Do you publish content with a media mindset? At Lush, we proudly claim to offer our clients
“Authentic brand storytelling with a media mindset”
But we often get asked what a media mindset really means, or what it takes to develop one. To determine whether you’re publishing content with a media mindset, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Is there a story?
When a brand is publishing content using a media mindset, all their content will hinge off an engaging narrative. Specifically, this means a narrative that is relatable, relevant and interesting to the audience.
If a brand uses storytelling in the way it creates content, not only will an audience be more engaged, it’s also more likely to be picked up by traditional media. Journalists can sniff out a good story a mile away, and if your content has an engaging narrative, you’re much more likely to receive interest from other publishers.
The Brand Newsroom team discussed what makes a story newsworthy. Listen in:
2. Do you publish consistently?
Anyone who has worked in the media for an extended period of time knows the strict deadlines that are upheld in the running of an editorial calendar. Traditional media understand the value of consistency and being accessible when an audience expects you.
In the same way a Sunday newspaper would never miss a week, if your content is unfailingly consistent then you are effectively operating under a media mindset.
3. Is there editorial quality?
After your content is created, what kind of hoops must it jump through in terms of quality before it is published? At Lush, every blog post or written document goes through at least one content edit and one copy edit before it is published. It’s this kind of meticulous attention to detail which replicates the standards that are upheld in traditional media.
If the thought of a grammatical error or spelling mistake in your content sends you into a panic, your content is being published using a media mindset. If your first draft is making it onto your company blog minutes after hitting the ‘save’ button, you may need to go back to the drawing board.
4. Is it audience-centric?
One of the cardinal sins under a media mindset is creating content that prioritises the needs and interests of your business over those of your audience. Too often, we encounter brands who want to publish what they want to say, rather than what their audience wants to hear.
The truth is, it’s not about you; it’s about your audience, and if your audience derives no value from your content, at the end of the day it is rendered pointless.
Being audience-centric means, in most cases, undertaking a significant amount of research in the planning stage of your content creation. However any brand publishing content under a media mindset understands well-executed research is what separates excellent content from the pack, becoming a valuable resource to the reader, and an indispensable asset to the brand.
If you’d like help assuming a media mindset in your content production, contact Lush Digital Media. A media perspective is second nature to us.
By Carla Young
