Greentarget

Content & Editorial

by

The partners at your professional services firm are essentially owners of their respective business units, which means the cost of your marketing initiatives comes out of their pockets. And given the pressure they’re under to hit their revenue and growth targets, they expect you to support their individual marketing needs as if those partners are your team’s top priority. That can make it tough to advance the overall business objectives for your firm. 

Sure, it might be tenable if you’re only managing a handful of competing agendas. But if you answer to dozens — or even hundreds — of partners and myriad other stakeholders,  chances are your audience is on the receiving end of too many messages, or diluted messages that don’t speak to their needs.

When you’re bogged down by the tyranny of the urgent — and when your firm’s partners are focused on their messages and their goals — how can you shift gears to create a cohesive and meaningful marketing strategy? Instead of disparate initiatives, you need to create a comprehensive plan organized around a focused objective.

Once that focus is in place, it’s time to switch into campaign mode: building an integrated program to reach your desired audience through  paid, earned, social, and owned (PESO) media . 

Here’s how to build sophisticated PESO campaigns that elevate your firm’s digital marketing — and win the buy-in and support you’ll need to bring them to life.

Building Blocks of an Integrated PESO Marketing Campaign

Your firm is not the only voice vying for your audience’s attention. To combat this information overload, lean on integrated campaigns that highlight authoritative content with a unique point of view.

What does it mean to adopt a PESO campaign orientation? You’ll leverage: 

  • Paid channels by buying ad space in traditional outlets and/or on Google and LinkedIn
  • Earned media by reaching out to reporters and earned media outlets with quotes and snippets that demonstrate your firm’s authority
  • Social channels by sharing your firm’s insights via email and social media
  • Owned media by publishing articles, eBooks, white papers, and other assets to your website

Furthermore, each campaign should:

  • Align to a measurable business objective (e.g. increase awareness of your firm; demonstrate your firm’s position of authority; drive revenue growth)
  • Present a unique point of view on an issue that’s important to your audience (make them think “hmmm, I hadn’t heard that before”)
  • Drive specific KPIs (like number of organic site visitors, downloads, audience reach, LinkedIn engagement)

Reddit used several elements of the PESO model effectively when the social media platform took out a five-second Superbowl ad that made it look like the company was hacking a car commercial. It simultaneously posted the video with a “What just happened?” caption on Twitter. From there, Reddit drove users to the site with a link to a sampling of its community forums. And in the aftermath, the platform earned positive media coverage from high-profile outlets praising its ingenuity.

As a professional services marketer, you can use creativity and drama to reach your audience, too. Your firm’s experts are writing and speaking on a variety of topics. Don’t shy away from promoting their hot takes with catchy copy and your version of a grand reveal.

How To Persuade Your Firm’s Partners To Adopt a Campaign Orientation

Talking about the value of an integrated marketing campaign to marketers is a bit like preaching to the choir. But if your firm’s partners aren’t on board with your plans, all the campaign know-how in the world won’t matter. And when you first launch an integrated campaign, you’ll undoubtedly encounter pushback from leaders who (wrongly) think you should focus on a marketing plan that is all things to all audiences.

You know the most effective marketing campaigns are targeted to a specific persona looking for help with specific questions at a particular moment in time. But how can you get your partners to buy in?

Show Partners What’s in It for Them

Partners may initially balk at investing marketing dollars into campaigns that don’t directly benefit their business unit. That’s why it’s crucial to demonstrate the value a campaign model will offer them both immediately and over time. They need to understand that:

  • Rising tides lift all boats. Successful campaigns drive increased traffic to useful content on your site. And when these visitors discover relevant content that meets their business needs, they’ll be primed to learn about your firm’s partners, service offerings, and additional areas of expertise.
  • Every campaign is rooted in your firm’s authority (and that of your partners). Invite partners to participate in your campaign plans by authoring bespoke content that fits in with the broader objective, whether it’s offering a unique POV that fills in “white space” in your industry, or providing insight into how your firm solves tricky client problems. Putting your partners’ expertise in the spotlight is a great way to win their support.
  • Coordinated campaigns shed light on what your audience is looking for. Tracking the content that resonates with your audience and learning what drives engagement helps business development team and partners better meet your prospects’ needs. Importantly, it also demonstrates the return on investment.
  • It’s an opportunity to outshine and outperform the competition. Your partners are undoubtedly paying attention to what their peers at other firms are doing. Well-crafted campaigns give your experts something worth sharing and promoting in their spheres of influence. 

