Journalists were key channels for people to know about the world around them for a very long time.
However, since the rise of the internet, especially after the rise of social media, the impact of influencers(also including bloggers, self-media/we media, YouTubers, KOL, KOC, Podcasters, BBS…etc, depends on the time and sectors of it) grown quickly, which become important channels for people to know about the world.
And from a marketing perspective, also as one of the ways how traditional media and these new-type media generate profit, there are definitely a lot of opportunities to have marketing promotion on them.
However, traditional media and these new-type media work differently. And the differences affect how marketers should work with them, in order to create a mutually beneficial relationship and facilitate collaboration.
So, how should a marketer treat traditional journalists?
1. Put yourself in their shoes
This is the most important point for marketers. Marketers usually got a goal which is completely different from media, especially traditional media. Marketers want the media could help boost their business performance, however, this is not the media’s main consideration. Their main consideration is the article could build long-term and short-term readership of the media, usually measured by the views of the articles.
Therefore, it is usually not useful for marketers to emphasise their business goal to the media, and it might even build unpleasant experiences if it is emphasised in hard ways.
2. Profit sources of traditional media
This is only for self-financing traditional media. Many media got sponsors, or it is a small branch of a bigger company, then their model might be a little bit different.
Usually, traditional media profit sources are advertisements, which can be in different forms, from graphic ads to text ads, to sponsored articles.
Some media also require subscription fees, but it is not very common now.
3. The professional conduct of journalists
This in fact is the source generating the biggest difference between journalists and influencers.
The points that generate important differences affecting marketing practices are
3.1 Journalists cannot take money while writing organic articles. While influencers are not limited by that.
3.2 Journalists are writing the article for the readers, and the readers are usually not the sources. They would put the readers' interests at the top.
3.3 Journalists need to cover both sides of a story. That means they would either include both the good points and the bad points of products, or instead do not include any good points or bad points of it, only mentioning the fact.
3.4 For sponsored content, usually the media needs to label it. Although some media are trying to not do that anymore.
Therefore, there are things a marketer should not expect traditional media would do for them, especially if it is non-sponsored content.
Do not expect the media would only mention the good points of products/brands.
Do not expect the media would let you check the article before its publishment.
Do not expect the media can collaborate very well on referring the audience to your dedicated store, especially through affiliate links.
Do not expect to intervene in the expression ways of the products/brands by the articles.
Traditional media and influencers are extremely important in marketing, however, they are at the same time similar but also have a lot of differences.
Marketers need to consider their different characteristics while planning for marketing activities, and while planning the strategy of communication.
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