The trend subordinates marketing teams to communication management
—Okay, everything seems so absurdly logical that I don't understand why it hasn't been done until now. For what is this? What did we fail in? How can I implement brand journalism 1 in a content strategy in my company?
All heads turned towards me as if they were waiting for the magic word that would open their horizons to consolidate themselves as brands in the market. But I, who tend to be verbose, responded:
—Being very clear and without wanting to run. With patience and calm.
And from there, I pointed out some aspects that any Special Data entrepreneur should be very clear about before getting down to work.
The brand journalist applies the global content strategy
Brand journalism is the new professional specialization that applies the global content strategy in companies and institutions.
The techniques and criteria used in marketing, public relations and internal relations do not work. A new profile is needed who knows how to write HTML, disseminate and bring together information components, who has knowledge of UX and AI, SEO... and extensive professional experience in the development of traditional or highly specialized journalism.
Therefore, it is necessary to retrain communication professionals integrated into the organization by directing them towards brand journalism.
The global content strategy is a company culture
Everything is content and everyone participates in the generation of content that is transmitted transparently and honestly, to differentiate itself from competitors.
The implementation of this new concept in the company has a very long-term perspective, with the aim of strengthening the brand and achieving, due to its implicit notoriety, lower costs in advertising, communication, implementation of new products in markets, etc.
Brand journalism content covers all platforms and media
The website is the core of the new brand communication. But the content is not prepared only for the website. It is also offered from mobile devices and, obviously, it will not be the same or as wordy.
The message, the content, is also in newsletters, books, instruction manuals, technical circulars, internal communication, company stationery, videos, infographics... The content is generated independently of the platform or support. It becomes a material created to easily adapt to any container, regardless of its technology or capacity.
Content is the voice of the brand
The company already has an image: the logo, the corporate colors, the decoration of the facilities, the company stationery, the advertising language, the packaging... The content adapts and acts as the unique voice for the company. The user, when he receives a message from the company, conceptually humanizes it by associating a way of speaking with the abstract entity that is the brand.
Slow results content strategy
Results will not be obtained overnight. The process is slow, but sure and with unstoppable growth.
You can, however, act immediately by applying content marketing techniques for specific campaigns or crisis communication in the face of sudden changes in the scenario .
The marketing director is subordinate to the communications director
The trend in companies that are applying content strategies—mainly in the United States—is the progressive subordination of marketing teams to communications directors, who assume new responsibilities in creating the company's voice. They now direct the global content strategy, manage the creation of messages, control the effectiveness of communication, coordinate the marketing managers of each area, division or brand, maintain contact with the user, detect information gaps, and propose and define promptly make changes to the production process that they consider immediately applicable.
The subordination is due, among other reasons, to the fact that the life cycle of the marketing director in the company is shorter, focused on short-term results. On the other hand, the communications director remains in the company much longer and his vision is very long-term.
You should never become obsessed with creating more and more content. Only the quality of the content matters
An economic or marketing vision alone is not useful for the position. The new communications director must have solid knowledge of communication theory. Without that, failure is assured.
Content is not a question of quantity
Experience indicates that the success of a content strategy is not a question of quantity, but of quality.
One of our clients, with a web-application of more than 1,400 pages and an annual turnover of almost 1.8 billion euros, has only required a rethinking of the content of just over 20 pages and a three-year production calendar for new content. view that is reduced to a few actions outsourced annually and on mixed platforms—web, newsletter and download.
You do not need to have company blogs, news sections, or serious alterations to the website structure. You don't need a newsroom of journalists to feed the communication cauldron. The company's public relations continue and will continue to carry out their work as before, but with a new mentality.
Continuous content creation is not always required. Perhaps, just the review of what is being done or has been done. In very few cases a complete writing integrated into the company will be needed.
