PR ON THE GO February 25, 2024

Trend-Driven Success: Media Intelligence's Role in Targeted Content Creation

Startup resources are limited and output for broad keywords can get lost. We asked our PR & Growth experts about the key benefits of media monitoring (traditional and social) for more targeted content creation.

From deepening audience insight for targeted content to refining strategy with influencer engagement data, these professionals reveal how media monitoring has transformed their approach to crafting resonant content.

Discover the key benefits of media monitoring from these digital marketing and content creation experts:

• Monitor the questions asked around a topic
• Learn about the topics that have a track record of being newsworthy
• Understand audience preferences more deeply
• Leverage media research for pro-active content creation
• Boost local SEO with rapid-response content
• Save time with automated media alerts
• Optimize visuals for increased social sharing
• Personalize content with customer behavior patterns
• Align content with industry trends and demands
• Refine strategy with influencer engagement data
• Use media intelligence to differentiate yourself
• Create content based on what your audience is actually talking about
• Align your voice with current trends
• Monitor conversations within niche communities
• Focus, relevance, and efficiency

Monitor the questions asked around a topic

Paige Arnof-Fenn, Owner at Mavens & Moguls

"Keywords are an important part of SEO strategy whether you’re trying to achieve top placement in search listings or you are purchasing online advertising based on specific keywords/phrases to get more traffic to your site. The overall goal is to drive the right traffic at the right time by using the right keywords in your advertising/web content to increase your visibility/ranking. When your site is optimized for keywords/phrases and the content is relevant/high quality/useful it will result in a higher ranking which is more likely to get you on the first page since most people look no further in their searches.

Keywords are also a great way to help professionals in your industry find your profile and strategic keywords in your profile give you an advantage in networking too. Use longtail search terms/different variations of words so instead of just using “branding” try including terms like “personal branding”/“personal branding statement”/“personal branding examples”/“personal branding tips” to capture more traffic/interest.

The most important free tool is Google Analytics to monitor performance across channels/understand which sources including specific keywords bring the most traffic to the website. Keyword research tools show what your audience is searching for and the questions asked around a topic, giving you something to tap into with content. Also free Google Trends monitors/shows you search trends/the popularity of certain phrases over time."

Learn about the topics that have a track record of being newsworthy

Emily Reynolds-Bergh, Owner at R Public Relations

"First, media monitoring ensures you know every conversation that’s occurring about your brand. It helps you control the narrative, especially as you grow the business. Second, it can provide valuable insights into competitor happenings, leading to new launch and collaboration ideas for your brand depending on what works for your competitors. Finally, it gives you a holistic sense of what reporters on your beat find newsworthy, and it can help you tailor your campaigns to secure better coverage moving forward."

Understand audience preferences more deeply

Abdullah Prem, Digital Marketer at Bloggersneed

"One key benefit I have experienced from media monitoring, both traditional and social, is the ability to understand audience preferences and trends more deeply, enabling the creation of highly targeted content.

For instance, by analyzing social media conversations and news coverage, I noticed a rising interest in sustainable living within my target demographic. This insight led me to curate a series of blog posts focused on sustainable practices, which significantly increased engagement on my platform.

The real-life example of tailoring content based on audience insights not only boosted my content's relevance but also enhanced user interaction, showcasing the power of strategic media monitoring."

Leverage media research for pro-active content creation

Ronald Osborne, Founder at Ronald Osborne Business Consultancy and Coaching Florida

"Media outlets have a considerably larger research budget than small businesses. By monitoring up-and-coming stories via X and through other journo-source request points, you can leverage their efforts. By monitoring upcoming media stories, I get the jump on upcoming talking points. As a small business, I can and do craft content ahead of the breaking stories on larger sites, effectively positioning myself as an expert. Media monitoring enables me to have my finger on the pulse, so to speak, and through this, I can more effectively create targeted content that's super relevant right now."

Boost local SEO with rapid-response content

Jeremy Rodgers, Founder at Contentifai

"We've found that by keeping a finger on the pulse of our local ecosystem when working with dynamic sectors like high-growth tech startups, for example, we gain invaluable insights. Knowing which startups have recently secured funding, the active VCs and angels, and details on successful exits allows us to craft engaging content for our clients that's tailored for social media and SEO. This approach ensures the content is relevant and also significantly boosts visibility in local search results.

