Moving from journalism to digital marketing – the writer vs. the duck.
Moving from print and broadcast journalism into the realm of digital media/marketing/content creation is – difficult. While they share very similar traits and skill sets, there are some obstacles thrown in our path which give traditional journalists the jitters. Looking back at my journey, I remember the following hurdles, and how I (sort of) overcame them.
1: Sharing
I’m sorry what now? Sharing other content onto our own digital marketing platforms was a strange phenomenon. At the outset, I could not grasp this at all. In a world where sharing and hits are attributed to the success or failure of a campaign, I was a flapping around like a fish out of water. Is this a form of stealing? Who owns the rights? I haven’t created this content myself, it has not come from any of our contributors, why on earth am I using this person’s work to promote our business and engage our audience?
I came from a time where competition was king. Getting the story ahead of a competitor was the driving force for all news journalists. We wanted to be the first, the first to get the story, to come up with a new angle, to provide a fresh twist on an old tale.
And now we are sharing? Bit of a leap there. With thanks to Darius Ivan at divmedia for sharing his knowledge of sharing.
2: Over thinking
Having grappled it, I soon embraced this concept of sharing. Delighted, I was, when a well thought out, well-constructed article was shared by many. (Note – I am aware that I have drifted into Yoda-speak here). Devastated, I was, when a similar well thought out, well-constructed article received no more than a handful of likes, while a picture of a duck under an umbrella on a rainy day grabbed the imagination of our digital audience. I later shared this image of said duck, many times, having learned the digital value of this duck.
With success came - the fear. Articles were no longer limited to a local or national audience, they were global. Reaction was no longer confined to a strongly worded email to a frazzled editor – never to see the light of day in public. It was alive, in real time, in the comments section. The more likes and shares, the higher the odds for dissatisfaction by someone, somewhere out there.
By our nature, we are trained not to libel or defame anyone, ever. We tread confidently but lightly through the fields of balance and right of reply. We can’t just put up any oul twaddle; we have to research, fact check, double check, source check, edit and sub-edit before we hit the ‘publish’ button. This will be achieved in double quick time as we are trained to meet exacting deadlines. In the new media realm, we will have cleverly incorporated relevant keywords to help with search engine optimisation (journalist, editor, content creator extraordinaire, digital marketing guru -*cough*).
Ten minutes later, we will have thought of a better headline than the one we used previously. A headline that is smart, clever and witty, but not misleading – entertaining but relevant. 24 hours later, we will have had a light bulb moment in front of the television for an even better headline, but will refrain from the temptation to re-edit our edits.
This level of over thinking is within our control. The impact of what we write is not. Could it be open to misinterpretation? Are the grammar ninjas out there ready to wield their mighty sword? Should I comment on the comments? If there are no comments, does that mean that people are not engaged? How do I become more engaging within the confines of journalism as I know it?
I suddenly recall one of the first lessons taught to me when I became a journalist
“You have to get used to not being liked”. There you have it - over thinking.
With thanks to Eve McInerney in Galway Global Promotions for teaching me all I know about SEO and keywords, CMS and digital marketing. We are the Bower girls.
3. The Top 5/10/15
“Perhaps you could write an article about the top five (insert topic) in (insert place name).”
Ah the top 5/10/15. It has become the go to structure for digital marketing content far and wide.
Adequate response = “Sure”.
Internal response at such a request went something like this:
“Sure – don’t you know I hold a 1:1 MA in Political Science, have interviewed captains of industry, warriors of the charity sector fighting for justice, spoken to the parents of a tragically deceased child, written about court cases, warring council factions, shaken hands with the President, interviewed ambassadors far and wide, could once tell the difference between concurrent and consecutive without having to use Google, edited, phoned, bargained and cajoled my way to get a front page story, revised and re-invented entire sections of newspapers/magazines, attended every envelope opening, every late night meeting, fired every brain cell to make planning stories more accessible and less “dwelling adjacent to”.
Given that this article is destined for Linked In, I feel I should attempt to give you the top 5/10/15 reasons why I found it difficult to adjust to this style of writing. Was I now a reviewer? Who was I to judge the top 5/10/15 and rate in terms of my preference? Was I an expert in the field? (note over thinking above). The top 5/10/15 was a tough pill to swallow, but I embraced it all the same. (In truth, I didn’t, but I possibly should have - and I will).
4. Self-promotion
After about 1 year + of researching, creating and uploading new website content, developing new skills such as CMS, SEO, keywords, tags, meta tags, social media management, scheduling and timing of posts, gaining insights into the success or failure of different forms of content (while editing a print magazine at the same time) I have come to the realisation that my digital footprint is – crap.
Having studied digital marketing, I am fully aware of the value of an integrated website, while using different social media platforms in tandem to market your service or product. It has dawned on me that I have not applied any of these principles to myself.
Gone are the days when my beloved dad (who died in 2006) would cut out and keep all of my print articles in scrapbooks. Bloggers run the new media world. Reporting was my game. I enjoyed promoting others. I enjoyed being the person behind the story. I didn’t want to be the story. I am not an authority on fashion, food, politics or industry – but I enjoyed writing about those who are.
I have finally accepted that I need to develop my own digital presence – a digital scrapbook to showcase some of my best work – whether it is news articles, features, education, client content or press releases. To share this article on my personal Facebook page consumes me with a form of social media anxiety. This is the hurdle I have yet to master - the art of self-promotion and becoming my own digital marketing brand.
I am aware that content creation for online marketing does not lend itself to 1,000 word features – so if you have made it this far, here, for your entertainment, is the picture of the duck.
Alternative headlines thought of 10 minutes later:
Duck it – moving from traditional journalism to new media.
Going quackers – how to move from journalism to new media
Headlines generated by Hubspot’s Blog Ideas Generator:
