With so much content being published on the internet everyday many content marketers ask themselves “How can I standout with so much content being published daily?”

For many content marketers and bloggers creating content is a weekly process that can sometimes feel overwhelming. Since the boom of the internet it has allowed for not only journalist to report, discuss and debate News Topics. It has opened up a relatively new concept entitled content marketing that can still benefit a lot from the practices of traditional reporters.

Here are five lessons any digital marketer, blogger, or business owner can learn about content marketing from journalism.

1. Avoid using click-bait headlines

Utilizing the “click-bait” method can cause your website to seem “spammy” and unreliable. Although headlines should be interesting to entice Readers, they should also be genuine to the content actually conveyed to the reader. Thus, gaining the readers trust that your content is authentic.

2. Know your audience

Having an understanding of your reader is vital to creating content that will resonate with your audience. This is a simple rule that most journalist have stood by for decades. As a mentor of mine told once I showed an interest in journalism “Not many readers actually read an entire piece of content nowadays… therefore understanding our core audience and what stimulates them to give us their time and attention, has never been more important.”

3. Balance current news with evergreen content

Evergreen content is content that lasts, theoretically, forever. It isn’t affected by seasonal changes, and doesn’t rely on news or events that expire in relevance. For example, an article explaining how to safely drive a car is not subjected to any major changes that could damage the reliability of the article. However, current news topics, trends and recent events change daily. Traditional journalists make it a point to create timeless content that can be used when another article is shelved at the last minute or an unexpected boost in page count creates additional space. Your editorial calendar should function the same way. Covering current events in your industry is certainly important, but you’ll want to balance this with evergreen content to meet your audience’s needs.

4. Get to the Point

One of the first lessons journalist are taught is the “inverted or upside-down pyramid” method. The technique is pretty straightforward and also very effective. The most significant details appear at the top of the story, either in the lead paragraph or a close-to-the top “nut graph” that gives the point of the story and explains its news worthiness in a nutshell. Less-essential details appear, in order of importance, in the subsequent paragraphs.

5. Fact-Check Like a Pro

Good journalists are meticulous about fact-checking, mostly because they have a responsibility to their readers and also because somebody else will ensure they’ve done their due diligence on reporting. Generations of reporters have been trained with the popular saying “If your mother says she loves you, check it out.” Fact-checking is even more important in today’s news era of “fake news” which has caused some people not to trust the mainstream media.

 What lessons have you learned from being a content marketer or blogger?

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