Google, for instance, is incredibly efficient at indexing local content, offering a tangible edge for brands looking to be well-versed in their community's dynamics. The strategy here is twofold: meticulously select the media sources to monitor and develop a rapid-response approach for disseminating content. Timeliness cannot be overstated; being the first to report or comment can set you apart. Establishing personal relationships within a network, if able, further enhances your ability to stay ahead, ensuring you're not just a participant but a key player in your local ecosystem."

Save time with automated media alerts

Grant Hensel, CEO at Nonprofit Megaphone

"Media monitoring—including using free tools like Google Alerts!—has been a great way to keep up with new developments and quickly produce content on emerging topics. This saves an enormous amount of time that would otherwise need to be spent periodically searching across a wide variety of topics.

This way, you can immediately be notified when any of potentially dozens or hundreds of specific keywords appear in any form of media, from traditional outlets to blogs."

Optimize visuals for increased social sharing

Clare Gilbey, Founder at Chakra Practice

"One key benefit I've experienced from media monitoring, encompassing both traditional and social platforms, is the significant enhancement in our ability to optimize visual content for social sharing.

For instance, by observing trends and feedback across various media, we noticed that images incorporating vibrant colors and clear, concise messages resonated more with our audience. This insight led us to redesign our visual content strategy, focusing on creating more engaging and visually appealing posts that align with the chakra-healing themes.

The result was a noticeable increase in engagement and shares, directly contributing to a wider reach of our message on the importance of chakra balance for emotional and physical well-being."

Personalize content with customer behavior patterns

Steve Pogson, Founder at First Pier

"As the founder of First Pier, an e-commerce growth agency that specializes in scaling online businesses, I've seen firsthand the substantial advantages of integrating media monitoring into our content creation strategy.

One profound benefit is the enhancement of customer understanding and subsequent content personalization. For example, by monitoring social media platforms, we uncovered specific behavior patterns and preferences within our target audience. This insight led to the creation of tailored content that addressed their specific concerns regarding online shopping experiences, which significantly improved our conversion rates.

Another key advantage from media monitoring was our ability to swiftly adapt to shifting market trends. We noticed a rising discussion around eco-friendly packaging solutions on forums and social media channels, which reflected a growing desire among consumers for sustainable shopping options. Responding quickly, we implemented a content strategy that emphasized our clients' efforts in sustainable practices, leading to increased brand loyalty and customer retention.

This emphasis on relevancy and responsiveness, powered by real-time data, underscores the critical role of media monitoring in creating targeted, effective content that resonates with today's dynamic audience preferences."

Align content with industry trends and demands

Dylan Cleppe, Co-Founder & CEO at OneStop Northwest LLC

"In my experience leading OneStop Northwest, media monitoring has been a cornerstone in creating targeted content that resonates deeply with our audience. One of the standout benefits of this strategy is its invaluable role in maintaining a current and engaging dialogue with our customers. By keeping a finger on the pulse of what's being discussed in our industry, we can align our content strategy with current trends and audience demands, thereby delivering content that is not only engaging but also timely.

For instance, in monitoring conversations and trends in the business and start-up sphere, we noticed a heightened interest and need to understand and implement project management tools effectively. Armed with this insight, we created content around different project management tools, their strategic advantages, and practical tips for implementing them in businesses of varying sizes. This led to an increase in website engagement and attracted new businesses looking for comprehensive business solutions.

Media monitoring has also been constructive for our SEO efforts. By staying abreast of the latest SEO best practices and trends, we've been able to optimize our content for search engines, thereby increasing our website's visibility and organic traffic. For example, when Google rolled out its Core Web Vitals update, we gathered this crucial information via media monitoring. We focused our content strategy on this topic, developing guides on understanding and improving Core Web Vitals, which significantly boosted our site's traffic and engagement.

Media monitoring has been instrumental for OneStop Northwest, shaping our content creation strategy for maximum relevance and effectiveness. It has facilitated a proactive approach to content creation, allowing us to anticipate and address our audience's needs while staying relevant to current conversations in our industry."

Refine strategy with influencer engagement data

Karin Conroy, Founder & Creative Director at Conroy Creative Counsel

"By tracking influencer shares and hashtags related to our content, we can see which messaging and topics resonate most. We then refine our content and social strategies based on these insights. I'd recommend all brands track what influencers are engaging with and how audiences respond. This data is gold for crafting more shareable, targeted content."

Use media intelligence to differentiate yourself

Mariela Azcuy, VP of Content & Executive Communications at Carve Communications

"Please, please don't use media intelligence to see what's out there and do "your version" of it. Instead, use Media intelligence to differentiate yourself. Move quickly on breaking news or trends with a bold or contrarian POV. For example, we recently jumped on the fact that Bank of America was the victim of a cyber attack to land an interview for our Learning & Development client on how to train your employees to spot vulnerabilities by thinking like hackers.

