If you were anything like me as a kid then you were…
Hiding mystical letters in bottles in the back paddock, making telephones with two cans and a string for the treehouse and wearing rara skirts while sporting a perm high and wide. Along with all of that I spent years daydreaming about a glam’ life working at a fashion magazine. Actually absorbing that vision of me from the past; I really was destined for a career in PR wasn’t I? …written communication, phone life, design, style, trends, pop-culture and persuading my mum that a perm at nine years old was really a very good idea.
I will never recover from the photo album battle-scars of my trend-driven days. FASH-ON.
With all that said, I did end up writing for fashion magazines and fashion retailers; however I ended up choosing to pursue PR in Melbourne over the hot-shoe shuffle to Sydney fashion mag’ life.
The good news for anyone who’s ever dreamed what I have dreamed is that we are living in the PR Generation and we are all roving magazine editors.
Too bad for those in business who didn’t want to be magazine editors; creating content is no longer a choice (INSERT: excellent PR agency with writing cred that can help you out, just sayin’).
But what I really wanted to talk about today is this…are you ready…are you ready to win at content marketing for your business? Because when I explain what I’m about to explain when I’m PR and content mentoring; the penny always seems to drop.
Everyone is now an editor and curator of content; be it through personal online platforms or the business kind.
My guidance for any business owner, creative, maker, entrepreneur, social media manager or PR wannabe with regard to creating the best content strategy ever is this;
Pretend you are a magazine.
That’s it. Just do that and you’ll be fine. It’s the best way to simplify overwhelming content planners and scheduling. It’s the best way to get clear on what content to produce and how to make it work harder. It’s the best way to understand social media marketing jargon like ‘content pillars’ and such. And it’s the best way to build confidence with regard to a consistent and streamlined content strategy.
The ‘You Are a Magazine’ concept allows you to pull pack the lens on what content you should be producing in order to grow your business and elevate your brand.
I repeat: you are a magazine.
This content strategy will have you producing content that better rewards your time and effort. It helps your content work harder and to be more evergreen.
Here’s how to play…
- Pretend you/or your business is a magazine
- What is your magazine’s ethos – what does it stand for
- What is your vision – the end goal
- What is the mission – how is your magazine going to get there
- Who will read it – define your target audience
- How will you interact with your readers – how are you going sound
- How does your magazine help people
- What problems does your audience have and how do you solve them
- What design assets will punctuate your content consistently
- What imagery will support your copy and be visually harmonious
- How often will your magazine be available – set your frequency
- What makes your magazine unique from your competitors
- Define the value you bring through your content, always
- What is on your contents page of each edition – e.g. use this idea as inspiration to set your Story Highlights or to create consistent visual tiles in your Grid by way of design and copy. (This tip btw, is GOLD).
- Define your resources – who is your editor and who is on your editorial team (TIP: Your editor is not your junior or your 16 yo niece!)
- What are the topics you’ll cover in every edition
- What will be your feature stories
- Will you have guest contributors or collaborators
- Who will you interview and why
- Where will your magazine be consumed – website, print, which social platforms
See, am I right?! You are definitely a magazine. You and your business.
This concept is really a fun and effective way to get clear on your content strategy and helps to eliminate overwhelm that can creep up in shoot-from-the-hip, daily social execution.
Words by Jade Roberts
raraPR Founder and Director
raraPR is above all the sum of people who together help build brands and share stories. We are present in our determination to make a positive difference to the world by representing individuals and businesses that are doing good. We are an extension of the personal stories within us, those that we exist for and those within you that need to be heard.
