Tweet

PR is undergoing a revolution

Guest post by: Craig Badings

Article Overview: The PR industry globally is undergoing one of its biggest changes since social media boomed across the web – it’s called content strategy. In this article, Craig Badings, a 22 year veteran of the PR industry, explores how this is impacting the industry and how marketers and PR professionals will need to adapt.

PR is undergoing a revolution

The PR industry globally is undergoing one of its biggest changes since social media boomed across the web – it’s called content strategy and it’s rocketing through the traditional corridors of marketing and PR.

Why do you think a well-known global PR firm recently appointed an ex BBC journalist as Chief Content Officer?

We all know content’s not new it’s what we’ve been doing for years. In fact when PR first started in the US, companies employed journalists to write content that looked and sounded the way the company wanted. So why would I flag something that has been around the PR world forever as one of the biggest changes facing our industry?

Because the rules of the content game have changed dramatically. First, traditional content development and production required a significant process, budget and distribution but nowadays you can do it from your mobile phone and include sound, image and video if needed.

Second, the gap between the customer and the company has closed. Not only is the time of content to market almost immediate but clients and customers can interact with the company in real time with real people – except of course for those wretched voice response calls when you call your telecom provider!

Three words come to mind: strategic, authentic, storytelling. Companies can no longer interact with their audiences the way they have in the past. The days of controlling and owning brand messages are gone.

Today brands need to engage and interact with their audiences in different ways.

We no longer live in the world of top-down story telling. Instead we have entered a world where entertaining, authentic and engaging story-telling is what our customers want.

Our content should connect with an audience so they feel inclined to interact, share, comment and most importantly own and believe it.

The PR person of today and tomorrow needs to be a great story teller. No more corporate speak, no more messaging cow clods, no more “We’ll tell you what you need to know and don’t ask us questions.”

The way customers search for information these days means we need to deliver a fantastic content experience. Instead of pitching products and services, our role is to deliver customers knowledge in an entertaining, timely, informative and non-promotional way that helps them make decisions and that enables them to share the content with their consumer friends or B2B colleagues.

First we need to know the customer But to get this right and in order to deliver great content that hits the right spot we better be sure we clearly define the audience. We should understand their needs and their issues as well as know where and how they consume content.

Only then can we truly develop a content asset and distribution strategy to reach, educate and inspire them.

Content strategy is long-term The key is to engage the customer for the long-term. To do this, as PR practitioners, we will need to measure the impact of our content across various stages of the buying cycle. Finding and understanding your audience in the first place takes time, effort and resources so why do it if you aren’t in the content game for the long haul.

Our clients must become publishers Most companies, whether they are consumer or B2B oriented, will need to become publishers. If not they are missing not only a huge opportunity to engage with their customers but they will lose ground to their competitors.

When someone like Seth Godin says that content marketing is “all the marketing that is left” as PR practitioners we should sit up and take note.

Related Articles
  Is Capitalism, as Seen by Enterpreneuers now, Good or Bad?
  Read On Book Review ~ twitter Revolution
  New Years Resolution, Do Not Make One This Year?
  Can Music Make Your Sales Force More Effective?
  About time we heard what the aging population can DO together
  Bad News and Problems with Hulu
  Is It Time For A Revolution?
  Amazon and Apple Have Changed the Publishing Industry
  Building A Twitter Account With A Good Reputation – Some Handy Tips to Fast Clean List Building
  It's Time for a Revolution....But Not THAT KIND!
  Mud Season. Not.
  Unharnessing Creativity in Business
  History of the Green Revolution
  The Single Most Effective Marketing Strategy to Get Clients and Marketing Professional Services
  LinkedIn is a Tool for Success that is Often Overlooked
  Finance & Economics Books
  Social Media and Social Change
  5 Steps For Starting a Home Based Business
  Eight Reasons to Include Search Engine Marketing in Your PR Campaign
  Talk Shows Rule Daytime TV – Now Learn how To Book Yourself

Article Tags: content, content strategy, PR, PR revolution



Related Forum Posts
Newbie from Indiana - Hi everyone. This is my first post here. My name is Laurie and I own an online directory which I've owned for several years now. I am kind of 'starting over' with it and it is currently undergoing massive updating that will take a few months. I am just very excited about everything and happy to join these forums. I look forward to getting to know some of you and to learning a lot from all of you. Thanks! Laurie Web-Beacon Directory
I developed a personal tool - That's a great idea!. I'm not an Internet Marketing student or expert but the term "revolution" comes to my mind.
Internet Marketing - That's a great idea. I'm not an Internet Marketing student or expert but the term "revolution" comes to my mind.
Re: Which is the best for beginners? - In the present scenario internet marketing is the new revolution in the online business. You can make a website and promote it on internet. you can also earn through ad sense and even you can do affiliate marketing. If you want to start new business at your own, you can start easily from a website.
Re: Who inspired you to start? - Hi Evan, I was inspired by Mr. Bill Gates ever since I was a student learning Computers. But I was motivated for Internet as my Business, when I read his book "The Road Ahead" in 1995. It was in this book that Gates laid out his vision of an interconnected world built around the Internet. Based on the premise that life will be transformed by the convergence of inexpensive computing and inexpensive communications, Gates drew from his experience at the center of the personal computer revolution to give insights on the growth, evolution and impact of technology. I had always looked up to Bill Gates as my idol. When I read this book, it made me more focussed on Microsoft and Internet, The Internet was one of the upcoming things in this time. So I took over to the Internet as my primary business. Regards,


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Do You Pretend To Listen To People?

Top 5 Tips for Better Online Ads

Secrets of Successful Business Partnering

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.