No, this picture doesn't have anything to do with the topic, but who doesn't need a nice break from stock photos?
Yeah, yeah. I know you love your personas. I get it. But I see a lot of folks relying on stock cariactures instead of legit, specific insights. Increasingly, the best source of insights on target audiences and the issues they care about is the people closest to them -- your brand journalists.
Get more audience insights & voice guidance from brand journalists
Even though we spend hours every month talking to your customers and prospects, we're almost never asked about what we hear, see and learn. So, marketing folks, start mining your internal and external creators.
You can do this informally, of course, by just asking questions periodically and blending the information into your work. But the real value comes from a deeper integration.
How to find relevant content topics
For instance, we deliver insights to one of our B2C clients in the form of content topics based on what we're hearing from external SMEs and actual members of the target market. Our perspective reflects "feet on the street" interests of consumers, yet it also filters in the messaging and USP's you need. That's a recipe for relevance and engagement right there. Every cycle, we suggest ideas for articles, social posts, infographics, ebooks and white papers. Then the marketing team vets the ideas and assigns the ones they want in the mix.
How to find a voice that resonates
For another client, we use our reporting experience to help them "translate" their corporate messaging. In this case, our brand journalists use their firsthand experience talking to customers and the experts who influence them to describe a voice that resonates. This enables us -- and thus, other members of your creative team -- to tune into the right tone that creates a writer persona that sounds like the person your customers want and need to hear from -- and evolve it for different points along the buy/decision process.
We've got other ways to help you know your audience better and produce more content that truly meets your needs. Holler.
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