If you watch ESPN as much as I do--what is exactly on the other 300 channels anyway?--you understand the power of branding. ESPN is a content factory, a media behemoth that not only delivers news, it frames the daily dialogue about the news. It got me thinking- how can someone without the ESPN brand behind them have the same reach and market penetration? Just because you don't have millions of cable subscribers or PTI, doesn't mean you can't have an impact. Here are 3 quick steps journalists can take to develop their own ESPN brand:
1. Understand and Use Technology More journalism schools are finally catching about the importance of inserting technology into curriculum's. I am in grad school now just for this reason. The tech skills I learned at Michigan State in the early to mid-90's--how to shoot on a 3/4" camera--would be like giving your child an abacus to teach them how to count. Take an editing or web design class, subscribe to blogs like Tech Crunch. Read BreakingTweets. Don't be afraid of technology, embrace it.
2. Harness the power of Social Media OK, so you are on Facebook and maybe you are Twittering by now. But how are you using them both? There is a difference between being on both and actually getting value. Reach out to other journalists you like and offer to Tweet one of their articles. Join a Facebook page such as the In Denver Times and show support for their new business model. Giving before you receive is a lockstep creed in social media. Provide value first, then you will get it back. Many times over.
3. ABM- Always Be Marketing One of the things that makes ESPN so powerful is they have acquired "top of the mind awareness". When A-Rod admits to juicing, when T.O. pops off, where is our cable landing strip? ESPN, without blinking. This didn't happen overnight. They've been around for 30 years. Thanks to technology, you don't have to wait that long. When you publish content, be sure people know about it. Check out sites like RyanStephensMarketing.com and this one on how to virally market your content.
In today's media, your shelf life is no longer dependent on just your ability to be a good journalist. You must also think like an entrepreneur.
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