Entertain and inform like a good journalist should

Posted by Sarah McVeigh

I recently came across this little sound-byte from David Meerman Scott. It’s exciting because it reinforces my hopes about the way I feel businesses should be communicating.

David Meerman Scott says that businesses should be looking to employ journalists to produce their communications. That said, it’s not just about the person being an ex-journo and applying that to P.R because they know how the media machine works.

No, it’s about applying the hallmarks of the journalistic trade to the way your business speaks.

That is, to entertain and inform your audience.

Tell a story

We all realise that content is King (or Queen, depending on the country). Now consider this, would you prefer to read a perfectly crafted press release, or a story about something you might actually be able to use in your daily life?

The role and the goal of a journalist is to produce content that matters to their audience.

When it comes to content creation, David Meerman Scott’s idea is that it’s no longer about pushing agendas. It’s about creating agendas based on the already existing needs of the audience. It’s about offering information that will help people in their daily lives.

Just like a good journalist should.

The carrot?

If the content you create is interesting, entertaining, helpful or topical, people will link to it. You’ll be helping your audience, establishing your position, and  boosting your presence on Google.

A final admission: yes, I’m a budding journalist.

Need more proof? Read this article by David Meerman Scott.