Job security is on everyone's mind these days. Those of us with a job are thinking about how we can best position ourselves within our company and contribute positively to the bottom - but it's not always up to us to decide. For those who have been let go, they're looking to get back in the game. We met many of these people a few weeks back. Journalists have not been immune from job cuts. One specific case of job cuts in Dubai came when ITP - a leading publisher in the Region - cut 60 jobs after previously making several smaller cuts.
While I don't wish this uncertainty on anyone, this is actually a great opportunity for other companies - even those who say they are not hiring. Let me explain... We all need to hire a journalist. You see, companies realize - or should - that marketing is increasingly becoming an online game. And when I refer to marketing I mean product and service marketing, as well as, marketing and branding a company to prospective hires as a top employer.
Companies create advertisements both online and offline, but they should also be creating content. Actually, companies should be creating an archive of persistent content and not just ads. Oracle is a great example of a company that creates a lot of content. They create blog entries, white papers, videos, etc, and they do so to educate their clients, but also to position their company as thought-leaders - and so should you.
You should be creating content to demonstrate your thought-leadership and for brand positioning. Compound this reason with all the talk about marketing through social networks and social tools like Twitter and Facebook. These sites are the new 'black,' but you should remember to prioritize your archive of consistent content - because your marketing efforts on the Twitters and Facebooks are not building an archive of persistent content.
So what? Your content builds value and brand, but it also appeals nicely to search engines like Google. Google indexes this content and helps your content get found. Once people find it, and if they find your content interesting, they will potentially link to it. Once they link to it Google recognizes that your content is increasingly being recognized as a reputable source,which raises your profile in their search results - meaning even more people find you.
So your content is good for its inherent value, but also for helping your 'findability' - both being key marketing elements. Job seekers find you, potential clients find you, your lead generation and ajob seeker applicantions increase, and ultimately your brand benefits. And back to journalists...Who better to create meaningful, polished content and help the thought-leaders at your company put their ideas into consumable words than a journalist? Exactly. People with journalistic skills are actually the secret weapon of an effective and meaningful marketing strategy.
I was reading a great blog post by Jill Geisler titled "Ten Reasons You Should Hire a Journalist" and she made some convincing arguments for the value of hiring a journalist for a wide scope of roles in a company:
1. Journalists will improve the writing, photography or design in your organization.
2. Journalists deliver on deadline.
3. Journalists are multitaskers.
4. Journalists are quick studies.
5. Journalists are critical thinkers.
6. Journalists get answers faster than most.
7. Journalists know how to use the Web.
8. Journalists have a great work ethic.
9. Journalists have a solid moral compass.
10. Journalists are loyal.
Geisler makes a convincing argument for the versatility and value of hiring a journalist, but she had me at #7. Creating content is work. Journalists have the skills and abilities to do this work, and do it well. My point is: even if you're company is "not hiring" you still need/want to protect and grow the bottom line. This means driving traffic, interest and sales.
Adding a journalist to your team and empowering them to increase the profile of your company's professional content will grow your bottom line - if done well. You may not be hiring, but you're always hiring in a drive to quality. My advice: hire a journalist. For a similar take on the same topic check out David Meerman Scott's blog.
