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Executive use social media but just don’t find it as valuable

NEW YORK: Despite the media facing both financial and political headwinds, most C-suite executives find traditional media more valuable than social media, according to a study from agency Greentarget released this week.

More than 50% of execs look to traditional outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, as well as emailed sources for daily information. Nearly three-quarters (74%) of the executives described the information gleaned from traditional outlets as either very or somewhat valuable.

While a third of those surveyed said they use social media daily, only 30% said they find the content very or somewhat valuable, and 10% said it has no value.

Greentarget conducted the survey this year, asking more than 100 C-suite professionals, more than half from companies with 1,000-plus employees, about their media-consumption habits.

The study asked executives about their attitudes and consumption habits in eight categories: traditional media, email notifications, social media, industry association content, trade publications, vendor websites, academic publications, and industry thought leader’s blogs and websites.

The results highlight the continuing importance of traditional public relations, said John Corey, founding partner of Greentarget.

“Traditional media relations have never been more important for this industry,” he said. “It doesn’t really matter about business model, saying it may be broken, and it may be broken, but it doesn’t matter. [People want] credibility, impartially, and objectivity.”

The executives also said they value academic-driven publications such as the Harvard Business Review.

“I think curation is key,” Corey said. “[They are saying] ‘I’m trusting editors and publishers and others to curate what I need, what to focus on.’ They are relying on that third-party filter to focus on what is most important.”

The survey also found that two-thirds of executives prefer traditional-news-style articles, while 44% desire infographics and interactive charts. The preferences of the executives reflect a desire for practical information that can be applied directly to their work. Almost 75% of respondents said the promise of useful information “attracts them to the content they consume most — more than any other attribute.”

This article was originally published in PRWeek.

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Though nearly all in-house counsel say information overload a problem, firms plan to create more content – and nearly three-quarters of CMOs say have no documented content strategy. A survey released today by strategic communications firm Greentarget and consulting firm Zeughauser Group shows a near-unanimous feeling among in-house counsel that “information overload” is a problem in their daily efforts to consume information about business, industry and legal topics. Nevertheless, law firms plan to create more content – even though a strong majority haven’t yet documented a content strategy. The accompanying report detailing the findings of the 2017 State of Digital & Content Marketing Survey also shows that law firm chief marketing officers know the information overload problem exists. But just 26 percent said they had a documented content strategy – up from 13 percent in the previous survey in 2015, still surprisingly low. Given that void, this year’s report includes key guidance on content strategy and distribution. “The slight improvement in the documentation of content strategy is a positive sign. But more law firms need to develop and document their own strategies if they hope to develop and optimally deliver robust content in support of their most important practices. In an era of information overload, strategy brings clarity and the ultimate opportunity for firms is to bring the right content, to the right audiences and the right time on the channels where (and when) they congregate,” said John Corey, founding partner of Greentarget. To help law firms at this important inflection point, Greentarget and Zeughauser Group have taken a new step in this year’s report: providing guidance to those firms – culled from some top law firm marketers and content strategists – which we hope will drive new thinking and strategic adjustments to content operations across the legal industry. “The guidance focuses on content creation as well as content distribution, which is becoming increasingly important as firms try to stand out in an increasingly competitive legal and media landscape,” Corey said. The Highlights: In-House Counsel Survey:
  • Ninety-six percent of in-house counsel said information overload was a problem in their daily efforts to consume information regarding business, industry and legal topics affecting their companies.
  • LinkedIn remained the dominant social media tool that in-house counsel use for professional reasons, with 73 percent saying they had used it within the past week – up from 68 percent in the previous survey.
  • Despite the flow of so-called “fake news,” traditional media (e.g., The Wall Street Journal and The Economist) remain the most credible sources in the eyes of in-house counsel; 95 percent said those sources were very or somewhat credible.
  • Fifty-two percent of in-house counsel ranked law firm content as very good or excellent, compared with 43 percent in 2015.
Law Firm Marketer/CMO Survey
  • Eighty-one percent of law firm CMOs said they will produce more content in 2017 than in 2016, and none said they will produce less. Nearly half (49 percent) of CMOs said their content budgets would increase over last year while the same number said they would remain the same.
  • Twenty-six percent of respondents said their firms had documented content strategies, which is up from 13 percent in 2015. Forty five percent said they had undocumented strategies, and 23 percent said they were planning to implement content strategies in the next 12 months.
  • The greatest challenge for content marketers was a lack of engagement from attorneys within the firm (46 percent) followed by a lack of staff time (26 percent).
“We’re at an important inflection point when it comes to creating and distributing law firm content,” said Mary K Young, a partner with Zeughauser Group. “Smart firms will embrace documented strategies, understanding that doing the hard but important work of effectively distributing highly relevant content will pay off in the coming years.” “In the seven years that we’ve done this survey, we’ve seen the sophistication and quality of firms’ marketing efforts increase – creating a divide between the firms who are doing it right and those who aren’t,” said Kevin Iredell, Greentarget’s director of research & market intelligence. “The smart firms are embracing a strategic approach to content and digital marketing.” You can find more information and a full version of the report here. For more information, contact John Corey at jcorey@greentarget.com or 312 502 1963. About the Survey’s Authors: About Greentarget (www.greentarget.com) Greentarget is a strategic communications firm focused exclusively on the communications needs of highly competitive business-to-business organizations. We counsel those who counsel the world‘s most sophisticated businesses and direct smarter conversations among their most important audiences to help deepen relationships that impact the long-term value of their organizations. About Zeughauser Group (www.consultzg.com) Zeughauser Group is the firm of choice for legal industry leaders seeking to increase their competitive advantage and profitability, enhance market position, and strengthen organizational culture.

