In the world of marketing, content is one of the most talked-about topics. Brands understand that they need to put a lot of time and resources into their content marketing efforts — not only to stay ahead of their competition but to stay relevant with their readers. Plus, as content marketing continuously evolves, marketers are often looking for ways to stand out from their competition and keep their content flowing throughout the year.
However, content marketing involves a lot more than just writing a piece and posting it on your website. Content curation, research, strategy, writing, publication and marketing all comprise essential elements of this practice, and finding one person with the right skill set to execute these steps can be a hassle. Most businesses would choose a content marketer to take the lead, but doing so ignores a whole industry: journalism.
Journalists specialize in writing for a specific audience while enticing readers to consume more, something many businesses need. With content formats moving from paper to digital, brands and journalists alike have an opportunity to share their expertise and work together.
What Is Journalistic Content?
Journalistic content is educational, informative, timely and credible. When writing, journalists follow a certain set of ethics and are committed to objectivity; they look for data and citations to back up their findings. Content written by a journalist takes an unbiased approach and focuses on telling a story in a clear and concise manner. Journalists are experienced at interviewing, learning what questions to ask and determining if they need additional sources to craft a comprehensive piece.
What Is a Journalistic Approach to Content Marketing?
A journalistic approach to content marketing involves applying the principles of journalism to the creation and distribution of a brand’s content marketing. This means crafting a clear and compelling narrative, prioritizing accuracy and trustworthiness, and adhering to high journalistic standards. Instead of creating purely promotional content marketing, journalistic content marketing is well-researched and provides relevant, valuable information and may include interviews or expert insights.
What’s the Difference Between Traditional Content Marketing and Journalism?
Both content marketers and journalists set out to educate readers on a specific topic. However, journalists are committed to being objective, while marketers aim to promote a company or product. Below is a brief overview of the objectives set out by each.
Journalism:
- Aims to give an objective truth.
- Is bound by a specific set of ethics related to telling a story.
- Only uses credible resources.
Traditional Content Marketing:
- Aims to educate audiences while leading prospects down the marketing funnel.
- Is often used to promote a product or service.
- Focuses on how to enhance the customer journey.
Advantages of Working With Journalists in Content Marketing
Working with journalists in content marketing offers distinct advantages. To start, their storytelling expertise allows them to transform complicated topics into compelling stories. Additionally, journalists follow a set of ethics that will help you build your brand’s credibility through authoritative content. You can also count on journalistic content to be timely; journalists are used to following strict deadlines alongside their content calendars. Blending journalism and marketing can help brands significantly elevate their brand authority and engagement with audiences. Read on to find 8 specific examples of how journalism marketing benefits your overall content marketing strategy.
9 Ways Journalism Marketing Benefits Your Content Marketing Strategy
1. Journalists Are Fantastic Storytellers
Journalists are skilled writers, and they’re accustomed to writing about a wide range of topics. With their rigorous education, combined with their vast experience, you can count on journalists to provide an engaging and educational story.
This experience gives them a versatile edge. Their broad knowledge base makes them great at ideation for just about anything. It’s typical for journalists to look at one topic and see a handful of different story ideas.
2. Journalists Are Objective
Journalists are accustomed to writing about a variety of topics, depending on the news cycle. Because of this, they’re taught to utilize a variety of sources and write in an unbiased manner that speaks to their general audience.
3. Journalists Are Inquisitive
Because of the nature of their job, journalists question everything. They want to know the answers to the largest and smallest questions. Since journalists seek to convey the truth, they will spend hours researching a topic and getting the answers. By leveraging this content, your team saves time and money.
4. World-Renowned Publications Build Credibility
It’s common for experienced journalists to have an association with large media or news conglomerates like The New York Times and Harvard Business Review. An affiliation with companies like these helps to bring credibility to your brand because you’ll be tapping the world-renowned journalistic experience of large publications.
5. Journalists Are Deadline-Driven and Save Time
Journalists are used to working on tight deadlines so they can deliver breaking news in a timely manner. By curating news from world-renowned publications, you can meet deadlines to showcase high-quality information while focusing on other pressing tasks. Time is money in marketing, so this is just one less thing you’ll have to worry about when building out your overall strategy.
6. Licensed News Articles Can Fill Gaps in Your Editorial Calendar
When it comes to content, consistency is key. It doesn’t matter how often you produce new pieces as long as your readers know that they can expect regularity from your brand. But constantly pumping out content is hard work, and depending on the size of your company, you may not have the internal resources or bandwidth to produce that content in-house. This is where licensing editorial journalism may be a good idea, as all of the hard work has already been done!
7. Many People Don’t Have a Newspaper Subscription
About 21% of Americans are paying for a subscription for online news. In Germany, only about 9% pay for online news, and in the U.K., that number dips to 8%. In Norway and the United States, only about half of these subscribers pay for an additional subscription service (usually a local or regional newspaper).
Content marketers can leverage this opportunity by providing users with unique material from a range of publications. Through NYTLicensing, marketers have access to publications such as Harvard Business Review, Scientific American and many more. Since many people don’t have a subscription, content marketers can present new and enticing information to their audiences through licensed content.
8. Provide Value to Audiences Through Licensed Articles
By leveraging marketing and journalism, you can keep your target audiences up to date on key topics. Since valuable content tends to live behind a paywall, you can use articles from reputable publications to provide vital information that users may not otherwise consider. Accessibility is key in the digital age — after all, if your consumers cannot quickly access the content they’re looking for, they’ll simply go elsewhere.
9. Stories Engage Readers
David Ogilvy, who is often credited as the Father of Advertising, said, “there is no need for advertisements to look like advertisements. If you make them look like editorial pages, you will attract about 50 per cent more readers.” When ads focus on driving connections through stories and valuable information, they are more likely to engage prospects and customers, while improving brand recall.
Final Thoughts
There is a place for both content marketers and licensed content from journalists in your marketing strategy! By making journalism a part of your greater content marketing strategy, you will build credibility, fill gaps in your editorial calendar and gain your readers’ trust.
The NYTLIcensing Group has a wide array of copyright licensing packages that will work to tell your brand’s story. When you incorporate our licensed content, you can connect with your audience while harnessing The New York Times’ world-class journalism and content creation to elevate your brand. Explore more today.
Frequently Asked Questions About Journalism Marketing
Is journalism part of marketing?
No, journalism and marketing are two unique disciplines. Journalism focuses on reporting events and news objectively and adhering to a set of journalistic ethics. Marketing focuses on promoting services, products, or brands, often with a goal of increasing brand awareness or sales. However, nowadays, many brands are utilizing journalistic techniques in their content marketing to build more credible and engaging content.
What is the difference between a journalist and a content creator?
A journalist is a professional who is trained to research, write, and produce news stories or articles, following a strict set of journalistic guidelines and rules. A content creator can be anyone who creates content, and is typically limited to digital platforms, ranging from blog posts, videos, social media, and more. While content creators can produce journalistic content, they can also create promotional, or entertaining content, which would not typically adhere to traditional journalistic standards.
How does journalism help marketing?
Journalism enhances marketing by combining storytelling, credibility, and extensive research into content creation. By employing journalistic techniques in marketing, companies can create engaging, fact-based narratives that engage audiences and build authority.
Why is journalism important in marketing?
Journalism plays a fundamental role in marketing by enhancing the content’s quality and authenticity. In the information age, consumers seek reliable and objective content. Integrating journalistic standards into your content marketing strategy helps build a reputation for trustworthiness and credibility.
