, such as using newsletters, radio, google ads, social media, or print flyers, helps you reach those who may be missed and also helps repeat your message in a slightly new way making it more memorable.
Good content management rewards you with a fresh and credible reputation, broadens your reach, and helps you understand and respond to potential client interests and needs. This requires the development of an initial brand publishing strategy as well as ongoing content management. MyMobileLyfe can help you in all of these areas and help turn your brand into a brand newsroom: reach out to us today to learn more.