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Most CMOs, in-house counsel and C-suite officers agree they want research reports that are educational, indepth and relevant. But actually finding those reports can prove surprisingly challenging.

For instance, while 68 percent of CMOs, 64 percent of C-suite executives and 51 percent of in-house counsel say they appreciate that research reports are “educational,” only 9 percent of the C-suite and 19 percent of in-house counsel identify the attribute “easy to access” as one that intuitively appeals when it comes to research reports.

What makes these valuable sources of information so difficult to find? The disconnect likely stems from how research reports are typically disseminated — and suggests that, instead of depending on readers to find the reports on a firm website or microsite, marketers should employ a mix of targeted earned and owned content (leaning heavily on interactive charts — which are especially appealing to C-suite members). Trade publication websites, websites from outside professional service providers and vendors, and podcasts represent three potential areas of opportunity.

Approximately three-fourths of both in-house counsel and C-suite officers highly value trade publications — both online and in print — that cover industry news, with a significant majority visiting these publications at least weekly. CMOs nearly unanimously (95 percent) agree that trade publications are a valuable marketing source. Strategic placement of select research findings in these publications — cited and hyperlinked in staff-written, bylined or sponsored articles, for example — provides an impactful, coordinated marketing opportunity.

Both C-suite executives (67 percent) and in-house counsel (63 percent) also consider professional service provider websites a high-value source for news and information — and research reports offer these providers a means of refreshing their website content. The key, however, is to draw targeted audiences to where a particular report lives on the site. One way to achieve this would be to use social media to promote select findings — via infographics or teasers, for example — replete with links to the full report.

Podcasts again made gains in 2019 among both C-suite executives and in-house counsel as a preferred content source. So marketers should seriously consider developing podcasts around select reports. A growing number of other professional service providers are already doing this, to great — and even award-winning — effect. Though some might think podcasts an unlikely medium for in-depth research, our survey found that nearly 70 percent of C-suite officers perceive them as “educational” — suggesting that this segment welcomes receiving research through this medium.

Beyond distribution, research reports face challenges related to timing: Both in-house counsel (60 percent) and C-suite officers (57 percent) place high value on content that is current. Interactive charts likely appeal to C-suite members in part because the reader often feels like this reporting is especially dynamic. Lengthier research reports, while providing the in-depth information that both survey groups may value, could be months or even years in the making. Upon publishing, the information may be — or appear to be — of little use to decision-makers.