Start Small, Then Build on Your Campaign Success

Your PESO campaigns don’t have to be perfect to be impactful. Nor do you need to devote all your time and energy to adopting a campaign mindset. Carving out 20% of your work week to create and implement thoughtful campaigns is a great place to start.

The best campaigns tend to be recognized with awards from industry publications. Using the format of an award entry to craft your campaign is another smart way to make the case for its value. Identify the opportunities and challenges to the business, then lay out the strategy, tactical approach and measurable results. In other words, try reviewing the award entry format of an organization you respect and work backwards to structure your campaign idea.


Just remember: Useful, relevant content is what powers your digital marketing engine. If you need help identifying the types of content your audience is looking for — and honing unique points of view that will cut through the digital clutter — don’t hesitate to reach out. We know what it takes to create campaigns that drive audiences to action.

by

Source: CB Insights

Look familiar? As a PR pro who develops content for professional services firms, it certainly does to me.  

Yet the above didn’t take weeks of focus groups, client calls and multiple rounds of editing to produce. Instead – at the behest of CB Insights’ CEO – it was written in less than two seconds by ChatGPT, the new AI-powered chatbot that has made headlines since its public rollout last November. 

Those headlines might have you think that jobs like mine will go the way of the VCR. In my view, though, the real issue isn’t that AI can do my job. Sure, AI can help get things started, draft great SEO headlines, and effectively regurgitate basic information and summaries. But as numerous critics have shown, ChatGPT’s content is rife with inaccuracies and wooden prose – not to mention it’s really bad at jokes.  

Perhaps most importantly, however, it is unoriginal by design. In formulating a response based on its ingestion of existing content on the internet, ChatGPT is essentially just “giving you some text that statistically is likely to represent the consensus view on whatever topic you ask it to comment on.” It’s no surprise CNET articles written by AI have come under fire for plagiarism.

An increasingly AI-powered content marketplace poses particular risks to professional services firms, who, with their stiff, jargon-filled language, already tend to sound alike. And not having fresh content could have real consequences: as our 2022 State of Digital & Content Marketing Report shows, more than two-thirds of respondents (71% of in-house counsel; 69% of C-suite members) cited articles from thought leaders as a critical factor when it comes to researching firms for potential hire.

In other words, if your insights or messaging can be easily imitated by ChatGPT, then why should anyone choose you?

To establish yourself as a true authority, you’ve got to go above and beyond the consensus view to create content that is unique, relevant, newsworthy and, above all, useful. Here are a few writing best practices to help rise above the noise – and outdo anything produced by ChatGPT.

Go deep

In determining whether a certain text was written by a bot, a new app, ChatGPTZero, uses two indicators – one of which is “perplexity.” In a nutshell, the more complex a text, the more likely it was written by a human.

The temptation for professional services firms might be to make things more technical, complex, and jargon-ridden. That’s not the answer. While some more arcane language can be helpful – for example, to signal your expertise to certain target audience – remember that the broader goal is to make your content useful and engaging for busy readers.  

One way to split the difference: be specific. Focus on a particular angle of a particular topic geared at a particular audience. Then deploy specifics to tell a story that makes a complex issue come alive: Frame the piece through a particular news hook, case study, or example; quote experts, cite relevant research or historical documents; use hypotheticals to put the reader in your shoes.

That’s what Jennifer Hull, a client of ours at Berkeley Research Group, did with a recent piece on crypto. Instead of writing a broad take on a subject that has saturated the internet for months, she focused on accounting standards for crypto assets – an emerging, niche issue in the space – and outlined key challenges and unique guidance using specific, timely examples (without being overly technical or dull). After the piece appeared in BRG’s ThinkSet digital magazine, it caught the attention of Accounting Today, which subsequently published a slightly adapted version for their site.

