Plan. Build. Dream. Repeat.
4 milkshake
list, brands are taking a more concentrated
focus on the media company approach.
For example, some are employing editorsin
chief to establish and manage the type
of discipline content creation requires. In
companies that have this role, content is
much more varied and on-target, resulting
in a better connection with the customer.
“Since content is the spoken language for
building relationships, more brands should
act like media companies,” Qaqish says.
“That means they obsess over knowing and
connecting with their audience. That there
is a huge variety of content—by media type
(videos, white papers, etc.), channels (social,
email, etc.)—all based on the persona/
personalization. Creativity is a key element
in content to better make the customer
connection.”
On your mark. Get set. Create.
In today’s 24-hour news cycle, a brand’s
agenda, depending on the market it plays
in, is always changing. Some days, if the
right PR moment hits, a brand may get
that perfect lightbulb moment, resulting in
concise, relative and reactive content. But
more often than not, the need to deliver
top-tier, clickable content is ever-present.
It is in these moments—and there are
lots of them—that Rebecca Moss, Digital
PR Director for JBH PR, says you must
attracts followers and builds communities.
“The commitment—not the campaign—is
one of the key tenets of creating content,”
says Davis, Co-founder of Monumental
Shift, and a bestselling author and keynote
speaker. “Committing yourself to making
your audience’s life better on a regular basis
means you are committing to the promise
of delivering and sharing content that
matters.”
In a world where engagement gets
top billing in all marketing and branding
discussions, Davis may be a bit of an outlier.
Not a fan of the word engagement, Davis
believes brands make real connections with
their content and drive revenue. “Some
people view engagement as clicks, likes
or comments on social media. But that’s
not true engagement. If you’re going to
truly define engagement, content is what
should drive revenue. For me, engagement
is content that earns the trust and attention
of your audience—something that inspires
them to go on a journey, and prompts them
to do or buy something they didn’t expect
they would.”
At the end of the day, the goal of content
is to build trust with a prospect or a
potential audience, or an existing audience.
The bottom line is that you want them to
spend time and money with your brand. In
taking a media company approach to your
content initiative, you will be able to adopt
the mindset needed for content creation,
management and curation.
Over the past 18-plus months, as COVID
changed the way brands everywhere
communicated to their communities,
content became the ideal vehicle to build
an audience, deliver valuable insights, and
create deep and meaningful relationships.
Debbie Qaqish, DBA, says that in today’s
digital world, content is the spoken
language of building relationships.
“Today’s post-pandemic consumer wants
a language that is authentic, personal and
gives them something they can believe
in or support,” says Qaqish, Partner and
Chief Strategy Officer of The Pedowitz
Group and author of “From Backroom to
Boardroom: Earn Your Seat With Strategic
Marketing Operations.” “If your message is
filled with only your products and features,
you won’t last long in this market.”
With content often one of the largest
items on a marketing department’s budget
THE COMMITMENT—NOT THE CAMPAIGN—IS ONE
OF THE KEY TENETS OF CREATING CONTENT.”
— ANDREW DAVIS, CO-FOUNDER, MONUMENTAL SHIFT
December 2021