As Isaac Rogers of 20/20 Research says, “Research providers might publish a year-end review, but I need something timely. They do good work, but by the time major publications are out, I already know what is covered in the report.”

Shorter, more frequent research reports provide a solution. And strategic distribution of timely, actionable content through diverse channels will help meet the goals and preferences of the C-suite, in-house counsel and CMOs alike.

A version of this article appeared in the 2019 State of Digital & Content Marketing Survey, released in July 2019.

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But while in-house counsel and C-suite executives both want content with utility, they define this key attribute in different ways, according to the 2019 State of Digital & Content Marketing Survey

Chicago, July 25, 2019 – In the age of information overload, in-house counsel and C-suite executives are resolute in valuing utility above other content attributes. That these busy decision-makers prioritize actionable information and insights is understandable – but how the two groups define utility is quite different, according to the 2019 State of Digital & Content Marketing Survey, released today.

 The survey, by strategic communications firm Greentarget and consulting firm Zeughauser Group, compares the two groups’ information consumption preferences. This yielded important takeaways in an era when C-suite executives can be as engaged in hiring a law firm as in-house legal officers, who can wield heavy influence in hiring consulting, accounting and other professional services firms.

 At a high level, the two groups are in lockstep – but there are significant differences. They prefer different types of content, have varying thoughts on why content misses the mark and diverge about how they can be effectively targeted on social or other digital media. The survey – in its ninth edition since its initial release in 2010 – is the first to offer such an in-depth, side-by-side comparison.

 “Over the past decade, we’ve unearthed important insights about the content preferences of decision-makers, and the 2019 study offers our most compelling findings to date that professional services marketers can’t afford to ignore,” said John Corey, founding partner of Greentarget. “This year, by comparing the likes and dislikes of in-house counsel and C-suite executives, we’re providing greater context for marketers along with actionable guidance on the ever-elusive pursuit of bringing the right content to the right audiences on the right platforms at the right time.”

 Comparing In-House Counsel and C-Suite Executives

  • Traditional Media Still Highly Trusted – and Accessed: Both in-house counsel and C-suite executives highly value traditional media, even in the age of so-called “fake news.” C-suite executives placed the highest value on traditional media at 82 percent (up from 74 percent in the 2018 survey). Additionally, 79 percent of in-house counsel said traditional media is most valuable, about the same as the 80 percent who responded that way last year. The findings speak to this audience’s continued desire for curation and the role professional editors play in determining what stories and topics are most important.
  • In-House Counsel Like Articles, but the C-Suite Prefers Interactive Charts:
    In a revealing comparison about both the personalities and job responsibilities of the two groups surveyed, in-house counsel said their preferred content type was articles and C-suite executives picked interactive charts. Relatedly, in-house counsel picked educational as their most valued content attribute while C-suite executives chose relevance and ease of access. This makes sense as lawyers tend to take in longer-form information, and interactive charts enable C-level executives to quickly absorb complex information.
  • What Makes Content Miss: The two groups also differed on why content can miss the mark. Fifty-one percent of in-house counsel said content misses most often because it’s “too salesy” while the same percentage of C-suite executives chose “not sufficiently relevant.”
  • LinkedIn Lessons: Fifty-three percent of in-house counsel said they find value in LinkedIn as a platform, but just 29 percent agree that it is effectively used by outside law firms. C-suite executives were more satisfied with LinkedIn’s content targeting, with 63 percent saying it is effective.
  • Do Law Firms Overemphasize Rankings? CMOs say peer-driven rankings or listing services command more resources than any category of firm content aside from trade publications and traditional media. But just 9 percent of in-house counsel find the rankings “very important” when researching firms for potential hire. Forty-one percent say the rankings are “somewhat important,” which may suggest that such rankings are limited to a validation effect, an important consideration for CMOs allocating resources.

 A Continued Lack of Documented Content Strategy

 This year’s survey, which queried 100 in-house counsel and 100 C-suite executives, was also the first since 2017 to query law firm chief marketing officers (30 in total) about, among other things, their approaches to content strategy and marketing resource allocation, among other topics. While firms need strategic roadmaps to guide their content development and distribution efforts more than ever, just 25 percent of the law firm marketing officers said they had documented content strategies. That’s slightly down from two years ago.