Write with voice

AI-powered content doesn’t typically read as coming from the voice of an individual in all their complexities. That said, neither does a lot of professional services firm content.

Examples like the bland mission statement at the top of this post should serve as a wake-up call to write with voice and personality.

  • Ask yourself: Why should I be writing this vs., say, 100 other intellectual property attorneys –or a robot?   
  • What do I uniquely bring to this topic from my professional experience or personal history?
  • And finally: Can I write like I speak?

To do so, tell stories. Use specific references. Deploy humor, charm, emotion. Draw on your own experiences. Read your piece out loud and ask yourself if it sounds like a human (you!) wrote it.

Vary sentence length and rhythm, too. The other indicator ChatGTPZero tests for, after all, is “burstiness,” described in this recent NPR article as the human tendency to write “some longer or complex sentences alongside shorter ones. AI sentences tend to be more uniform.”

Consider the apology email written by Andrew Benin, the CEO of Graza, a startup that makes squeezable bottles of olive oil. When holiday orders arrived late and badly packaged, he dashed off an 835-word, profoundly human email with this kicker:

“I hope that you stick it out with us on this crazy ride, because damn is Graza tasty, loveable and fun to use…As a small gesture (and keep in mind this email is going out to 10s of thousands of people and we are an 11 month old 5 person business LOL), I’ve created a code wewillgetbetter for $4.43 off any future order (this is truly what we can afford!)”

Authentic, clear, raw, charming, and written in an inimitable voice, the email received a 78% open rate and a resoundingly positive response. Other executive communicators should take note.

Say something new

If ChatGPT’s responses are essentially Frankensteined mashups of existing content – that cuts off (for now) in 2021 – the simple solution is to create something new.

That reinforces our longstanding advice to thought leaders. Don’t just repeat the consensus or tell people what they already know; instead have a unique point-of-view that advances the conversation. To do so, follow these three steps:

1). Frame your topic as a “how” or “why” question. This helps push past a simplistic summary of the issue to a more meaty analysis of why there’s a problem and/or how to address it. It also invites a particular audience and naturally raises the stakes. For instance, to start writing this article I wouldn’t say: I want to write about ChatGPT’s influence on professional services firms. Instead, I’d try: How can professional services firms stand out in an increasingly AI-powered content landscape?

2). Evaluate what’s already been said about the topic. This is where you play ChatGPT – do the research and see what’s already out there. Has what you want to say already been written? If so, try refocusing your question: Is there a more particular audience you can address? A more niche issue that hasn’t gotten as much attention? A timely news hook that can help reframe the piece in a fresh way?

Alternatively, look to yourself: Do you have a unique response to existing solutions? Different solutions to the same problem? A new or more illuminating way to articulate it?

3). Discover what you can uniquely add to the conversation. The key word here is “add.” Don’t contribute to the noise. Engage with what’s already out there and make sure you’ve got a unique and timely contribution. That’s where the two points above come in: leverage your unique expertise, experiences, and voice – and keep the conversation moving forward, not backwards.

Above all, ask yourself: Is this relevant? Newsworthy? Novel? Useful?

That’s what another client of ours, JTC Americas, did in a piece last year about the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). Despite a flurry of talk about new CRA reforms, the group noticed one element was missing from the conversation that also aligned with its objectives as a specialty fund administrator – namely, that the Opportunity Zones program could help community banks receive CRA credits. By drawing on their unique expertise, they were able to add to a timely conversation about CRA reform in a way that only they could.

The more things change, the more things stay the same

ChatGPT might help with some basic elements of writing. But it won’t change the fact that the most compelling thought leadership, messaging, executive communications, and web copy is generated by real people – thinking human beings with a unique voice, perspective, and expertise.

As The Atlantic’s Annie Lowery wrote in a recent column:

“As a rule, when companies can substitute machines for people, they will.… But even if ChatGPT can spit out a pretty good paragraph on AI, it can’t interview AI and labor experts, nor can it find historical documents, nor can it assess the quality of studies of technological change and employment. It creates content out of what is already out there, with no authority, no understanding, no ability to correct itself, no way to identify genuinely new or interesting ideas.”

