graphic courtesy of slideshare.net
I’ve written frequently about brand journalism for a few years now on this site. But I’ve never written a song about it.
That’s what healthcare PR and marketing firm MediaSource did recently. Agency president Lisa Arledge Powell gave a presentation on content marketing in healthcare at a PRSA event that included the “Brand Journalizer” song.
It’s a creative if not not exactly catchy way to get the message across. The song lays out some basic but useful tenets for successful content marketing:
1. Focus on the AUDIENCE: Always consider what the audience cares about and how they will benefit. It’s not about the organization’s brand, it’s about the organization’s audience.
2. Find a VOICE: Find a real person and tell the story through their eyes.
3. Be CREDIBLE: Seek tie-ins into a national trend or bigger picture. Integrating third party stats/facts bolsters credibility.
4. Keep it SIMPLE: No ‘technical talk’-find an expert who can speak the consumer’s language.
5. Think VISUAL: The most memorable stories deliver engaging visual content.
6. UN-BRAND your content: Brand journalism is not brand-centric, but a brand journalist’s job includes figuring out how to seamlessly weave in a brand presence.
For point 2, finding a voice, a persona can often be as effective as an actual person. And point 6 about un-branding is a good one. A brand journalist doesn’t talk overtly about the sponsoring brand, he or she works the messaging into the story and makes the audience want to know more.
Here’s the Brand Journalizer song: