We live in an exciting era where brands have nearly limitless opportunities to connect with their audiences. Acting like publishers has become a game-changer, with 91% of B2B marketers utilizing content marketing to reach customers and 86% of B2C marketers following suit.
This strategy isn’t just a trend; it’s a proven path to success. When brands embrace the role of publishers, they craft compelling narratives, provide valuable insights, and build lasting relationships.
Content marketing generates three times as many leads as traditional marketing yet costs 62% less. By sharing their stories, expertise, and passion, brands can engage more deeply, foster trust, and drive growth.
This article explores why brand publishing is crucial for modern organizations and how this approach can transform their engagement strategies. Get ready to learn about the power of content marketing and discover how your brand can thrive by thinking and acting like a publisher.
Quick Takeaways
- Consumers are overexposed to advertising, making it more challenging to reach them.
- Content creation offers a solution to this issue by providing value to readers.
- Brand publishing involves allocating dedicated resources and maintaining a consistent, professional approach to your content.
- The result is an engaged audience that sees your brand as a thought leader.
Why Content Marketing?
Brands have begun to think and act like publishers because of the growing cost and increasing opt-out rates for many types of marketing. The average person sees around two million ads per year and subconsciously ignores most of them.
In addition, customers only open about 63% of emails from brands, and only 2% of those emails result in a single click. Cold calls go unanswered by more and more of us. And, of course, most of us fast-forward through TV ads.
Pushing promotional messages at consumers today just doesn’t work. We scroll right past the content we don’t want to see. So, the only solution is to become the information consumers want to see. And that is why brands have started producing content people are looking for.
Whether it’s news, helpful tips and tricks, or even entertaining videos, brands that aren’t creating content their audience wants are just wasting their marketing dollars.
Following The Leaders
The results speak for themselves. American Express’ Business Class is one great example of a brand acting like a publisher. They created their site “to help small business owners get more business.” They did this by hiring professional writers and experts in small business who wrote about the things that would be helpful to small business owners – to give them the information they needed. As they grew their target audience, they invited readers to open an account.
The site quickly became their largest source of new card members. Not because they beat their readers into submission. But because they added value first. They earned the attention of their future customers. They provided helpful information. And their own business grew as a result. New business has to be earned. Publishing is the cost.
At SAP, we modeled our own site, Business Innovation, after this. It was launched in 2012 to provide a platform for internal and external thought leadership. It quickly grew to our 3rd largest platform after our corporate website and our customer community network.
Today, Business Innovation is part of the corporate site, but remains an integral part of the company’s communication with its customer base.
Biggest Mistakes Marketers Make
The biggest mistake brands make when making the shift to publishing is to think in terms of “campaigns.” Being a brand publisher doesn’t mean you create an Ebook. And it’s certainly NOT about making “viral videos.” It’s really a cultural shift away from the “campaign brain” and towards continuous content development, curation, and distribution of content that results in conversations, community, and, ultimately, conversion.
As marketers, we often overestimate the importance of our company/product/solution in the minds of our buyers. We need to truly think in a customer-centric way.
I have found that there is a direct correlation between our ability to provide value online and our ability to gain an audience’s attention offline. All of those interactions have to be real and authentic. That’s what builds trust.
Is Content Marketing Just A Buzzword?
Some people in marketing and some business leaders think content marketing is just a buzzword. Or a fad or trend that will go away in a few years. I believe it’s become the most important aspect of marketing and the best way for businesses to gain new customers because it is the biggest gap between what our customers want and what brands currently publish.
Some business leaders reach for a higher value and truly seek to help their customers. These are the business cultures that will find success in content marketing and brand publishing. The others will have to fake it before they make it. And frankly, today’s consumers are too smart for brands that are insidious in their brand publishing efforts.
Content Marketing Ground Rules
I believe in a couple of content marketing ground rules:
- Take the brand out of the story
- Make the reader or your customer the hero of the story
- Create content that is interesting or compelling
You’ll also want to create a content marketing strategy:
This strategy ensures you’re reaching the right people with your content and that it’s generating the desired results.
How to Act Like a Publisher
Shifting to a publisher mentality involves rethinking how your brand approaches content creation, distribution, and audience engagement. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you make this transition:
Run Content Creation Like a Separate Business
Treat your content creation process as if it were an independent publishing house. This step means allocating dedicated resources, including a team of writers, editors, and content strategists.
Establish a content calendar to plan and schedule your posts, ensuring a steady flow of high-quality material. Just as a publisher would, prioritize consistency and professionalism in every piece of content you produce.
This approach not only enhances your brand’s credibility but also ensures that your audience always has something new and valuable to look forward to.
Build a Content Strategy Around a Purpose or Mission
Successful publishers have a clear mission that guides their content. Your brand should do the same by identifying a core purpose that aligns with your values and resonates with your audience.
For instance, if your brand sells eco-friendly products, your content strategy might focus on sustainability, environmental education, and green living tips.
This mission-driven approach helps create a cohesive and compelling narrative that can attract and retain a dedicated audience. Your content should consistently reflect this mission, creating a unified voice and message across all platforms.
Make Your Reader the Focal Point
At the heart of every successful brand publishing story is a deep understanding of its audience. Similarly, your brand should prioritize its readers’ needs, interests, and pain points.
Steps you can take to achieve this goal include:
- Conducting thorough research to understand who your audience is and what they care about
- Creating content that addresses their specific challenges, answers their questions, and provides actionable insights
- Engaging with your audience by encouraging comments, feedback, and interaction on your platforms
This reader-centric approach fosters loyalty and positions your brand as a trusted resource and community hub.
By running your content creation like a business, centering your strategy around a clear purpose, and making your readers the focal point, you can successfully shift to a publisher mentality. This transformation can drive deeper engagement, build stronger relationships, and ultimately lead to greater success for your brand.
What Is The Future of Content Marketing?
Brand engagement is evolving, and acting like a publisher is no longer optional but essential for success. By running content creation like a separate business, brands can ensure professionalism and consistency, leading to a stronger, more credible presence.
Building a content strategy around a clear mission helps to create a cohesive narrative that resonates deeply with audiences, fostering trust and loyalty. Most importantly, making the reader the focal point of your efforts ensures that your content remains relevant, engaging, and valuable.
These strategies enhance your brand’s visibility, drive meaningful interactions, generate leads, and build lasting relationships with your audience. Embracing a brand publishing mentality transforms your company from a mere seller of products or services into a trusted source of information and inspiration.
Now is the time for your business to adopt these trends and revolutionize your marketing approach. Marketing Insider Group can assist you as you craft your brand’s image through content generation. Contact us to learn about our Content Building Services or book a consultation.
