Category: Uncategorized

02
Oct

Always Send A Journalist To Do A Marketer’s Job

Outside of the media industry, journalists get a bad rap. We’re unduly nosy. We’re contrary. We’re know-it-alls. We have unfathomably messy desks. Speaking as an insider, I can attest that all of these things are true.

But you might not know that some of the traits found in successful journalists are uncannily useful in the business world — particularly in marketing and advertising.

Here’s why you should always hire a journalist to do a marketer’s job:

  • We speak plain English, not marketing-ese.
  • We thoroughly research our subjects before writing about them.
  • We ask good questions.
  • Writing fantastic headlines is all in a day’s work.
  • We abhor typos and bloated language.
  • We type really, really fast.
  • We thrive on deadlines.
  • We’re always grateful for work.
  • We have a nose for what makes a subject unique — we can always find an angle.

The best journalists are adept not only at gathering information but weaving it into a story that captures their readers’ interest. Most reporters know that every story should answer the basic questions — Who? What? When? Where? — but the great ones also answer a fifth: “Why should this matter to me?”

Guess what? That’s marketing: discovering and exploiting what makes a brand unique and why the customer should care. Great marketers anticipate questions and convey the facts clearly. They know that to serve their clients they must first serve the customer. They’re not so different from great journalists.

Every business has a compelling story. We’ll help you tell yours. Email us today.

 

25
Dec

A Feel-Good Story For Christmas Day

“My first Christmas at age 72 with new sisters,” Byrd said. “How about that?”

I love this story about reunited siblings from The Dallas Morning News — a short and sweet read for Christmas morning.

22
Dec

Words To Live By

Our friends at Pain Points have sound advice for organizations that want to innovate.

10
Feb

Welcome

Samantha Shaddock is a passionate journalist and digital strategist living in Texas by way of Oklahoma and New York. Past haunts: The Dallas Morning NewsTheStreet.comYahoo FinanceD Magazine and Forbes.