Not every brand story or development warrants a news media pitch. And, not every solution you offer will stay in the minds of your priority publics without thoughtful, engaging storytelling that brings it to life. This is the intersection where brand journalism lives and breathes. And, if you’re not leveraging it, you’re missing opportunities to support a strong corporate reputation and the trust that comes with it.

Brand journalism is corporate storytelling that goes beyond press releases and content marketing aimed at driving sales. According to Ragan Consulting Group, “it’s about raising awareness and providing context, by showcasing your expertise, enhancing your reputation and being the ‘chief explainer’ for your industry.”

Where does it come to life? Your blog and your social channels (owned and shared media). Where does it echo? Every other communications channel you leverage.

To win the hearts and minds of the people you care about, aim for creating and sharing content that resonates with news media and influencers (earned media) as well as two other areas of the PESO model: owned and shared. Find approaches that can add value in some way for the people who know and love your brand — or for those who could — through thoughtful, useful storytelling that is not always “all about you.” The five tips below can help you think through key elements that can help you succeed with it.

As an example, TXU Energy’s “Seasonal Thermostat Switching Syndrome” (STSS) approach (featured below) focused on a frustration many Texans share when the temperatures range from close to freezing to over 70 degrees in the same day. It’s not serious, but it examines a real challenge (an inconvenience people face) and points out a solution (a “cure” for the faux syndrome): a programmable thermostat. (It also provides examples that demonstrate a few of the five tips I’m sharing here.) 

Think of owned and shared media as supplements to earned, not as replacements. There’s no doubt that the third-party credibility that comes with earned media is vital to brands. It still tops the “trust” factor with external audiences according to Ogilvy. But, not every brand story is newsworthy. So, don’t strain the relationships you build with the press by suggesting they cover issues, developments or angles that aren’t of value to them. Instead, leverage your blog or website (owned) and your social channels (shared) for useful, meaningful storytelling.

Plan beyond the press release. Through brand journalism, there will be times when you share stories externally so that you’re telling your brand’s story yourself — in a way that reflects brand values and personality. These are stories you design to connect directly with those who use or benefit from your brand. And, they can give your brand its own voice in a distinct, unique and meaningful way.

Create opportunities for engagement. People follow and connect with brands they love and trust. In some cases, they’ll also recommend them to friends and family. So, think about building in elements that are easy for them to find, connect with and share. The STSS assessment here is an example of this. It was originally issued in addition to an announcement. It was posted on the brand’s blog and shared through social.

The value of owned and paid media doesn’t end with engagement. Studies show they’re also gaining credibility. Featuring Ogilvy’s 2018 Global Media Influence Survey, Adweek reports that social media is the second most trusted news platform in North America today (despite the ongoing grumbles we continue to hear about “fake news” on social).

Bring your stories to life through video. When and where you can, find ways to infuse video storytelling into your approach. It can help with message retention and more. According to Medium, 90 percent of social media users share videos and viewers believe that 95 percent of messages from videos are retained on their minds. And, according to Animoto’s 2018 State of Social Video: Consumer Trends report, videos are consumers’ favorite content from their preferred brand on social media, and Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram are the top channels for watching them. So, know your target audience(s) well, and create visual stories that help them connect with your message.

The video you see here was created as b-roll for TV news outlets. But, add a voice-over, or edit it into a 60-second piece; and, it could easily give key audience members something fun to experience, learn from or share with others. 

Set realistic expectations. Any corporate storyteller knows that measuring success happens in many different ways. Paid media can drive users — through a marketing journey — to potential sales conversions. But, earned media and many instances of owned and shared aren’t designed this way. They’re framed to shape awareness and attitudes about a brand. They can help to build trust for your brand if they’re designed and executed well.

Keep in mind that the “hard sell” or is not a fit for these stories, so make this clear to your stakeholders. And, frame how you will measure success. This can be achieved through surveys before and after a program (measuring attitudes, beliefs or behaviors, for example). It can be demonstrated through impressions, social engagements, traffic to your website and a number of other indicators. Just be sure your stakeholders aren’t looking for sales leads or conversions here. While you can link to content that drives marketing journeys here, your primary focus with brand journalism is corporate storytelling, not sales.

 

It’s also good to note that brand journalism can also benefit a number of others within your organization, including internal or employee communications, brand ambassadors and even your salesforce. Why? It can provide a pipeline of thoughtful content they can repurpose for their primary audiences as well.

So, think about telling your brand’s story through more than announcements and marketing content designed for selling. Think about driving value through stories that show and tell who you are, what you do, what you know and what you care about as a brand. If you keep your primary audiences in mind — and what can be helpful, useful or meaningful to them — you’ll be on the right track.