“Law firms, just like all professional service organizations, understand how content can help build their brands and differentiate their organizations – but many are creating more content without documented strategies,” said Mary K. Young, a partner with Zeughauser Group. “Their reliance on implicit strategy is likely a response to the complexities of prioritizing certain practices or sectors within firms. Though it may be difficult for marketers to publicly prioritize certain practices, we encourage them to emphasize the types of content and distribution preferences that best meet the needs of audiences most critical to the firm’s success.”

For more information, contact John Corey at jcorey@greentarget.com or 312-502-1963.

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Despite the relentless challenges facing both traditional and emerging news outlets, the media remains a powerful and credible communications vehicle – particularly among the stakeholders that business-to-business organizations seek to influence. At Greentarget we see it every day, and it’s borne out in our latest research. So we were disheartened to read a recent report in the Washington Post. Reporter Stephen Pearlstein theorizes that corporate media relations is broken and that the business community no longer relies on traditional media as a credible resource. Spurred by the C-suite’s mistrust in traditional media, Pearlstein notes “even the prospect of a positive story can’t crack open the door to the executive suite.” More from Pearlstein: “The prevailing attitude is now that everything is about data and social media and identifying the people they can reach by going over the heads of the established media,” one top public relations executive told me. Traditional Media Still Matters But our data tells a very different story. Greentarget’s 2018 State of Digital & Content Marketing Survey shows that 54 percent of in-house counsel surveyed go to traditional media (e.g., The Wall Street Journal) each day for legal, business and industry news and information, and 45 percent find such sources very valuable – far above any other source. And Greentarget’s new survey of C-suite executives, the State of Digital & Content Marketing Survey – Professional Services found that more than half of those executives get their content from traditional media every day, and 75 percent find it very valuable content for business and industry news and information. In addition, CMO respondents to Nielsen’s 2018 Chief Marketing Officer Report see traditional media as an important channel for building brand awareness. The report found that marketers still believe traditional media remains critical to brand building and its associated top-of-funnel marketing metrics, including brand awareness, recall and favorability. Fifty-five percent of respondents plan to allocate at least 40 percent of their ad budget to traditional media (TV, print, radio, etc.), according to the report. Why Engaging With the News Media Is Worth the Risk We, of course, understand why some companies would be cautious about speaking to the media and that they have the right to decline to be interviewed if it’s truly in their best interest. But we wholeheartedly disagree that a risk-avoidance strategy is an answer. Much of Pearlstein’s article focuses on consumer brands. But for professional services organizations, we encourage a proactive – not a reactive – approach to engaging with the news media, even given the current news environment. Here’s why:
  • You snooze, you lose: There will come a time when the C-level executive who shuts down a reporter will need that same reporter to tell their story, and perhaps be more understanding of a company’s business and context throughout the reporting process.
  • You have control of a negative or positive story outcome: This is something many executives forget and likely the reason so many run the opposite direction when a reporter reaches out. Preparation is key, and ahead of any interview, it’s important that executives be completely comfortable and have multiple tools and techniques to make sure an interview goes in their favor.
  • You miss out on the benefits of thought leadership: In 2017, Edelman and LinkedIn released a joint research study of more than 1,300 business decision-makers and C-suite executives that explored how thought leadership influences their behaviors throughout the B2B purchase process. Among the study’s key findings was that 45 percent of decision-makers and 48 percent of C-suite executives said a company’s thought leadership directly led them to award business to that firm. If an executive makes a choice not to participate in a story, they are likely missing out on an under-leveraged business development resource.
  • You have a responsibility: We believe true thought leaders have an obligation to participate skillfully in the conversations that matter to their clients. This is especially true as they seek to increase market share, attract leading talent and achieve a higher purpose. There is a missed opportunity every time they choose not to respond to a reporter’s request.
We’ve written previously about the possibility of recent attacks on the press intimidating reporters and news organizations from telling the stories they feel the public has a right – and likely a need – to know. What would be worse is if these important stories aren’t told because leaders in corporate America choose not to pick up the phone. By adopting what amounts to a siege mentality when it comes to the news media, they’re passing up opportunities for thought leadership. And in the professional services realm – given the content preferences of those making buying decisions – they’re making an unequivocal mistake.

