At Content Matters
Media, we look at
content differently.
Instead of crafting messages that
marketers want to say, we flip it
around to create messages
customers want to hear.
Instead of thinking like marketers,
we think like journalists.
It’s a subtle difference but absolutely
essential for creating content that
connects with the audience.
Turnkey Blogging Programs Build Your Brand + Support Your Sales Process
Humans are hardwired to learn through storytelling. And blogging can tell your brand story in a way few other mediums can.
Blogging is one of the best ways to differentiate your brand in a crowded market and showcase company expertise. It allows you to put your best foot forward and control the message. It can even give you street cred when approaching the media. And, when done strategically, blogging can become an integral part of your sales support process. (For more on the benefits of blogging, check out this post.)
Using our nearly 30 years of experience creating award-winning content for the promotional products industry, we take a strategic journalistic approach to content creation that speaks to ideal clients’ needs while professionally telling your brand story.
Here’s how we can put our expertise to work for you:
Monthly Blogging Program
We take away all the complexity around blogging. You no longer have to think up story ideas, build an editorial calendar, develop creative briefs, manage writers, find images, track deadlines, proofread or copy edit. We. Do. It. All. For. You.
What’s more, our blogging programs also include bonus content for use in social media and newsletters so that you can easily begin integrating the blog post into your communication channels. Simply plug and play to maximize ROI.
This program is for busy promotional products professionals who don’t have the:
- Time to manage a blogging program themselves
- Staff to create and publish consistent content
- Skills to write compelling articles that resonate with customers
- Ability to determine story ideas and build an editorial calendar
- Desire to find, hire and manage writers
But they do want blog content that:
- Strategically supports the sales process without being salesy
- Professionally represents your organization and boosts your online reputation
- Seamlessly integrates with other marketing collateral and advertising programs
- Naturally attracts ideal clients so they can get to know, like and trust you
- Ultimately separates you from competition
We’ll outline your target audience, messaging objectives, top product categories and markets that you want to support, and areas where you want to grow. We’ll also align publishing frequency with your business goals. Then we’ll write engaging, targeted posts complete with your provided keywords. All you have to do is publish.
Check out some of our favorite client work here.
Monthly Programs Starting at $1500
3 Month Minimum
Editorial Planning
Do you ever find yourself without any content ideas? Not to worry. Our founder, Lisa Horn, sees story ideas everywhere. In fact, story ideas are her superpower.
If you want to not only brainstorm content ideas but also outline how to put the most compelling concepts to work toward your business goals (with headline and photo prompts), this is the service for you.
We’ll look at the kind of content you want to create, your ideal clients, what you like and don’t like about your current content and the ideal direction for the content to take.
During the consultation, we’ll ask a lot of questions. Especially “what if?” We’ll do rapid-fire brainstorming and then cull the ideas down to the ones that will best serve your ideal clients. We’ll also write working headlines and build basic outlines for the top picks.
Finally, we’ll build an editorial calendar that includes publishing dates, and a list of all content ideas + headlines, outlines and any other notes so that your team can implement the ideas with ease.
Starting At $500
Turnkey Publicity Programs Get Your Brand In The Headlines
Open any promotional products industry publication or click on their electronic newsletters, and each will be filled with news articles, product showcases, bylined columns written by subject matter experts or feature articles where influencers are quoted.
How do you become the go-to expert for your favorite industry publications?
With a little help from media matchmakers like us.
We take an audience-centric approach, looking at the needs of targeted publications and then aligning a client’s expertise for the perfect fit.
It’s a formula that generates on-target press pitches that get results—media placements.
Publicity programs complement all your other marketing initiatives—websites, blogging, social media, email blasts, catalogs, printed collateral, direct mail campaigns and events.
Regardless of economic climate, a targeted media relations plan can make effective use of your marketing dollars at a fraction of the cost of advertising. Plus, the implied third-party endorsement of being featured in publications positively impacts your corporate credibility.
And, when done strategically, earned media can be integrated into your sales, marketing and outreach campaigns.
Want to see your name in print when you flip through the pages of your favorite publication or scroll through the industry websites? Here’s how we can help:
Press Releases
The foundational document for corporate messaging, the press release is the official gathering of the facts when you have corporate news to share. A little fact party!
Press releases typically cover new hires and promotions, awards and recognition, company updates, mergers and acquisitions, events and charitable givings. These types of company news are not only an important means of visibility in the marketplace, but they also complement information about your products/services and give your customers, prospects as well as the media a broader view of what’s happening in your organization.
Having your company consistently in the news sends the message that your business is active, vibrant and growing.
