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Friday, June 10, 2016

When WebMD, the well-known online health information service, polled parents of today's teenagers, 68% of respondents cited homework as the #1 cause of stress in teens. However, WebMD also found that parents may be actively contributing to their teens' stress in more ways than they realize.

In an effort to shed light on the common yet alarming issue of teen stress, WebMD partnered with award-winning journalist Soledad O'Brien to release a powerful multichannel, multimedia content campaign.

WebMD started by quantifying the issue via a survey about the often-overlooked aspects of teen stress. They conducted the survey with the purpose of sparking conversations around the primary causes and effects of teen stress, what to look out for and how parents tend to perceive their teens' stress levels.

"American teens are showing high levels of stress. This important survey closely examines how parents perceive their teens' stress levels and has implications for just how parents may contribute to their teens' stress levels," said Dr. Hansa Bhargava, pediatrician and WebMD Medical Editor, in the recent multimedia news release.

"It provides a possible path forward for how we might be able to address the very real problem of stress among adolescents."

Simply talking about these results, however, was not the end of it.

WebMD took it a step further by showing the reality of what teens experience in their everyday lives and what is being done to help combat and reduce the levels of stress impacting kids across the country.

They accomplished this with a three-part video series featuring Soledad O'Brien that delved deeper into:

Teens and Homework Stress
Social Emotional Learning in Schools
Teen Crisis Text Line

Separating the series into three episodes not only made WebMD's message easier to watch and understand, but also multiplied its impact. On their own, each video has a unique effect. On top of that, there's the collective influence when they're packaged together.

To amplify the message beyond their own network, WebMD compiled the videos, along with infographics featuring survey findings, press release text, social links and more information into one, centralized hub that was then distributed online and to media.

The press release also included a call to action directing and linking readers to the full survey and WebMD Special Report, Teens and Stress.

WebMD’s branded multimedia news release is a benchmark example of how quality content along with the right combination of assets and strategic execution are paramount to delivering your message successfully.

They utilized three tactics with this piece that effectively drove their message further, and the tactics can be implemented into just about any strategy.

Conduct a survey: What better way to provide valuable information to your audiences than by gathering that information from your audience? Surveys are not only powerful tools for obtaining insightful information, but also great ways to engage and interact with your audiences.

Make your information easily digestible: This is especially important if you have a lot of data to share. As we see in this example, infographics are ideal for showcasing your data in an easy-to-read, visually appealing and shareable format. Additionally, breaking up videos into shorter episodes is a great alternative to having one long video, increasing the chances each will be viewed in its entirety.

Back up your facts: Attribution is key if you want to be viewed as a trusted and reliable source for information. It's imperative that the information you do provide is thorough and accurate. Partnering with a prominent figure such as WebMD did with Soledad O'Brien or seeking out influential experts for quotes and input on a given topic will make your information much more credible.

As WebMD shows, organizations can use survey results and other brand content to build relationships with journalists, influencers and customers.

Build on WebMD's tactics by downloading Driving Credibility & Success for Your Brand: How to Earn More Media. Get the maximum value out of your content marketing efforts by learning how to effectively promote brand blog posts, white papers and more.

Author Priscilla Ramirez is a customer success representative for channel and advocacy marketing at PR Newswire.

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Thursday, June 9, 2016

[New Post] Content Tips for Adding Creativity in More Conservative Niches

Content Tips for Adding Creativity in More Conservative Niches

Jamie Heckler

blog_creative_risks

PR Newswire recently shared some tweetable tips from our award-winning marketing team. My favorite comes from Bradley H. Smith, who is responsible for marketing our IR and compliance services.

His advice to "Try to entertain while you inform" is brilliant, but sometimes easier said than done.

Click the above image to share Bradley's tweetable advice.

I recently reached out to Bradley to better understand how he so successfully injects creativity into an otherwise very conservative market.

Don't bore someone just because they work in a boring industry.

Bradley warns that some B2B marketing tends to be so creatively safe it teeters on the edge of boring and risks not engaging its audience.

"Every day Joe Jones sees all kinds of creative ads and commercials," he muses. "Think about all the excitement and energy we put into Super Bowl ads alone."

Bradley continues, "When Joe goes into the office, does he take off the creative ad hat and put on the boring office hat? We're talking to the same person. Just because he puts on a tie doesn't mean he wants un-engaging content."

Attract, connect and differentiate with a little creativity.

Tasked with selling to security lawyers, Bradley admits that his audience is more intelligent on certain industry topics than himself. "There's so much complexity, that I can't begin to be as smart as they are. I try to be engaging."

As evident in his posts on the Building Shareholder Confidence blog, Bradley often uses humor to make the dry content more approachable.

"I use creative humor for the equally important goals of differentiating the brand and increasing audience engagement."

While he understands that humor can be tricky, Bradley warns the alternative is worse. "[As B2B marketers] we're terrified to not offend someone and not get the lead, but the risk of being boring is much worse, because no one will read it."

Use humor to show you're in-the-know.

Marrying the lightness of humor with the seriousness of your market is more of an art than a science.

To start, you should speak on the same level as your audience.

"The humor has to be intelligent humor," Bradley clarifies. "I'm not making fart jokes. I'm trying to use humor in context with the niche."

Creating jokes specific to your industry is a way to show your audience you can relate to their workplace life. As he points out, "In best case scenario, I'm making inside jokes so the niche knows I'm in the niche."

BradleyHumorGraphics A selection of images from the Building Shareholder Confidence blog.

According to Bradley, your audience will thank you for your creativity. "In boring niches, there aren't a lot of inside jokes happening, so people will appreciate the effort."

Stick to these guidelines with creative content in more serious markets:

Avoid risqué topics. Remember you are representing a professional entity, so it's always best to steer clear of taboo topics.
Laugh from inside the niche, not at the niche. The content should never insult your prospects, company or competition. Bradley advises, "Consider how you would speak to them face to face—before drinks." If your humor needs a target, use yourself as the comedic foil.
Pop culture references need to be obvious and audience age-appropriate. For Bradley's targeted demographic this means he'll reference Ghostbusters or Monty Python, but not the Kardashians.
Apply the reverse-mullet rule. Put the party out front and back it up with information. Bradley often uses humor in his images and blog headlines, but rarely in the actual text. The jokes help draw in the audience, but once they're there, it's all business.

To connect with audiences at every stage of the marketing funnel, we must continue to evolve our approach to content creation and promotion. That means re-examining how things like visual storytelling and PR can do much more than build brand awareness.

Download The Evolution of PR's Role in the Marketing Funnel and get more content tips that will spark action across the buyer’s journey.

Author Jamie Heckler is the Senior Creative Manager at PR Newswire. Follow her on Twitter @jamieheckle for more #design, #PR & #marketing updates.