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LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JOURNALISTS AND CONTENT MARKETING

The transition from being a journalist to a content marketer is anything, but easy. In the previous post I discussed how you use the same skill sets for both but the two professions demand a totally different mindset.

To begin with, the switch from journalism to content marketing is usually under duress. As the opportunity pool for journalists has never been vast. Also, more often than not, most of them are unable to see a long-term growth for themselves. On the other hand, there is a lot of demand for their skill sets in content marketing, so it seems to be an easy option. The fact that content marketing pays better and on time too certainly helps.

The Journalistic EGO

The problem is that journalism is not just a job. The profession continues to command a fair bit of respect even now. You know who’s who of the industry or sector that you are covering; senior government officials are on your speed dial and you get at least five calls a day requesting you to cover a particular event or to publish a press release. So, the point I am trying to make is that we, journalists are used to a lot of attention and it can give us unnecessary EGO.

On the other hand, in content marketing the client might reject your copy or ask for enough iterations to drive you bonkers. So a huge ego might make it tough for you to survive and thrive in content marketing.

The problem of ethics

Coming up with an unbiased or impartial copy is ingrained in the DNA of any good journalist. A journalist we are taught to bring both sides of the story… something which is almost impossible in content marketing. As, you obviously cannot mention the client’s competitors. Similarly, you may also have to tweak the market reality in keeping with the client’s brand positioning. Though most journalists are aware of this, it necessarily doesn’t makes it easy to deal with. Some are never really able to adjust to this big conflict in the two job roles. It is one of the key reasons that makes many journalists stay away from content marketing.

As a content marketer, you really are required to write an impactful and engaging piece, which at times may not be in sync with the principles or ethics of journalism.

Missing your daily adrenaline rush

Journalism is extremely competitive and offers challenges almost every single day. The rush of deadlines, coming up with new and exciting stories, catching trends before anyone else — makes the job of a journalist incredibly exciting and keeps the adrenaline flowing.

Content marketing offers a different kind of thrill. Creating top-notch content for a website which will help your client get business; the case study which is well received and can generate more than the targeted return on investment for the client and so on. But you may not want to trade content marketing-kinda excitement for journalistic thrill. So, think before you make that jump. The key is to be an independent or a freelance journalist. I am able to sail in both as I am freelancing.

The transition from a journalist to a content marketer calls for a major mindset shift. Also you never really stop being a journalist. If you come across an interesting trend or a story, you will feel an irresistible urge to investigate and write about it. I still do 🙂 and so I happily wear both the hats — that of a journalist and a content marketer.

JOURNALISTIC SKILLS CAN POWER YOUR CONTENT MARKETING CAREER

I have been a journalist all my life and have written for some of the biggest media houses and online publishers in India and abroad. In the past few years, I have been increasingly involved into non-journalistic or content marketing work. This made me realize how the journalistic skills that I acquired over the years are extremely relevant, and in fact, enrich my work in content marketing domain.

Think about it. The fundamental job of a journalist is to gather information and present it in a simple and easy-to-understand as well as engaging manner. These skills are also pre-requisite for content marketing, where just using the keywords is no longer sufficient.

Impactful content, whether it is for a publication or a corporate, demands a thorough grasp of the subject; in-depth research and understanding of your readers and target audience. It also demands engaging writing skills that can help you put across your point. A journalist instead of just a writer is better equipped to deliver this.

So, here’s how you can use your journalistic skills to power your content marketing career:

Research

A good journalist is usually relentless in his/her pursuit of complete information. He/she does not shy away from interviewing or making multiple calls to get the relevant information. As a journalist, I don’t even think twice about sourcing information from multiple sources. This insatiable hunger for information is also particularly useful when you are working on long-form content marketing pieces, like case study or ebook. Thorough research makes the copy richer and more compelling and offers tangible benefit to the client.

A well-researched piece is not just more compelling but also goes a long way in promoting the credibility of the brand. People inherently don’t trust the content produced by a brand. This can be addressed to a certain extent by creating research-backed articles that are both compelling and engaging.

Clarity of thought

A journalist goes through hundreds of web pages and documents and might interview many while researching and will never be numbed by the information deluge. He/she instinctively knows precisely which information to use and which to ignore basis the brief. We are also adept at zeroing on a perfect angle and dish out a persuasive copy in line with the requirement. A content marketing team also requires clear and unambiguous content to send across the point.

Ideas

A reporter is used to coming up with new ideas almost every single day. Once a journalist understands the brand’s requirement, he/she will be able to come up with much better ideas and concepts because they have been seasoned under the sun and instinctively know what will go well with the target audience. Their work prepares them to write the same content in ten different ways, so they are best to suggest various angles to present an idea.

Storytelling

What is the point of gathering all the information if it is not assembled in a simple and easy to understand manner. If the information is presented in a dull manner and it is not enticing enough for the reader, then there is no point. It is like preparing a delicious meal but serving it in an appalling manner. A journalist thinks of different factors, including tone, approach, and angle of the piece before putting it all down. Further, an experienced journalist would have worked in various mediums, including print, online and more. We are used to adapting our style and tone of the article depending on the publication. This kind of versatility is hard to find and adds that zing to content marketing.

Deadline

With a journalist, you can be rest assured that you will get your work on time. Journalists usually take their deadlines very seriously. In my experience, I find that writers with even a little journalistic experience tend to take deadlines way more seriously in comparison to those who haven’t ever worked in the field of journalism.

So if you are looking for impactful content, an agency or a writer with roots in journalism is likely to deliver much better results than a regular writer. One industry’s loss is another’s gain. It is for this reason that more and more content marketing agencies are roping in the best of Journalistic minds and using their journalistic skills more than ever.

However, being a journalist can be a problem as well. In the next article, we will talk at length about how certain aspects of journalism can hinder your progress as a content marketer. Nonetheless, we will also talk about how to address the same.

THREE YEARS OF FREELANCING, ALL THAT I LEARNT AND UNLEARNT

After working for over a decade with the country’s best media brands, it was a tough call to start freelancing. Not just the thought of losing regular income but also the perks of working for the biggest media house made me mull over my decision for days and weeks. Finally, the idea to break free and spread my wings persisted over all fears and doubts. Thus began my journey as an independent journalist three years back. Over these years, a lot has changed and evolved. I have developed skills which I frankly never thought were important or mattered.

Here are some lessons and learnings from these three years:

You have to work as hard, and deadline pressures don’t leave you here too

Yes, it is true. Most people (especially so in India!) believe that freelancing means the person was unable to make it big in the real workplace. Freelancers are generally perceived to be the second best. Nothing is farther from the truth. As a freelancer, you are perpetually under pressure to prove your worth. This makes it critical to work doubly hard, if not more. You may get time for a leisurely coffee meet with friends or other freelancers, but only during the lean period. As other times, you will usually be chasing deadlines.

There are distractions galore, so devise your strategy

As a freelancer, there are distractions and distractions for you. Leave aside the family taking your work for granted most of the times; there are many other things to break your thought process and writing rhythm. Maids want to vent out about abusive husbands; akhbarwala (newspaper vendor) wants you to check the online school admission status of his child and so on and so forth. As a freelancer, I am not just writing but also scouting for ideas, pitching, marketing, sending invoices and follow-ups among other things. These allied activities take up a lot of time. Initially, I would end up spending a considerable amount of time on non-core activities much to the detriment of actual writing work. Now, I have devised a strategy which works for me. The second half of the day is dedicated to complete the non-core (but important!) activities associated with freelancing, and the night-time is purely for writing. I am now officially a night owl — but I do get to take an afternoon nap. 🙂

Saying ‘No’ is tough or may be toughest

Possibly the most challenging aspect of freelancing is turning down assignments (many would agree) which don’t make sense to you. The uncertainty associated with freelancing means that you are almost wired to accept whatever work comes your way. So, the decision to refuse a ‘nonsensical’ project means hours of anxiety and temptation to think and rethink.

During the initial days of freelancing, I couldn’t just say ‘no’. However, I gradually realized that this approach is self-defeating. I was spending the same amount of time on both high-and-low-paying assignments. I had to learn to differentiate between the two and give more importance to high-paying ones. But at the same time, you really cannot do a shoddy job for that low-paying work, because it is sure to backfire.

I think I am now somewhat in control. For, I no longer take up assignments that don’t pay as much but are likely to eat up a significant portion of my time.

Learn to negotiate

This one was a bummer for me. Well, I got conned a few times before I figured out that nobody is going to give me my dream rate till I negotiate — and negotiate real hard. I believed that it is just enough if I can convince them that my work deserves this price. I have still not honed this art, but I try, and I would like to believe that I am surely getting better.

