How to make branded content successful for your writers

Even if you’ve got an established branded content program, you may still be figuring out the smoothest way to have a sales rep hand off a client to your content writer or strategist.

With the understanding that every media organization has different resources and needs, and that every client should be treated uniquely to best fit their own needs, here’s what we’ve found to work best.

After a sale is made, you want to get the writer or content specialist involved in the process right away (if they aren’t already). The sales rep should meet with the content strategist or prepare an outline detailing the following:

About the Client

• Background info: Provide the writer with background information on the client, including links to any previous content written by your publication, their website, social media (if relevant), etc.
• Any ideas/priorities highlighted: Include information shared about what’s really important to the client or to understanding the client, as that will help the writer identify their unique story. For example, if a business is women- or minority-owned, if the owner is a person of note in the community already, etc. This information will give the writer a basic understanding of the business, and the client will be impressed when the writer comes into an interview with a strong understanding of who they are and what they want.

Campaign Details

• Number of stories: If the writer knows how many stories are involved in the campaign, they can figure out how to approach each story. For example, if a client has only one story, more information will need to be included. If a campaign has multiple stories, however, the writer can figure out what needs to be articulated when and can plan for the stories to have a cohesive feel, yet are still three distinct stories that can stand alone.
• When they will publish: Knowing when a story will publish can also help a writer narrow down a topic. For example, if your publication has a special section, the writer can figure out a way to make that campaign fit within the topic. Some industries also have very different priorities based on the time of the year (for example, a story for a landscape company could be very different if it’s written in winter versus summer.)

Once the writer has all of the basic info, set up an intro email or meeting between the writer and the branded client to mark an official handoff. Consider creating a branded content process video of the rep or writer talking through the next steps to add the element of personalization.

Make sure the client is aware who the writer is and make it clear to them who will be communicating with them throughout the process. The more the client knows about the process up front, the more comfortable they will be.

From this point, the sales rep and writer should be in regular communication regarding the campaign to make sure all sides are up-to-date. It’s likely that clients will ask questions throughout the process about their package, about analytics or other things related to their campaign, and both the rep and the writer should have this knowledge on hand to deliver the best experience for the client.

Who knows, they might just sign up for another package if you make it nice and easy!

More from us on branded content

Why thoughtful questions are so important during a branded content pitch

3-month branded content campaign ideas to pitch

Want to see results like these with your branded content campaign? Contact Tara Jones at tara@davidarkinconsulting.com to learn more about our Branded Content Bootcamp.