Content is king

Content is becoming an increasingly important part of the marketing and PR mix, and the trend has only been exacerbated by the current lockdown writes Kat Mitchell.

As part of the process of designing our marketing services I have been doing detailed market research with senior marketing and communications professionals from a range of financial and professional services companies.

One theme has pervaded all my conversations – content.

What are people saying?

Large asset managers and insurance companies are confidently churning out marketing content, but in many cases are struggling to tweak this content (or create new content from scratch) for the media.

The big consultancies are continuing to book advertising slots with plans to fill them with advertorial content. But many admit they have a skills gap in house to create compelling content that confidently strides the line between promotion and education.

Smaller specialist providers, IFAs, and accountants are struggling to get airtime in the media as number of opportunities shrink so are turning to social media content to increase brand and personal profiles.

COVID 19 has sped up the process of the shrinking of media opportunities as journalists face increasing pressures working from home and many face budgets/staffing cuts as a result of falling advertising revenues.

One topic that has raised its head in dozens of these conversations is specialist support. Many of those I spoke to say there are a lot of agencies out there, but very few that they are confident really have the necessary in-depth knowledge of the markets in which they operate. They say there is too much of a focus on winning the business, and not enough focus on really getting to know their new clients and nurturing what has been won.

Where do I start with my content?

Anyone can write but is a specialist skill to write well. By letting an untrained or non-specialised writer loose on your marketing content you could end up doing more harm than good.

Not every marketing team includes someone with strong writing skills. The result can be clumsy or insensitive communications which end up rubbing your clients and prospects up the wrong way.

So what do you do when that specialist skill isn’t available to you in house?

I have written a short guide to choosing a writer to help get you started.

Content is king at Brandon Consulting Services.

We specialise in distilling complex topics and information into clear, understandable, and interesting content.

We also work with clients to help define their content marketing strategy and plans.

Integrated marketing campaigns are our bread and butter so we love the excuse to take a piece of content and make sure you get the best bang for your buck by combining it with our PR and other marketing communications services.

Get in touch today to learn more about how we can help you.