The firehose of content flooding the digital space is ferocious – but, so is the appetite for it. Now, more than ever, businesses must place a stake in the ground and tell their own story by engaging in brand journalism. This is more than just content marketing – this is about building an audience and becoming a valuable resource for existing and future customers.

People are craving connection – with one another, of course, but also the brands they choose to support. They want to feed their insatiable appetite for knowledge. They want to quash their fear of missing out by being almost omnipresent, their finger on the pulse at all times. The explosion of livestreaming, a 24 hour news cycle, and hundreds of million of hours worth of video watched each day barely fulfill these never-ending desires.

So, how does brand journalism come into play? Businesses must be much more than content factories, pumping out videos, blogs and imagery for the sake of it. Rather, they must be thoughtful and strategic about the stories they tell  – human stories from unique perspectives.  

After all, the art of creating timely, meaningful, authentic stories based on human insight and relevance to the audience is a craft the journalism industry has perfected over the centuries. And there are tried, tested and true methods that can be adapted to the marketing space. 

Great brand journalism has the ability to teach people something new, stir up emotion or create inspiration and motivation. Great brand journalism takes a human insight and cracks it wide open, hitting a nerve, making people think. Most importantly, it sparks a conversation. 

Here are a few ways to be a better brand journalist:

1. Behave Like a Newsroom

Newsrooms are well-oiled machines designed for maximum output in a deadline-driven environment.  Editorial meetings take place daily or weekly to discuss story ideas and angles, holding reporters accountable for their responsibilities and shaping each story as new perspectives are shared. Reporters have beats, becoming subject matter experts in specific areas so they can dig deeper and have the historical background. Journalists follow up on tips and work their leads, turning to trusted sources for insider info. They research, fact check and standardize formatting and content packaging.  Most of all, they are guided by the priorities of the audience. 

How this translates to business:

• Set deadlines
• Schedule editorial planning sessions to keep on track and accountable
• Showcase expertise in a specific area and bring in other subject matter experts, such as guest content creators  to help round out the topics
• Conduct proper interviews with your subjects and use quotes
• Put time and effort into writing excellent blog posts
• Work leads for story ideas (team members, customers, partners, industry relationships)
• Do research, get the facts right and standardize formatting
• Keep tabs on industry news that might impact storytelling angles

2. Start With the Human Insight

Before going down the path of crafting any content, first think about why it matters to the audience. Perhaps it’s need-to-know info, based on frequently asked questions from customers or urgent and late-breaking developments. Maybe there’s something interesting about how people use your product or service differently that will grab attention. And more broadly, there might be societal insights, cultural phenomena and larger trends that could lead to a deeper storytelling opportunity.

3. Always Consider Context

Ultimately, we all need to answer the question: “Why is my business telling this story?”  A great story can be lost on an audience unless there is careful attention paid to the context in which it is positioned.

For starters, think about whether this is a topic your business should be covering and what role you have to play in the conversation. Next, look at how the content is being set up when it’s distributed. Context can be implied due to seasonality, trending news or holidays, for example. But, without the crutch of seasonality, the audience shouldn’t need to question why it is relevant to them. Taking the time to build a distribution plan to accompany your brand journalism efforts will lead to greater success – especially when it comes to targeting the right people at the right time.

Do you want to tell your company’s story through effective brand journalism? Get in touch with us!