Instead, writers could think of ChatGPT (in its current form, at least) as a tool that can free them up from more mundane content production to focus on complex, in-depth work. Thought leaders should do the same.

“In many ways, AI will help people use expertise better,” MIT economics professor David Autor told Lowery. “It means that we’ll specialize more.”

by

Executive leaders facing pressure to advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) want more guidance on those efforts from their law firms and professional services providers—and say advisors must also do more to demonstrate their own DEI progress.

That’s according to Greentarget and Zeughauser Group’s first-ever State of DEI Content Report. An extension of our 2022 State of Digital & Content Marketing Survey, the report takes a deep dive into the increased demand for actionable DEI content among clients of professional services firms. Drawing on the perspectives of 200 C-suite executives and in-house counsel, the report uncovers what types of DEI content decision-makers are seeking, and the extent to which their outside firms are meeting those needs.

Our research also examines the hurdles that law firms and professional services providers face in advancing DEI initiatives at their own organizations. And we’ve paired this year’s DEI-focused results with practical guidance for marketers on how to navigate critical issues surrounding DEI to provide the guidance clients are seeking—and bolster their own DEI efforts, to ensure that content is authentic and credible.

We’re confident this year’s inaugural report will help legal and professional services organizations better understand and address their clients’ growing demand for more effective DEI content.

by

The extraordinary upheaval of the past three years has reshaped the world, the workplace, and the way decision-makers consume information, sending the news cycle—and content creation—into warp speed. In this crowded environment, how can marketers create content that stands out from the noise?  

Greentarget’s 2022 State of Digital and Content Marketing Survey, developed in partnership with Zeughauser Group, delivers fresh insights for this new era of communication. The report is our 10th iteration of research into what makes content excel, and our first to do so since 2019.

We surveyed 200 top business executives and in-house counsel for this deep dive into how information consumption behaviors and preferences have changed—and what has stayed the same. Our report also provides practical guidance on how to utilize these findings to create the engaging, informative, and relevant content that decision-makers seek.

Here is a sampling of our key findings, along with examples of how Greentarget puts this knowledge into practice for our clients.

The Enduring Importance of Earned Media

In a volatile environment, executive decision-makers are looking for timely, practical, and trustworthy information to guide their business decisions.

Our 2022 survey found that C-suite members and in-house counsel still look to trusted editors and dependable, established outlets to tell them what matters. Respondents ranked traditional media nearly as important in 2022 as it was in 2019, with approximately 80% rating it somewhat or very valuable. Publications and websites specifically covering the respondent’s profession are also popular, particularly among C-suite executives, who ranked it as their most valuable content source.

Don’t underestimate the importance of a strong media relations strategy for reaching key audiences through the outlets they trust. Earned media is still the gold standard for credibility—and engaging with reporters can help raise your profile.

Case Study: Greentarget’s media relations strategy for Lathrop GPM earned more than 42 media results and 9 million impressions, including in key industry-specific publications, for its environmental and tort practice. The campaign led to new business inquiries, outreach from clients, and regular requests for insight from Bloomberg Law.

The Benefits of Effective Thought Leadership

When it comes to hiring outside law or professional services firms, decision-makers are finding thought leadership and credentialing activities to be increasingly important.

More than two-thirds of survey respondents cited articles and speeches from thought leaders as a critical factor in hiring outside firms, second only to recommendations from a trusted source. Nearly two-thirds of in-house counsel are also looking to thought leaders’ websites and blogs as noteworthy tools for researching outside firms, compared to just half in 2019.

A well-run owned media program can strategically deploy content creation to effectively establish your firm’s authority and expertise, attracting new business and generating additional earned media coverage. Insightful research reports, blog posts, white papers, and podcasts can help your organization stand out from the crowd.

Case Study: Greentarget leveraged the importance of thought leadership to establish Perkins Coie as the premier legal advisor in the AR/VR space. By developing the Annual AR/VR Survey Report, Greentarget secured more than 400 pieces of news coverage in leading national publications and fostered lasting relationships between partners and influential reporters.