Or, once you've landed on a topic you should cover, see what's already been written on the topic and find a unique angle. We recently did a PR in pop culture piece. Instead of just focusing on famous characters -- like Sex and the City's Samantha Jones -- we talked about a specific instance where they messed up and what they could have done better. The piece was fun -- and has become a traffic driver -- but it also leaves readers with practical tips that positions us as experts."

Create content based on what your audience is actually talking about

Sudhir Khatwani, Founder at The Money Mongers

"Diving straight in, the real deal with media monitoring (yep, including the social media circus) is like having a direct line to what's buzzing in your audience's world. It’s like being the cool kid who knows the trends before they blow up. Instead of throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks (read: wasting time and money on broad, bland content), you get to craft stuff that hits right at the heart of what your audience is actually talking about. It’s smart, it’s savvy, and it seriously ups your game in getting noticed.

Here’s the kicker: spotting trends early can make you look like a mind reader (or a trendsetter, take your pick). It’s not just about jumping on the bandwagon; it’s about driving it. When you nail that timing, your content doesn’t just float around in the digital ether; it sparks conversations, shares, and, yep, even those coveted viral moments. It's all about being relevant and relatable — basically, content that gets people nodding along and hitting that share button.

And let’s not forget the cherry on top: efficiency. With media monitoring, you're not just throwing darts in the dark. You're making each piece of content count by targeting what your audience cares about right now. This isn’t just good for engagement; it’s smart business. Why spread your resources thin when you can hit the bullseye? In the end, it’s about making every word, every post, every campaign count. And who doesn’t want that?"

Align your voice with current trends

Abhi Bavishi, Growth Marketer

"Media monitoring helps startups fine-tune their message.

It's a smart tool. They learn what buzzes in their industry. Real-time chats and news shape their content strategy. This aligns their voice with current trends.

Audience insight comes as a key benefit.

Startups spot what clients praise or bash. This lets them craft messages that resonate. It's like a feedback loop. They talk, they listen, they adapt.

Competitor knowledge is a gold mine.

Startups watch rivals through media monitoring. They spot gaps and innovate. It's a covert way to stay ahead. They mimic successes and skip failures.

Risk management is another perk.

Media monitoring catches potential issues early on. Startups respond before a full-blown crisis hits. They maintain their rep and dodge PR disasters.

SEO stands as a big win.

Startups target niche keywords with less fight. They surface faster in searches. It's a stealth tactic for online visibility.

All these help startups reach the right ears. They don't shout into the void. They whisper to those who want to listen."

Monitor conversations within niche communities

Amit Raj, Founder & CEO at The Links Guy

"I have discovered that media monitoring tools serve as powerful allies in navigating the digital landscape's ever-changing trends. Beyond the conventional benefits of identifying emerging topics and understanding competitor strategies, these tools offer a unique advantage in fostering community engagement and building authentic relationships.

By monitoring conversations within niche communities and online forums, we have been able to uncover valuable insights into our target audience's preferences and pain points, allowing us to craft content that resonates on a deeper level. This personalized approach not only strengthens our brand's reputation but also fosters trust and loyalty among our audience, ultimately driving sustainable growth and success for our link-building endeavors."

Focus, relevance, and efficiency

John Pennypacker, VP, Sales & Marketing at Deep Cognition

"I would say that the critical benefits of targeted media monitoring are focus, relevance, and efficiency.

With limited resources and crowded broad topics, startups need to zero in on niche audiences that are more likely to engage with their content. Monitoring specific media channels and keywords related to their industry, products, and competitors allows them to create content that directly serves those users. For example, an AI startup focused on the legal industry would track mentions of "legal tech" and "contract review" rather than generic AI articles.

This targeted monitoring ensures they are tapping into relevant conversations and discussions to integrate their messaging into. It leads to content that resonates more deeply because it actually addresses potential customers' pain points.

Additionally, the insights gathered from monitoring target keyword performance, influencers, and trends fuel data-driven decisions about optimizing content. Resources are no longer wasted guessworking what might work. Startups can precisely tailor blogs, ebooks, and outreach to what their niche actually cares about.

For me, disciplined monitoring aligns content and engagement to the right audiences. This leads to quality conversions rather than vanished efforts into the void of broad topics. For resource-constrained startups, targeted monitoring vastly multiplies the ROI of their limited content."

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