What is brand journalism?
Brand journalism and branded content are two buzzword phrases that marketing people often use. But these terms may leave others scratching their heads. What do the phrases mean?
A brand journalist combines journalism techniques and principles with clever marketing to write copy for brands, businesses and organisations that is better at connecting with people than blatant selling. Journalists write in a simple fact-driven way to create maximum impact from PR and marketing copy.
When to go for branded content
Branded content does a better job of engaging and capturing readers’ attention by telling a story without corporate jargon.
The best brand journalism focuses on writing for the target audience. After all, the first rule of journalism is always think of the reader. Conversely, the worst examples lose all of branded content’s power and punch through unfocused writing, such as a ‘scatter gun’ approach.
Examples of brand journalism
I use brand journalism for maximum impact in all kinds of branded content, ranging from corporate communications to public relations. Here’s one case study that exemplifies its power.
Brand journalists can help you to:
- Capture readers’ attention – by zeroing in on the right angle
- Draw them in from the first paragraph and hold their interest
- Build credibility and trust by supporting your content with facts
- Hit your deadlines by writing with speed.
One big advantage of brand journalism for businesses is that it helps create conversations across channels. So it is particularly effective in social media. Here are some great examples of brand content marketing from the New York Times. You can also read more about my article writing and other storytelling content on my services pages.