There’s a dead end, unless you collaborate

As a writer, you can individually scale only up to an extent. Either you increase the number of hours, or you increase your rate per hour. Both come with their own set of limitations. Initially, I started out by outsourcing non-core activities like transcribing the interviews, research work. But today it is more. As nowadays, many clients want you to pitch in media outreach and even in videos. All this cannot be done without collaborating.

Pangs of loneliness make coffee shops my favorites

Yes, freelancing can be very lonely at times. The workplace offers regular human and professional interaction. Freelancing, on the other hand, sometimes means working long hours on a laptop with just professional interviews to break the monotony. Courtesy, these isolation pangs I find coffee shops ideal places to work even for longish hours of time. At least, you are surrounded by people — better than staring at those blank walls at home.

Yearning for acknowledgment

You almost yearn for some appreciation for your hard work, or maybe some feedback. I have realized that Indian clients as a rule (some rare exceptions do exist thankfully!!) are super stingy with feedback and especially positive feedback. The underlying thought behind this being that the freelancer may ask for a rate hike if a positive feedback is shared. So possibly, my biggest learning is that no feedback generally means good work. Don’t expect to hear ‘great work’ or ‘well done.’ If nobody has reverted with a stinker, it implies that all is well!!

YOU NEED THESE MESSIAHS IN YOUR FREELANCING LIFE

Years ago, my professor in journalism school had told us about the crucial role that a knowledgeable and helpful senior can play in molding a reporterís life. According to him, this mentor is generally either a senior reporter or a senior person in the reporter’s beat who directly or indirectly helps him in understanding the intricacies of the beat as well as in cracking important stories. Though I don’t per se recall him using the word mentor, the description fits perfectly here.

In the last few years of my freelancing career, I have always remembered this representation whenever I came across such ‘guides’ or ‘advisors’ (aka mentors). Like many other (or may be all) freelancers, I too regularly face many situations where I find myself totally flummoxed. In these situations, I desperately yearn for an advice of an experienced person to navigate me.

Should I make a portfolio website? Should I form a company of my own? Should I outsource a part of my operations? And, if I do what exactly should I outsource without quality being affected? How do I negotiate with other writers? And the list keeps adding up. Many of these may appear as small issues/doubts, but they do have potential to have a far-reaching impact on the overall growth of the business.

As a freelancer, one tends to be overtly sentimental about business, and here a mentor can guide by objectively assessing the situation and offer the best possible advice. Generally, for me, mentors come with skill-sets that I lack (kinda). These usually are related to the business aspect of freelancing where I need assistance and guidance. My mentor helped me realize my expertise in the initial days when I was doing some very basic freelancing projects. I can safely say that it is because of this motivation and encouragement that I took my baby steps in the world of ‘business negotiations.’

But the role of a good mentor is not just confined to encouragement. He is also the one who criticizes you or your work without any hitch. My experience tells me that a mentor will relentlessly question your strategy, objectives and business model. Basically, he/she will make you think more, and think critically about your business and how you can grow. A mentor is generally like Caesar’s wife so above any reproach. Many times, I have been terrified to take up especially difficult assignments, but mentors can nudge you out of your comfort zone to take up things which you haven’t done before. It is thanks to these mentors that I even pitch at some very prestigious publications and companies.

Also, this mentor is not always one person. He may differ as per your circumstance (or problem/issue, if I may say). In my case, I rely on a group of people who help me wade through different situations. For instance, when I need to discuss a story angle I call up X. However, when I can’t decide whether or not to accept a particular assignment at a given rate, I get in touch with Y. Similarly, it is thanks to Mr Z that I always manage to keep taxmen at bay. For, he always informs me whenever he is filling any Government form or doing any tax-related work. And not to forget that emotional support and ‘cheer up’ during those low days. Invariably, there are times when you are tempted to throw in the towel, the soul called your mentor will gently pull you out of this abyss. He/she makes you see the bigger picture and move beyond small disappointments.

The role of a mentor is almost equivalent to the role of a good teacher, who is indispensable for your growth. And in the years of my freelance journey so far, I owe my growth to these guiding lights that continue to enrich my work life. Freelancing won’t be half as rewarding as it is now without my group of mentors and advisors.