Think like a publisher 

It’s well reported that in today’s digital age, where there is an abundance of information, attention is the ‘capital’ for every business looking to grow its customer base. 

It’s no longer enough to rely on ‘what’ you do but key to success today is the attention you have. Without it, customers won’t know that your company, product or brand exists which is why it’s such a perquisite to purchase. 

So how do you attract attention? Two words – great content.

Reports show that 94% of B2B buyers conduct some form of online research before making a purchase (88% for a consumer product), moving themselves down the sales journey before they’re ready to buy. In fact, the majority of the time companies and professionals know pretty much what they want by the time they contact an organisation to purchase.

The bonus is that we live in an omni-channel world. The rise of social media, the multitude of online news platforms, and the advances in visual and audio, means organisations have easy access to an array of channels and means by which they can creatively share content to directly engage with customers. Supplement these with well targeted print publications and newspapers – estimated to be read by three times more people than purchase it – and you’ve got an amazing socially sharing environment through which to ‘talk to’ customers directly or via the powerful influence of the media and their extensive loyal readers. 

Sounds easy enough but in order to reach your customers through these channels in a way that effectively builds brand awareness, reputation and a loyal following (the same way publishers do), then companies need to also think like publishers. And that means creating regular, compelling content that’s useful to the recipient, channelled through multiple routes that reach and influence your customers. 

I recently heard how “Content is the currency of media” and that couldn’t be more true. 

It’s the most valuable asset you have to attract and build new customer relationships, and the best thing is you’ll find you have tons of it already there within your company – expert insight, news, advice, customer stories etc that can all be turned into interesting and informative stories. 

But it has to be the right content which means extracting the best stories and communicating them in the right way. Hype and spin has no place today. Customers don’t care about self-promotional, ego centric messages. It brings no value to them. 

When writing or producing content think, why would customers care about what you’re sharing? Walk in their shoes – what are their challenges and problems? How can your company help above and beyond others?

Is the style and format in which you’re presenting the information correct for example video and short articles or blogs can work best for more time poor customers.  Use an omni-channel approach to get maximum impact and reach for example, use the power and influence of traditional and online media platforms doubled up with your social media channels to echo and reinforce the message. 

See how the traditional media does it and you’ll see why they remain such a powerful endorser of their own and other company brands they feature. They already understand your customers so know what content engages, allowing you to instantly tap into their loyal subscribers as part of a multi-channel approach. 

If you’re writing for the media, check what you’re offering suits the style of the title and their readers. This is not only important to ensure your article, news, case study etc gets published but will ensure your article resonates well with their readers. 

So, think like a publisher  – have a good flow of relevant, compelling content going out daily via multiple channels that capture’s your customers’ attention away from your competitors, and most importantly, builds your reputation as the trusted authority in your industry that people will always turn to when they need a solution to their challenge. 

For advice on how to create a powerful content communications strategy that will captivate your customers and help grow your business, contact the HeadOn PR team now on 01242 335246 or hello@headonpr.co.uk