In order to be a great PR professional you had to think like a publisher — or a news editor, or producer. You had to know the audience of a particular publication or program well in order to craft a pitch to gain the attention of the guy on the decision making end of the proposition. He stood between you and your target consumer. She wielded the power of that third party credibility you desperately needed. Not anymore.
Brands and business run their own media channel these days. In order to do that you have to think like a PR pro, or as we call it today, a content marketer.
The Content Marketing Institute defines it like this: Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.
Smart marketers understand that traditional marketing is becoming less and less effective by the minute, and that there has to be a better way. Marketing is simply impossible without great content.
As keepers of the brand story, PR pros have known this all along. That’s why so many of us have naturally evolved into content developers. Except the rules have changes. Take out the middle man and we get to talk directly to the consumer.
Instead of pitching your products or services, you are delivering information that makes your buyer more intelligent. The essence of this content strategy is the belief that if we, as businesses, deliver consistent, ongoing valuable information to buyers, they ultimately reward us with their business and loyalty. Boom. Online PR.
The Content Shop 