Interview with Content PR-chitect Anja D’Hondt, Managing Director at duomedia

The boundaries between earned, owned and paid media continue to dissolve at an exponential rate as consumer preferences constantly change communi- cation dynamics. We are moving into an ‘on-demand’ society with more critical audiences who will not just accept  any  commercial  message.  Companies  are using multichannel media techniques to capture their stakeholder’s fragmented and short attention spans, and nurture them on a continued basis.

PR experts  have been  acknowledged  for  creating and  tailoring  stories  to  specific  audiences. A content PR plan & strategy can perfectly  leverage and fuel marketing channels, adding credibility and resulting in an engaged community.

duomedia has been a Content PR agency in European B2B technology markets for over 15 years. With their clients they successfully integrate PR techniques into multilingual marketing plans. Driven by new media platforms and technologies, new opportunities  arise on the Content PR horizon. An interview with an expe- rienced Content PR-chitect on the challenges ahead

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE TERM ‘CONTENT PR’?

Everyone knows content marketing as selling content by applying marketing techniques, usually through company-owned or paid channels. We approach content from  a PR perspective, which means we first develop a strategy geared towards channels to reach stakeholders and engage communities. On the content side we apply successful PR-principles into the tactics, such as third  party  validation,  ambassadorship and thought  leadership. We always search for ‘angles’ to upscale the content – even more so when product or technology oriented – and  tailor it to specific  or local markets.

HOW DO YOU DEVELOP SUCH A CONTENT PR STRATEGY?

We usually start with an audit, researching a company’s image perception  and positioning.  This is done  via customer  surveys, share of  voice  and  competitive analysis. The next stage is developing the messaging framework, in line with the corporate and marketing strategy. Based   on  all this  we  then  finally set  out  a Content PR strategy and tactical plan with objectives & measurement parameters, content matrix, media channels & tools.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THOUGHT LEADERSHIP?

Thought  leadership  is based on  the  premises that a company’s leaders are sharing their expertise, knowledge and ‘thoughts’  on their business in an educational and informative manner. It looks at issues and   challenges  within  a  specific  industry   or  market and offers solutions dealing with them. It cannot be commercial but should build a company’s reputation, strengthen relationships and garner respect amongst target audiences. Thought leadership is an important part of the Content PR plan, and should be sustained by the company’s management. It should also include the company’s social responsibility with regards to the world we all live in.

HOW DO YOU CREATE THE ACTUAL CONTENT BASED ON THIS STRATEGY?

Depending  on the channels and audiences content is produced  in different  formats: white papers, news releases,featurearticles,blogs,newsletters,testimonials, etc. An important  technique is third  party validation and ambassadorship so we usually include quotes from customers, industry experts, associations, influencers… these are  all pre-defined in our  strategy and  content matrix per market, country or campaign. Independent surveys also solidify content and add to its credibility. As we work closely with the media we also match content with feature calendars and reader’s interests. All content is crafted and localised in any language, from European to Asian, and then distributed  across multiple channels.

WHERE DOES VISUAL STORYTELLING FIT IN?

Communication has become more visual over the last years due  to the  information overflow, especially on a digital  level. A strong image can draw attention  and arouse interest. We spice up stories with images, video and infographics — our own blogs and newsletters always feature a strong visual. A recent scientific study from a university for one of our clients was processed
into an animated video.  This reflects  the  key findings, leading  into  the  full  study  and  article  containing all details, facts  and  figures.  It is not  an  easy  task  as you need to carefully prepare the script and capture key elements in about 3 minutes. Another challenge is to make visuals work on a global level, supported by messaging and content in the respective regional languages.

HOW DOES REDUCED ADVERTISING SPEND IMPACT CONTENT UPTAKE BY THE TRADE PRESS?

It is very diverse from one country or market to another. Overall reduced advertising budgets have led to thinner publications  and less space for valuable content,  as well as reduced editorial capacity and resources.

Some publishers have adapted  very well and come with new creative ideas offering valuable platforms for content distribution, New hybrid content publishing formats like sponsored content and native advertising gain more interest.

We prefer to establish a partnership with the media and produce relevant content in function of their distri- bution channels. At trade events, round tables or even in producing white papers & testimonials we work very closely with journalists and publishers. We believe in a multichannel campaign approach balancing social, print and online media channels.

HOW HAS MEDIA OUTREACH EVOLVED THE PAST FEW YEARS?

The role of trade journalists  has changed significantly. Also in the B2B world there are more channels available, more content crafters beyond the traditional publica- tions. Journalists have become curators, establishing themselves as experts and  influencers – sharing  their opinions through blogs and columns, even moderating at events.

New technologies  facilitate processes for media outreach. We are switching at duomedia to a new online media influencer  platform to help us track news release traffic,  manage  relations and  analyse  online, social and print coverage. We developed our own digital and social newsroom (www.duomedia.com) which is a measurable platform for content publishing of  news releases and  articles in  multiple  language versions.  All of this significantly  changes  dynamics of media & influencer  outreach. Basic PR tasks  become mainstream and we are now more valued for our strategic competences.

WHAT OPPORTUNITIES DO SOCIAL MEDIA OFFER IN TERMS OF CONTENT?

Engagement is key in social media. We are getting beyond the regular tweets and postings into a more quality approach. There are great analysis tools that help  us define  and  track key followers and  influencers,
help us understand their needs and preferences. We organise tweet chats, set up and drive twitterwalls at conferences, compose twitter newsletters, and develop strategies for more effective social media implemen- tation  across all levels of  an organisation.   Google and twitter analytics help us to assess effectiveness of newsrooms, content, keywording and web traffic.

To capture the attention on social media you need to be short and witty, consistent and relevant, responsive and informative. We often create links to blogs, surveys or larger content pieces as social media do not allow long  and tedious  messages. We very closely follow new trends and technologies in social media as these develop very rapidly, and also differ from one market and country to another.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF CORPORATE SELF-PUBLISHING?

It means that corporates create their own channels to publish content. This goes from websites to marketing collateral, social media channels, direct marketing, newsletters up to  owned trade events like seminars and open houses. And not only do companies use this for their own content but very often also for content of  industry  partners  and  even  customers. Owning and managing these self-publishing channels implies companies can control  the entire process up to the final lead  generation. B2B environments are more suitable for this as companies have a more direct and personal relationship to their clients. These channels represent great opportunities to create exposure through Content PR.

WHAT MAKES SOMEONE A GOOD CONTENT PR-CHITECT?

Content  PR is an exciting  but  also challenging  and complex field of work. Our  people require strong copywriting, communication, technology, language, strategic and social skills. Training and self-education is very important as we do need to be abreast of new trends and technologies. We have our own internal newsletter to capture the latest on Content PR from twitter and other social platforms. Above all however the drive, passion and commitment are key to success – you need to love what you do and inspire others. I am very proud to say that we do have built a great team at duomedia, supported by dedicated freelance specialists. Day by day we work very closely with client marketing teams which creates positive interaction and dynamics between us all.

A LAST THOUGHT ON CONTENT PR?

There is so much more to tell about Content PR, to conclude I would say that a solid strategy and plan with  guidelines  is really key for  every organisation.

The  content should  be  genuine and  truly reflect  the company’s values. This way it can be empowered and carried out by all internal stakeholders – from manage- ment, marketing teams, employees up to distribution partners. They all have faster and easier access to media channels today. One negative or wrong message can do a lot of damage to a company’s reputation, and as we say in PR ‘perception is reality.’