The Accelerating Digital Shift

Executive decision-makers are more likely to visit websites, blogs, and webinars or other virtual events now than they were in 2019. When the pandemic put a sudden hold on conferences and in-person events—a key forum for gathering business intelligence—LinkedIn and virtual programming stepped in to fill the gap.

With webinar recordings available regardless of attendance or availability, the digital shift offers important advantages to increasingly busy C-suite members and in-house counsel who are looking for highly relevant, actionable content. Yet, despite the many online analytics and keyword research tools available to marketers, a lack of relevance remains the top reason why content fizzles with decision-makers.

With a nearly limitless virtual audience, create specific and tailored content personalized for the decision-makers you want to reach, rather than trying to compete with the noise in a crowded online environment.

Case Study: Greentarget worked with RBC Global Asset Management to take advantage of online distribution and engagement platforms for its Responsible Investing Survey. The campaign achieved 131 million impressions, with 5,500 views for the report; 3,500 views for the firm’s global responsible investment site, microsite, and ESG videos; and over 225,000 impressions and 2,000 click-throughs on paid and organic LinkedIn and Twitter posts.

The Need for Guidance in an Uncertain World

C-suite members and in-house counsel are also looking for more actionable guidance from law firms and professional service providers on the specific issues facing their business in this volatile period—particularly cybersecurity and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Fast-moving developments and rapidly evolving standards in these areas means that leaders need the most up to date and informed guidance.

Most of all, leaders want content with utility that explains what they should do with new information. But they also want content that’s “in-depth” and “technical,” offering granular analysis and expert recommendations that can help inform their operational decisions and outlook.

Case Study: Recognizing the growing importance of ESG to corporate decision-making, Greentarget helped Fenwick create a biotech-specific research report on how ESG reporting was affecting the industry. One Fenwick partner described the findings as “invaluable” to biotech clients, who had long sought this type of data on governance issues.

Communications in 2022 and Beyond

We found that executive decision-makers are increasingly looking to content from thought leaders to guide them—but not just anything will do. Marketing and communications professionals crafting strategies amid rapid-fire change need to understand how the past few years have shaped information trends, upended distribution channels, and altered preferences for both C-suite members and in-house counsel.

Check out the full 2022 State of Digital and Content Marketing report for more and stay tuned for our State of DEI report coming December 2022.

Still have questions, or are unsure how to break through to your target audience? We’re here to help.

by

Executives are increasingly expected to speak up on a range of issues – but just because they have something to say doesn’t mean a news outlet will run it. Depending on the content and intended audience, an external publication might not even be the best medium for the message.

by

As we enter another election cycle, there’s no doubt that politicians will continue to weaponize issues like climate change, reproductive rights, and the recent economic downturn to curry favor with their constituents. Many will accuse their opponents of spreading ‘fake news’ — all while contributing to the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation themselves. 

Compounding this issue is the diminishing trust in news outlets. Our own research shows that credible journalists feel alone in combating fake news as less reputable media outlets seem bound and determined to make the problem worse. 

Edelman puts it this way: “We find a world ensnared in a vicious cycle of distrust, fueled by a growing lack of faith in media and government. Through disinformation and division, these two institutions are feeding the cycle and exploiting it for commercial and political gain.”

In a time rife with polarization and confusion, the world needs true authority more than ever. And as a communications director, you have the opportunity to position your firm’s experts to respond.”

Leverage the Trust Your Audience Places in Your Firm

There’s a growing number of people functioning as “news activists” — individuals who are passionate about the truth and who are willing to debunk disinformation when they see it. But there’s only so much progress news activists can make on a person-by-person basis. They need help from leaders with large communications platforms to dispel misinformation more widely. 

That’s where your firm’s authorities come in. 

Authorities are the players who are best-positioned to suit up and participate on this high-stakes field of engagement. Why? Audiences are more likely to trust your firm than they are to trust politicians, the media, and even nonprofit organizations. In fact, the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer once again confirmed that business is the most trusted institution in society. 