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Content that’s useful, timely, credibly sourced and delivered through headlines conveying why – rather than what – to read will break through. Law firms have made massive investments in content, mostly aimed at deepening their engagement with in-house counsel. But, for the most part, their efforts are falling short. Only about half of in-house attorneys consider law-firm content “good to excellent,” the same as in 2017, and up only slightly since 2015, according to the 2018 State of Digital & Content Marketing Survey, released today by strategic communications firm Greentarget and consulting firm Zeughauser Group. But the survey also provides clear guidance on how firms can make inroads with their most important readers. For our seventh annual survey we asked in-house counsel not only about their content consumption habits, but also what content they value most, where they get it, and how often they go there. We found that:
  • In-house counsel want content that helps them do their jobs. More than three-quarters of our respondents say they most value utility in the content they consume – ahead of timeliness (58 percent), reliable sources (56 percent) and compelling headlines (51 percent).
  • And they want it in the form of articles, alerts and newsletters, respectively. Those are respondents’ most preferred content vehicles.
  • Email works – when it’s good. Forty percent of in-house counsel say they get information from email notifications every day – but only 25 percent say they find them valuable. That’s a huge opportunity to reach clients and prospects, and to stand out from the noise, by creating email alerts that deliver on the qualities in-house lawyers are looking for.
  • Traditional media most trusted. Fifty-four percent of respondents go to traditional media (e.g., The Wall Street Journal) on a daily basis for legal, business and industry news and information, and 45 percent find such sources very valuable – far above any other source.
  • Brevity matters. Nearly a third of in-house counsel value shorter content, while only 5 percent value longer pieces. They also want email alerts to be brief. And they only rank in-depth as a key attribute for a single content category – research reports.
  • Podcasts show promise. More than a quarter of respondents put podcasts among their preferred content vehicles – ahead of video and perhaps surprising for a relatively new medium. Audio content gives consumers hands- and eyes-free information for their commutes or during workouts. And podcasts are the only medium where respondents say they consider entertainment value – an opportunity to rise above the noise for firms that are willing to break from the industry’s staid conventions.
  • On social media, more noise than signal. About a third of in-house counsel look at social media every day, but only 11 percent find anything of value there. By contrast, less than a quarter view industry association publications and websites every day, but 43 percent find those valuable.
“This is the age of information overload,” said John Corey, founding partner of Greentarget. “In-house counsel want content that’s useful, timely, well-sourced and provides lively engagement starting from the subject line. If they want to elevate the conversation, firms have to quickly and efficiently tell in-house counsel what they have to say, why it matters and what law departments should do about it.” The 2018 report went further than in past years, identifying which content types were most preferred by in-house counsel – and what attributes are most valued regarding those content types. Respondents’ top three content types are articles, alerts and newsletters – and in each case, they want that content to be relevant and timely. For articles and newsletters, respondents want content to be educational – and they prefer that alerts be brief. “Drilling down to this level of detail about what is and isn’t working when it comes to law firm-generated content is important – and consequential,” said Mary K. Young, a partner with Zeughauser Group. “Firms can take this information and the related guidance and find ways to stand out and build their brands with in-house counsel, who are, of course, key decision makers within their organizations.” About Greentarget Greentarget is a strategic public relations firm focused exclusively on the communications needs of highly competitive business-to-business organizations. We counsel those who counsel the world’s leading businesses and direct smarter conversations among their most important audiences to help deepen the relationships that impact the long-term value of their organizations. For more information, visit www.greentarget.com. About Zeughauser Group Zeughauser Group is the firm of choice for legal industry leaders seeking to increase their competitive advantage and profitability, enhance market position, and strengthen organizational culture. For more information, visit www.consultzg.com.