The content marketing industry is growing at a rapid clip. Here’s why publishers’ sales teams need a complete, comprehensive marketing strategy — and how you can partner with The Branded Content Project to generate new leads and boost revenue.
Content marketing is big business — and for good reason! Advertisers know that staying competitive in today’s world means connecting with their audiences through meaningful storytelling that goes beyond traditional advertising.
In fact, a Technavio report estimated the global content marketing industry will grow by $584 billion between 2022 and 2027.
Below, we outline why your news organization needs a content marketing strategy, how content strategists differ from freelancers and add significant value to your sales process, why advertisers need sponsored content and how you can partner with The Branded Content Project to generate sales and boost your publication’s revenue.
Why Your News Organization Needs a Content Marketing Strategy
Sales teams at the most successful local news organizations will have a dialed-in content marketing strategy leveraging key factors that include:
High-quality, accurate content with visual elements
Content calendars with defined publication cadence and topics
Audience and competitor research
Search engine optimization (SEO)
Social media and/or paid social media
Newsletter outreach
A content strategy enables sales teams at local publishers to more effectively navigate the market and position themselves ahead of the competition by presenting sponsors with unique opportunities to connect with their target audience.
It’s also sustainable, ensuring sponsors can build trust and establish thought leadership to drive awareness and bring customers into their marketing funnel. This helps their business generate leads, conversions and, ultimately, sales.
Content Strategists Deliver on the End-to-End Sales Process
Hiring a freelancer to write custom content can be a starting point for news sales teams. But let’s face it: salespeople are busy and often don’t have the time or knowledge to build a content strategy for their clients.
Enter: the content strategist. Content studios that offer more than content via a content strategist can take the work off of salespeople’s plates by providing end-to-end custom content services. Those services include:
Creative briefs outlining content strategy, cadence and topics.
Content calendars to track sponsored articles every step of the way
Brand discovery to determine voice, target audience, assets and goals
Keyword research for SEO optimization
Comprehensive social and paid media campaigns
Client communications
Deliverable confirmations and finalizing articles
Ultimately, content strategists take ownership of the entire project management process after you make the sale. They go well beyond hiring a freelancer by ensuring positive, thorough communication with clients and the delivery of high-quality content.
Sponsored Content Drives Value for Advertisers
Whether at work, home or out and about, everyone has their mobile device with them at all times. And they’re using those devices to do one thing above all else: consume content.
Savvy advertisers know that the best way to build trust with their target audience is to get behind content that resonates with them. Through genuine, high-quality storytelling, they can boost their credibility and more deeply connect with new and current customers. It brings new people into their marketing funnel and enables them to expand their reach, ultimately driving sales and profitability.
Partner with The Branded Content Project for Your Sponsored Content Needs
The Branded Content Project has helped local media outlets nationwide generate $80 million in new revenue — and much of that revenue has come from high-quality, impactful sponsored content.
Through its partnership with Vuepoint Advertising, The Branded Content Project offers a complete, comprehensive suite of services to publisher sales teams. They include:
10 pre-produced sponsored content series available via a monthly subscription
End-to-end custom content management and production
Creative brief and sales deck development
Content calendar creation and management
Custom content production and article development
Workflow and project management quality control
SEO and keyword optimization
Website-building and copywriting
Paid media campaign creation and end-to-end management
End-to-end advertising campaign management
Client communication and engagement
Sponsored content hubs for website display
Ready to amplify your sales offerings and generate more revenue for your publication? Join the host of publishers who have benefited from partnering with The Branded Content Project by contacting us today. We can’t wait to work with you!
The Meta Branded Content Project is designed through a strategic partnership between the Meta Journalism Project, Local Media Association and the Local Media Consortium to help facilitate additional growth, engagement, and revenue success for more publishers of all shapes and sizes.