Happy New Year! As I reflected on 2019 and the updates we made to PRToolfinder, I had a realization—“Holy heck, I added a content marketing category and never told anyone!” So, I’m starting the year with both an apology (sorry about that) and an announcement (stay tuned till the end of this blog).
If you work in PR, you know that the lines between paid, earned, and owned media are increasingly blurred. Storytelling today has a much bigger stage—bloggers, social media, new media, self-publishing, the rise of online advertising, the decline of print advertising, and fewer editors. All these changes make pitching stories the traditional way more challenging. And while this blog has covered new ways to pitch and find story opportunities, change is constant, and so is the technology designed to meet those challenges.
Enter Content Marketing:
Companies are now finding it both expedient and effective to take their stories directly to their customers. While nothing beats a high-value media placement, if you’re seeking more control and precision, content marketing can elevate your storytelling to a new level.
Email Marketing and Marketing Automation Tools are the software solutions that enable content marketing. However, content marketing requires great content, and this is where PR professionals have a huge opportunity to apply their storytelling expertise directly to their clients’ potential customers.
In the new content marketing category on PRToolfinder, you’ll find well-known marketing solutions of varying complexity. Some, like SharpSpring, specifically target agencies with software licensing opportunities so you can offer an additional service PR pros can provide their clients. It’s a more direct way of delivering your clients’ stories in an increasingly competitive media environment. While it requires mastering a new tool, I personally believe learning a tool is easier than learning to be a great storyteller. So, check out the content marketing category, and if you think there are other tools that should be listed, let me know!
And now for the announcement:
It’s going to be easier than ever to stay updated on PR Tool changes because PRToolfinder is launching a monthly newsletter in January! You can subscribe to it here.