While there’s a debate about where the phrase “content is king” originally emerged, Bill Gates is widely given credit for the phrase and wrote what Fox Business calls a “remarkably prescient piece” back in 1996 in which he “accurately foresaw the content boom years before Google, WordPress, Facebook and YouTube even existed.” The rest, of course, is history.
Organizations of all kinds have jumped on the content bandwagon, recognizing that the trusted relationships they have with patients puts them in a prime position to share content on a wide range of topics of interest to, and representing value for, their audiences.
COVID Makes Content Even More Important, and Powerful
While the pandemic has had a marked impact on many industries, businesses, and individuals around the globe, the demand for content in most settings remains high. With so much changing for so many people, new and updated content becomes mandatory for many.
Consider the human resources (HR) space as an example. It’s an area we do quite a bit of work in and one that has been heavily impacted by the need for ongoing, updated information on how to adjust HR practices during the pandemic. From how to hire and onboard remotely, to how to train remotely, to how to conduct remote performance reviews, to how to bring employees back on board safely, to how to plan for what may be a very long term work-from-home (WFH) experience, and everything in between, we’ve been continually producing content for a wide range of clients.
Marketing, and digital marketing, is another area we’re focused on and one where the content demand remains high.
And, then of course, there’s healthcare. It’s a field that is under massive pressure, and one that had already been experiencing significant changes from a variety of fronts. Now, the rapid increase in adoption of telehealth services, for instance, is changing the service delivery model, perhaps forever.
Your Audience Wants to Hear From You!
Whatever industry you’re in though, and whether you’re open or closed right now, your audience wants to hear from you. It’s a message we’re delivering repeatedly to attendees at a series of webinars we’ve been doing for small business owners and entrepreneurs. For many businesses right now, and particularly retailers, customers and consumers want to know:
- If you’re open
- What your hours of operation are
- What safety precautions you’re taking to protect staff and customers
Simple messages of the utmost importance to your audience. Your responses to these questions should appear prominently across your various communication channels. Certainly on your website and social media platforms but also, if you’re a brick and mortar business, on signage at your physical locations and in-store.
The need to be responsive to these questions will subside over time, but their import leaves a valuable message. In good time and bad, content is king. It’s important that this content, though, directly addresses the issues that are top-of-mind for consumers. That was true pre-COVID; it will be true post-COVID. We just need to think about our content from the consumer point-of-view. As always, it’s not about “me, me, me,” it’s about “you, you, you”!
About Us
Strategic Communications, LLC, works with B2B clients to help them achieve their goals through effective content marketing and management with both internal and external audiences. We work with clients to plan, create, and publish high-quality, unique content. Whether on- or offline, or both, we’ll help you achieve your desired results.
(Strategic Communications is certified as a Woman-Owned Business Enterprise through the Wisconsin Department of Administration.)
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Tags: advertising copy, B2B content marketing, business communication, communicating during the pandemic, content marketing, COVID-19 communications, creating content, Customer Communication