Upload
mohamed-mahdy
View
110
Download
2
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API
The Content Strategist ALL CATEGORIES ALL INDUSTRIES
pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API
BRANDS
7 Things Marketers Should
pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API
Know About Working WithJournalists
Written by Ryan Galloway
Image by Peerayot
APRIL 8TH, 2015
The freelance journalist you hired to cover SXSW just filed her first story. Only
problem: You don’t like the way she refers to your industry, and you’re a little
irked that she mentioned one of your competitors.
So you ask her to revise it. She makes your changes and files again. You show
the revision to your boss, who alerts you that it’s too long. You request another
revision, this time asking her to cut 200 words. When she files the next version,
pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API
you show it to another colleague who decides it might go over your audience’s
head. You ask her to revise yet again. Now you’re past your publication date,
your boss is upset, and your journalist is on the verge of quitting. Oh, and she
still hasn’t been paid for the project.
I’ve seen this happen countless times, and it never ends well.
That’s largely because few marketers know how to work with journalists. The
two industries rarely interacted in the past, but the content marketing boom is
bringing these two formerly disparate professions together. Here’s what you
need to know in order to attract—and keep—the kind of journalistic talent that
drives great content marketing.
1. Journalists are not copywriters
Hoo boy. This is mistake #1, and it’s a doozy.
Here’s the thing: journalists and copywriters are two very different animals.
Copywriters expect every paragraph of web copy, every product description, and
every promo email to be endlessly workshopped and iterated. Journalists, on
pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API
the other hand, turn in an article and move on to the next assignment, because
that’s how journalism works. Their editor may request a revision here and
there, but that’s relatively rare. That’s because they know what their editors
expect in terms of length, voice, style, and POV.
This doesn’t mean you should be afraid to ask a journalist to rework a piece, but
you do need to keep this sort of thing to a minimum and make clear what
changes you want the first time you request a revision. So how do you avoid
too much reworking? Well…
2. Be clear about what you want
Most revisions happen when marketers don’t express their expectations at the
start of a project. You have a clear vision of what you want (if not, you’re not
quite ready to commission content), so make sure you articulate that vision to
your journalist in the form of a short but informative brief.
For example, how long should the piece be? Do you want them to cite a specific
source? Should they interview someone? Are there words or concepts they
should avoid? What about mentioning competitors? Does your brand have a
pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API
specific stance on this particular topic?
This means you need to do a little work up front, but it’ll pay off in spades
when you don’t have to work through multiple revisions to get it right. While
we’re at it…
3. Build a style guide ahead of time
Your company almost certainly has a set of clearly defined brand guidelines:
colors, fonts, preferred terminology, etc. Start with those guidelines and use
them to craft a style guide for your content campaigns. Major publications like
The Economist have sprawling, comprehensive style guides, but you can get
away with a shareable doc that’s four or five pages long. Be sure it includes:
What your content goals are and how you’ll be measuring them
Who your audience is, why they’re reading your content, and what you want themto take away from it
What your overall voice and tone of your content should be (formal, conversational,authoritative, lighthearted, etc.)
pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API
The topics you want to cover and how you want to cover them
Terms and topics to avoid. Include any competitors you’d prefer not to mention
Examples of content they can use as a reference
This is your best bet for getting consistently on-brand content. It’s also going to
save you time by keeping the number of edits down in a major way. Check out
our second Ultimate Content Strategist Playbook for a step-by-step guide to
creating a style guide.
4. Don’t cheap out
This one’s simple: You get what you pay for. If you want great content, be
willing to pay your talent a respectable rate. If your budget is flexible, ask the
journalist how much they normally charge for a project like yours. If it’s not so
flexible, make it clear up front how much you can spend, and ask if that rate
works for them. Even if they decline the project, they’ll appreciate your honesty
and respect for their time and expertise.
So what’s a good rate? For most projects, start at a dollar per word and use that
pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API
to come up with a flat rate for the project. Does the piece require extensive
interviews or research? If so, pay more. Will web research suffice? If so, you can
pay a little less.
If you absolutely must pay by the word, make sure you set boundaries with
language like: “$1 per word up to a maximum of 800 words.” Otherwise, you’ll
be in a bad spot when your writer turns in a 2,000-word epic that shreds your
content budget.
5. Give them time to do good work
I recently worked with a marketer who was furious that a journalist couldn’t
produce a 3,000-word white paper in two days. “He’s got two full days!” she
said. “Surely that’s enough time.”
Guess what? It’s not enough time. And he doesn’t have two full days, either.
The journalist in question is a highly in-demand professional with a lot on his
plate. He had other deadlines in play during those two days, and he needed
some leeway to fit this project into his schedule. Had the marketer planned
more effectively and started the project sooner, none of this would’ve been an
pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API
issue.
Build yourself an editorial calendar. Know what you want to publish and when.
Commission pieces as far in advance as you possibly can. And keep a few
stories in your pocket, just in case.
6. Give them a byline
For journalists, compensation isn’t just about the money. Bylines are a form of
professional currency in the industry, and having your name attached to a great
story or a respected publication (or both, ideally) is massively important to your
career. Too many publishers shy away from this for reasons I don’t fully
understand, but doing so is a mistake for three reasons:
It removes a powerful incentive for journalists to do their best work
It discourages top talent from writing for you
It makes your content seem less trustworthy
This last point is critical. As Jess Adamiak, one of Contently’s own brand editors,
pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API
often says, “Good content is trusted content.” Your content appears far more
trustworthy when it’s coming from a human with a name than when it comes
from the Acme Blender Content Team.
7. Trust them
A good journalist takes his or her craft seriously. They want to find the smartest
angle and the best sources. They want to turn in clean, concise copy. They
know what they’re doing because their skills have been honed by years of
practice.
So trust them.
Let them do what they do. Unless they really missed the message—or unless
you’re an experienced editor—resist the urge to twiddle with their stories. I’ve
seen too many marketers fail to resist this urge, and the results are invariably
negative. Think about it like this: You don’t tell the plumber what wrench to
use or the dentist which implement of torture to stick in your mouth. So why
would you micromanage a journalist?
pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API
1070
288
36
472
Up next This week's most popular stories
The takeaway
Working with a journalist probably means stepping outside of your comfort
zone. Be prepared. Know what you want and communicate your vision
effectively. Compensate them appropriately. Trust them to do great work, and
try to stay out of their way. If can do all these things, you’ll get great content
that exceeds your expectations.
Oh, and pay them on time, please. You don’t want to end up here.
1866 people shared this.
pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API
Why Your Brand Needsan Editor
By Ryan Galloway
The Ultimate Content Strategist
Playbook No. 3: Staffing and
Launching Your Content
Marketing Program
Content Express: How Amex
Raised the Bar for Longform
Brand Storytelling
7 Things Marketers Should Know
About Working With Journalists
How Sun Life Financial Turned
Their Blog Into a Lead-Gen
Machine
Infographic: What Gen Z Wants
From Brands
1
2
3
4
5
pdfcrowd.comopen in browser PRO version Are you a developer? Try out the HTML to PDF API
© Contently 2015 - Terms - Editorial Staff - Contact Are you a creative freelancer? Visit Contently.net