This news article was written by Courtney Lukitsch, Founder and Principal at Gotham PR in New York and London. It continues a thought leading series based on Agency and Client-side workplace issues, and is the basis of a forthcoming coaching and mentoring book to be published in 2017 alongside the 15th anniversary of the agency.
The power of ideas and proper communication is one that cannot and will not be underestimated. No marketing and public relations executive is immune from the educational curve of bringing their client up to speed on the latest in search, bridging the digital and SEO divide on an hourly basis.
Which strategic positioning direction should clients pursue, what kind of media material should be featured and how important it is to create relevant and eye-catching messaging content are integral to each and every digital communications effort.
Insights provided by the agency practitioner client-side include the importance of mobile, from both a creative and business standpoint. With increased competition arrives extra scrutiny as to those companies practicing internally what they promote and sell externally as a service or product.
According to INC, being digital friendly is the new norm in any kind of business; inclusive of local search, to test strategies and the overall brand message traction. Pointing out that mobile-friendly has become not only desirable, but also necessary, content posted in 2017 and beyond must include mobile assets at the forefront. Smartphones and devices serve to address every question, comment, search query or logistical concern in real time. By and large, digital content, specifically mobile content is the future.
Having a clear path and story is something all PR pros will provide their clients with from go. A coach and a mentor to facilitate the tricky situations surrounding online media is not a luxury anymore but a crucial piece of the puzzle. As Harvard Business Review notes, the ability of the agency to critically and creatively coach the client is vital in order to engage specific solution. Attention now being paid to visual branding, digital positioning and online communications in an unprecedented manner — within an era defined by optics, headline perception and quick read publishing.
Most businesses rely not only on their brand equity, but market reputation and repeat clients. This means earning trust digitally is the very first step beyond professional branding and delivery of services. We witness this proliferating with very young consumer-facing companies on platforms that include Instagram and Snap, to almost immediate success. In a world where the norm is constant and accurate information at the touch of a finger – companies and their reputation is dependent upon participating across digital communication channels.
It is no longer credible for a company to say one thing and perform another, when so many design, social media and digital marketing resources exist to optimize results. The thinking solidly supports the fact that dated brands don’t compete.
Clicks and followers alone do not quantify success or translate to immediate sales. The reputation of a brand is ideally in alignment with each tweet, blast or post distributed online. Firms that cannot adapt to this will not thrive or survive in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
Adapting to this new digital norm bridges the anxiety that firms often experience and vocally express when advised to optimize new websites and engage with their industry and target public ASAP. Many times, the agency spearheads the job of launching and maintaining multiple content marketing platforms to deliver the client’s message — journalism aside.
Through a guided positioning process, the agency will hand over those digital accounts for the client to self-maintain over time, once a baseline is established. Positions have even been created in companies across every industry to maintain and protect the image of the brand via digital platforms.
The local, national and global consumer currently expects to be communicated with, on a multi-level, always updated stream of relevant news, all attainable through SEO. Search dominates. The desire for news opens an intensified need to generate compelling content, driven by creativity, headlines and related visuals.
As cited by recent Nieman Lab research published in PR Daily, headlines matter more when readers consume more content. In this polemicized media environment, journalism becomes reliant on reach to new audiences in a unique new way.
Furthermore, a vast majority of readers do not even bother to click on articles they come across, meaning that day-to-day thousands of people skim headlines for their news without ever opening one piece — editing is crucial, headline even more so. Now more than ever, headlines must communicate a story in 5-10 words.
Expanding upon the future of content brings to light the rise of ‘selfie” journalism. This millennial based phenomenon broadcasts live stream, breaking news content in a manner that is unfiltered, yet fact-checked. In this manner Snapchat has become a go-to resource, in additional to Facebook live, for relevant community-oriented content.
The instant gratification of an updated timeline for the latest news offers the option to be globally connected every minute of every day. In saying this, the need for eye-catching yet fact-based digital content is of the utmost importance to today’s business world.
It is the PR pro’s job to dually help journalists build deeper community, while driving industry news links that generate awareness, new opportunities and overall business growth. Creating such community in 2017 is now of the highest significance as journalism returns to its roots. Imperative now, PR pros must advocate creative, honest and relevant news content with a heightened focus on the truth.
Let’s make that our industry’s annual, collective goal.
Courtney Lukitsch is the Principal and Founder of Gotham Public Relations Inc, located in New York City since 2002, and is a media and marketing strategist responsible for hundreds of noteworthy brand launches and successful national & global Marketing PR campaigns. With a client roster built of the biggest names in design, culture, hospitality, development, technology, retail and manufacturing, Gotham PR under her leadership has become a top-ranked boutique Agency and go-to resource for discerning visionaries the world over. Prior to founding Gotham PR New York, Courtney was Vice President for Business Development and Strategy at Rubenstein PR, Management Supervisor at PepperCom and Account Supervisor at TSI/Interpublic; all based in New York. With global experience in positioning, strategy, creative, retail and brand marketing, balanced with tenacity and a sense of humor, Courtney possesses ethics, problem-solving skills, a strong results orientation and solid dedication to profitability.