Of the more than 36,000 respondents surveyed:

  • Only 50% reported they trust the media
  • 52% expressed faith in government 
  • 61% stated they trust business  
  • 77% said they trust their own employer

By leveraging the trust your internal and external audiences place in your firm’s authorities, you can help cut through the noise of false information and provide a powerful counterpoint to deceptive narratives. 

Formulate Unique Positions of Authority on Timely Topics

Your firm’s authorities aren’t responsible for arguing against every bit of fake news they encounter. However, they should be prepared to address the topics and social issues that matter to your firm’s clients, employees, and other stakeholders. 

Ask your experts to think about the unique insight they can offer on topics that are most likely to be weaponized by those perpetuating disinformation. 

For example:

  • An accounting firm might develop a point of view on whether or not the recent economic downturn should be classified as a recession 
  • A financial services firm might offer a perspective on ESG investing that helps their audience think about climate change in a more nuanced way
  • A law firm might hone positions of authority regarding the rapidly changing regulatory environment as it relates to the tech industry

Working with your firm’s experts to identify and fine tune salient points of view takes concerted effort, but it’s incredibly impactful. Well-reasoned, conflicting perspectives can spark conversation, help your audience identify disinformation for what it is, and consider thoughts and viewpoints that differ from their own. 

Use Your Firm’s Communications Platforms to Actively Challenge Disinformation

Elevating truth is always worthwhile. But your firm also has a vested interest in joining journalists in the fight against fake news. Your firm relies on earned media coverage in credible news outlets to establish your own authority. When disinformation dominates the public discourse, your firm’s message will have a harder time breaking through.

To that end, if your experts have the opportunity to talk to the media for a news story, help your authorities nail the interview. But beyond that, make it a priority to use your firm’s own platforms to communicate factual positions of authority.

Communicate Positions of Authority with Employees

It’s normal for authorities to feel unsure — even reticent — about publicly combatting disinformation. A good place to start is with your internal audience. 

Business is no longer neutral territory. Leaders are being pushed by employees and other stakeholders to speak out on the most pressing social issues of the day. But sharing your firm’s positions of authority involves more than releasing a statement affirming one side over another. It’s about wading into the fray and providing unique insights on complex problems. 

Sometimes that means creating tension — even in the workplace. Leaders must be willing to correct wrong information and skillfully engage employees in difficult conversations they may prefer to avoid.

These challenging internal conversations can become the foundation of your external communications strategy.

Share and Promote Factual Information on LinkedIn

Even the most well-intentioned people (including your own employees) can unwittingly spread fake news, especially on social media. They might not understand the role algorithms play in offering up questionable content — or they might simply share stories that align with their unconscious confirmation biases.

Your firm’s well-formulated positions of authority can help challenge both intentional and unintentional sources of disinformation and educate your audience about the facts on a variety of issues.

Linkedin is the most natural platform for your authorities to share the position pieces they’ve written or the articles in which they’ve been quoted. Remind your experts that this isn’t mere self-promotion. Each time they promote credible news sources and share legitimate information, they’re actively engaging in the battle against disinformation.

Communicate Directly with Your Clients and Stakeholders

Finally, think about how you can proactively communicate your firm’s unique points of view with clients, potential clients, and other stakeholders. These are the people most likely to trust what your authorities have to say and thoughtfully consider your firm’s position. If they’ve internalized false information and believe it to be true, your message could persuade them to rethink and re-evaluate those messages.

And of course, promoting the owned media assets (e.g. blogs, podcasts, videos) that underscore your authorities’ expertise is doubly beneficial. It helps get truthful and nuanced information in front of your audience, and it’s also a smart business development strategy.

True Authorities Engage in Society’s Most Important Conversations

The threat of misinformation and disinformation continues to rise. And with so much at stake, it’s vital that business leaders take up the mantle of news activism to engage in smart conversations about the issues that matter most.

You can play a key role in helping your firm’s leaders participate skillfully in this crucial battleground. Identify and hone the unique, timely points of view that set your experts apart. Then use all the communications platforms available to you to share messages that elevate truth and promote credible information.

(And if you need a little inspiration in this area, be sure to check out Greengarget’s Manifesto.)

Close
Close