Want to be in the headlines? It all begins with a press release.
Check out some of our favorite client work here.
Press Releases Starting at $500
Product Submissions
In the promotional products industry, the media obviously dedicates a significant portion of their editorial content to showcasing products. In our experience, most editors are extremely busy, and they don’t have time to do comprehensive searches for items to include in each editorial piece.
We can get editors’ attention by submitting relevant products with compelling descriptions by the deadline, giving you a good chance of being considered for placement—and getting noticed by readers.
Programs Starting at $500
Article Pitches & Ghostwriting
Being selected as a trusted source for a publication doesn’t happen by luck.
More than likely, featured experts and influencers pitched their relevance to an upcoming article to land the interview, or they pitched a story idea that was newsworthy and relevant to the publications’ readership. Either way, they received the placements—and the implied third-party endorsement that comes with being featured in the media.
If you become the go-to expert for your favorite publications, we can develop a strategy that aligns your knowledge with the publications’ needs to craft a targeted pitch of your expertise. Then we can ghostwrite the articles when they say “yes!”
Programs Starting at $2000
Turnkey Branding Programs Create A Consistent Identity That Speaks To Ideal Clients
When you look at how your brand is represented on your website, blog and social media profiles, is it consistent? What about in press releases, sales presentations and everyday client communication? Still consistent?
Oftentimes, there’s vast inconsistency throughout all the places your brand is visible because each of these elements may have been created and/or updated at different times by different people. It’s totally normal, but it’s certainly not optimal.
Consistency goes beyond logos and color schemes. True consistent branding across all platforms also includes the written content in addition to visual elements.
Clients may interact with your brand in any number of ways, and you want the same brand messaging to be delivered in any instance. Otherwise, you may be sending mixed messages that can damage your credibility in your clients’ eyes. And when you’re selling marketing services, which is what we do in the promotional products industry, then it’s imperative that we get our own marketing right if we want clients to trust us.
If you need to tidy up your branding content or want a complete refresh, here’s how we can help:
Creative Audits
Are you capturing ideal clients’ attention on your home page? Does your about page truly explain what you do? Is your blog providing a service, and does it speak to ideal client needs? Is your messaging consistent throughout? Does your social media align with your brand image and voice?
Get these kinds of insights with a creative audit.
We’ll examine the creative direction you want your content to take, the challenges you’re experiencing trying to make that happen, what you’ve done previously to address the challenges, anything that has worked or not worked, and what recommendations you would like to receive. This will serve as the foundation for the audit so we stay on track.
Additionally, we’ll review pre-determined pieces of content and evaluate them on a number of criteria based on the goals discussed. We’ll evaluate overall quality, writing style, formatting, consistency, photography and graphics. We’ll also consider how well the content speaks to the defined target audience and is aligned with stated business objectives.
The audit comes complete with a list of recommendations for things that can be improved, added or subtracted as well as prioritized next steps and resources for more information.
Packages Starting at $1500
Website Copy
When it comes to branding, your website is #1 prime real estate. It creates a first impression with potential clients, explains your products and service offerings, demonstrates your expertise and differentiates you from the competition.
Based on the findings from the creative audit + your business goals, we can create content around your brand identity, services, case histories, customer profiles and more.
If you’re a promotional products professional that doesn’t want to be viewed as a commodity broker, your website is the place to start updating your content so that it properly sets the tone for all the creative marketing services you offer.
Packages Starting at $1500
Corporate & Professional Bios
Do you have a professional bio? Does your company? If you don’t, you’re not alone. Many individuals and businesses don’t have a formal description of who they are and what they do. But this is one of the most valuable pieces of content that must be in place when introducing yourself to prospective customers and the media.
Your individual, professional bio is important to establish your credibility. Use it on your LinkedIn and other social media profiles, on your blog as well as the personnel section of your company’s website, as an introduction when speaking to groups, etc.
The corporate bio is a comprehensive yet compact description that includes the company name, location, years in business, product line, awards and contact info—all written from a strategic point of view. This is the first piece of information your ideal client needs to determine if doing business with you is a good fit.
From a media standpoint, company bios are most often used as a boilerplate for press releases. But the corporate bio should be consistent across all platforms—your website, social media profiles, marketing materials, sales presentations, RFPs, etc.
The larger the company, the more important it is to have approved, specific language about how your company is described. This allows all employees across departments to communicate consistently about your brand + ensure it is always properly represented.
Bios Starting at $500
It’s time to get your content in shape.
Whether you need turnkey blogging programs, turnkey publicity programs or turnkey branding programs, we’ve got a strong plan for you.