The year 2010 has turned out to be a watershed for the evolution of editorial content. Until recently, the PR profession had largely adopted a “content-is-content” attitude. This dictated that we may need to write a little more compactly for the Web or be sure to get keywords in the title and the lead; but at its foundation, the writing varied little. And it has been writing that defines content.
Every journalist understands, however, that writing is the last stage of creating editorial content. Many PR professionals have all but shunted the most vital stage: reporting. Information gathered days, weeks or even months earlier is recycled into bylines, blogs, Web pages and e-newsletters, with little or no updating.
This content becomes “writing,” but it can no longer really be viewed as “news.” Often, it fails even to qualify as reflecting a trend. Search engines and sites like Google, Twitter and Yahoo publish trends in near real time and they shift over news cycles. Calling the “cloud,” “green technology” or “electronic health records” trends is wholly insufficient now. Trends build and erupt like sudden thunderstorms in the cloud.
Today’s rapidly changing content demands an increased emphasis on reporting. An examination of eight current trends in content reveals the new essential role that reporting plays in content development:
1. Content farms: Sometimes considered a scourge because of the massive amounts of substandard articles they produce, content farms are collections of writers who develop thousands of articles every day so that “information” Web sites can sell ads around them.
2. Content curation: Curation involves people bringing forward the most valuable content that relates to sets of criteria and subject matter. The TopRank online marketing blog has this to say about content curation: “Blending a mix of new content with the filtering and management of other useful information streams is a productive … solution for providing prospective customers a steady stream of high-quality …content.
3. Hyper-localization: Hyper-local newspapers may print dozens or hundreds of editions, relying on the reporting of citizen journalists. To these publishers, reporters on the scene trump sophisticated writing skills.
4. Real-time news streams: On blogs, reporters are posting updates on breaking news stories in real time. Some analysts expect streaming news elements to become a crucial part of traditional news sources in the future.
5. Marketers as reporters: Marketers are producing their own print publications, often containing information on trends in a particular industry or business segment. The process begins with basic reporting and news gathering to create thought leadership.
6. Video: Video segments are rapidly becoming as popular as written content online, not only because they are entertaining but because they provide “visual reporting” of today’s stories.
7. Smarter, more mindful readers: A revolt of sorts against hyper-consumerism is underway. Shoppers want more information about products and services so they can make more purposeful decisions. They want simpler content without the hype.
8. Keyword search: Even the process of search engine optimization is one of exploring the habits of individuals to find what target audiences are thinking—i.e., reporting—to find the most popular (trending) keywords.
Excellent writing skills are a crucial talent for any PR practitioner, but good writing first demands good information-gathering that is relevant to specific audiences.
PR professionals need to engage in more reporting if they intend for the content they produce to be relevant in a world of citizen reporters. Become the media and try the following:
• Do not simply regurgitate what clients or customers feed you. Engage with and challenge them the way media would to gain better insights.
• Take time to learn what resonates with audiences, and you’ll form greater connections. Interview customers, analysts and other influencers to provide them with more functional information.
• Track digital and social placements, and monitor and respond to the resulting dialogue. Keep up with what other citizen reporters are saying, because they’re keeping up with you.
By practicing good reporting, you will generate better content—resulting in more awareness for your client or organization. PRN
CONTACT:
Steve Friedman is director of marketing communications at Airfoil Public Relations. He can be reached at [email protected].