Thursday, January 7, 2010

Using the "Competition" to Your Advantage

So the Washington Business Journal recently started sending out a "Morning Call" email each morning. What's so clever about it that I feel the need to write about it?

Unlike their afternoon email, the WBJ Morning Call doesn't just include WBJ stories. They'll link to big stories from the Washington Post, The Gazette, and other local media. And I find that incredibly smart.

Sure, they're sending some of their readers to these other outlets. But they're also becoming a RESOURCE to their readers. It's what reporters always want us PR folks to be -- a resource that isn't just about touting our own products. So it's nice to see this particular media outlet play by the same rules.

Kudos to the WBJ on some smart marketing!

(Geez, I must be in a good mood at this start to a new year. Two posts this week praising what others are doing.)

3 comments:

Marc Hausman said...

Smart marketing?

Not so sure it has anything to do with marketing.

Rather, it's a savvy financial play that copies the success of Google -- monetize content produced by other sources.

As it builds its subscriber base, WBJ will sell more sponsorships and advertising without incurring additional content development costs.

That's why this is smart.

Being JustBlue said...

This is a similar tactic that I have tried to get my clients to do as part of their social media strategy, leveraging their Twitter feeds and Facebook page but it's been a challenge to convince them to talk about more than just their products. It's so true, people (consumers, trade professionals, media, etc.) want to hear more than merely the details about your latest and greatest products. Kudos to the WBJ.

Capital Communicators Group said...

Marc:

I agree the end goal is finding more subscribers. But the end goal of all (most?) smart marketing is sales of some sort.

As to their copying Google, good for them for learning from the success of others.

None of their "competitors" in this area are doing what they're doing, so...

As to the fact they'll sell more sponsorships and advertising without incurring additional content development costs, again, good for them. The phrase "repurposing content" is one of the most popular ones in communication these days, and that's what they're doing... albeit not their own.

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And Being JustBlue:

Congrats for being savvy enough to understand that that is what your clients should be doing. And shame on them for not listening. They hired you for your expertise and they should take it! Ultimately, it's their loss, because when a company only talks about itself, more often than not, people eventually just stop listening.