Build your own company newsroom
When you picture a newsroom, what comes to mind? If it’s still a dingy room from the 50s filled with typewriters, then it’s time for a fresh perspective. Newsrooms are a dynamic, exciting space for generating ideas and creating content to share with the community.
And while many companies have hopped into the content generation space, staying on top of everything and keeping the information flowing consistently and in a timely manner can still be a challenge. It’s why we encourage companies to set up a newsroom-style system for content planning.
Having your own internal editorial system — a newsroom — can help you manage, organize and effectively communicate all of the content you have to share.
Start by getting organized
Before you write the first article, post your first Instagram Reel or record your first podcast, make sure you have defined your audience. A simple approach is to track who’s coming into your store, buying your products or paying for your services.
Keeping this information top of mind will come in handy as you build up your newsroom and develop ongoing content plans. Always remember: your content is about your customers and the people you are trying to reach, not your personal preferences.
Pick your platforms
Now that you have your audience front of mind, it is time to figure out platforms you want to use.
Where does your targeted audience get their digital content? Do they enjoy podcasts? Written articles/blogs? Videos? Or a combination of all of the above?
Once you identify this, you can move forward and concentrate your efforts on the platform or platforms where you will have the most engagement. Keep an eye on your analytics and be prepared to pivot if necessary, as your audience may change.
Mapping out a calendar
An editorial calendar is just that — a calendar. A simple spreadsheet works just fine and is an opportunity for you to plan ahead. There’s a saying that you can prepare for 90 percent of everything that will happen. Content planning is no exception.
Your editorial calendar should include:
Important dates
Story themes and content ideas
Which platforms will be used for each story
A clear call-to-action. This could be to make a donation or to click to your website.
Above all, make it consistent. If you decide to share content about community events on the first day of each month — make it happen the first day of every month.
One piece of content; multiple uses
Content generation is no joke and can be time consuming. So look at maximizing your content efforts and “slicing the turkey” as many ways as you can to cross-communicate across different platforms.
For example, a podcast interview can be turned into a blog post for your website and/or an audiogram for social media.
Through the planning process, it’s easier to know what’s coming and the opportunities to incorporate content into your overarching strategy. If you have a company event coming up, then it’s about planning the relevant social media content and possible blog content that can elevate the event.
Keep an eye on analytics
In the movie Field of Dreams they said, “If you build it, they will come.”
Yes, that is true. If you’re putting content out randomly, some people will end up on your website and read what you’ve written. However, to build your audience strategically, a smart editorial plan through a newsroom-style approach will allow you to be more effective and result in more conversions.
Track your progress. Monitor your analytics. Pay attention to what stories resonate with your community and which ones are falling flat.
The more you understand your audience’s digital journey to get to your website, the more you know the people viewing your content. This will allow you to more easily cater to them and reach out to them in ways that work for them.
Start building a newsroom!
The goal here is to elevate your brand through storytelling. Here’s a quick recap of the steps to build your own newsroom and start a more strategic approach to content marketing:
Define your audience
Pick your platforms
Build an editorial calendar
Use content in multiple ways
Track your analytics and be prepared to pivot