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content creators

December 19, 2023 By ZB Group

Want Your Messages to Resonate? Communicate This

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

You may have heard the word “authentic” was announced as the Merriam-Webster Word of the Year for 2023. It immediately resonated with us. This is the 20th anniversary of the company choosing a Word of the Year and evidently there was a huge volume of lookups for “authentic” at their site this year. “Authentic is what brands, social media influencers, and celebrities aspire to be,” wrote Merriam-Webster, the oldest dictionary publisher in the United States.

P.R. and communication professionals are well-aware of the need for their clients to be authentic in any communication activities that they undertake. We counsel clients on the importance of conveying authenticity in their messaging to be considered credible and trustworthy. Believability is intrinsic to building relationships, creating a community, and fostering an honest dialogue with others.

Today’s savvy consumers will tune out the messages from a spokesperson, CEO, or influencer who doesn’t appear genuine. An early December task force at the DealBook Summit featured a discussion about the creator economy. New York Times reporter Christine Muhlke in her piece, “For Content Creators, It’s the Wild Wild West,” reported on the task forces’ findings. She writes, “What creators and brands alike are after is authenticity: Influencers build an audience because they seem relatable. Brands know that the best way to reach consumers is to seem real – or at least align themselves with someone who is.”

Emitting authenticity builds trust in your brand, company, or organization and should be apparent in all forms of external marketing communication activities including social media posts, media interviews, website videos, digital newsletters, and presentations.

Nowadays, people don’t generally relate to perfectionism or an unattainable idealistic lifestyle. When a person, story, or message is portrayed as real or authentic it is more likely to make a positive impression. This new trend was reported in a WSJ story on November 1 showcasing mom influencers who shared what their true imperfect lives as busy moms look like. And similarly in 2023, more celebrities embraced make-up free looks showing off their authentic faces on social media.

This year we saw another new trend promoted on social media called “deinfluencing.” Now some content creators and influencers are sharing their authentic thoughts about products and services they believe people do not need to buy. They are expressing their opinions on why certain beauty products, accessories or expensive clothing are not necessary and may be a waste of money.

“The trend signals that traditional influencer marketing — a $16.4 billion industry last year — has reached an inflection point, experts say. Younger consumers increasingly see through the influencer-brand partnerships, calling companies out for going too far, and creators for prioritizing money over authenticity and promoting overconsumption.” Read the full article in The Washington Post about “deinfluencers” here.

We’ll be watching and will share noteworthy trends that will impact the effectiveness of your messaging in 2024 in future blog posts.

Filed Under: Consumers, General Articles, Journalism, Marketing, Media, Public Relations Tagged With: "deinfluencing", 2023 Word Of The Year, Authentic, content creators, media relations, Merriam-Webster, messaging, New York Times DealBook Summit, promoting brands and services, Public Relations, social media influencers, The Washington Post, Today.com, trends, Wall Street Journal

November 2, 2022 By ZB Group

Why Media Coverage Will Benefit Your Brand: A Look at Various Types

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

As you plan for 2023, working with journalists and content creators should be a priority and here’s why. Cultivating and leveraging these relationships will help your brand or company to connect, engage, inform, influence and communicate with your intended audience in credible and relatable ways.

Pre-internet before Google or social media, journalists were a primary resource for keeping the public abreast of news and information. Newspapers, magazines, TV and radio were the main conduits of mass communication. However, since the internet was created in the early 1980s a whole new dimension subsequently changed the way news and content is produced, consumed and shared.

Today, in addition to mainstream national and local media outlets, a plethora of content creators and new kinds of media companies have taken off. The widespread creation and use of digital tools, smartphone apps and social media, contributed to this sea change.

Now consumers discover new things, make recommendations to friends and family, are entertained or hear about the latest trends in a variety of ways. And brands have multiple options beyond traditional advertising for sharing their messages. For example, Katie Couric, the former TODAY co-anchor and former CBS News anchor, founded Katie Couric Media in 2017 to collaborate with brands “to create purpose-driven content.”

Here’s how working with journalists, content creators and subsets of each, will benefit your brand.

JOURNALISTS

According to the American Press Institute, “The journalist places the public good above all else and uses certain methods – the foundation of which is a discipline of verification – to gather and assess what he or she finds.” Journalists may be employed by one news organization full-time, freelance independently, appear on-air or contribute to several different outlets.

Editors pursue a story idea based on the value they believe it will bring to their audience. Many receive hundreds of pitches a day because a mention, interview or story in noteworthy media outlets, conveys inherent credibility and authority for the subjects that are cited. Writers, producers, editors, and reporters are not compensated by the brands or companies they cover. This type of media coverage is known as Earned Media as depicted in the PESO model. 

According to the Pew Research Center’s Social Media and News Fact Sheet, today, half of U.S. adults get news at least sometimes from social media. Reporters often share their work on social media to gain new subscribers as the WSJ is doing on YouTube and with newsletters. Some journalists also host podcasts and report for other media networks to reach new audiences. Their stories are findable online so an article or video segment spotlighting your brand can have long-term marketing benefits.

Lifestyle Experts and E-Commerce Sites

You may have noticed product review and recommendation sites affiliated with major media companies. Inclusion in these, offers opportunities for brand exposure and sales. The media company earns a commission when a consumer clicks or make a purchase through an affiliate link. The products are chosen based on research, reporting and what they think their viewers and readers would find useful and will like.

New York Magazine’s Strategist is one, The New York Times’ Wirecutter and The Wall Street Journal’s Buy Side are two others. On the broadcast side, NBC’s TODAY Steals & Deals with lifestyle contributor Jill Martin and GMA’s Deals & Steals with Tory Johnson, are popular consumer-focused segments that are integrated with e-commerce sites.

CONTENT CREATORS

Content creators write or produce media content on various topics in the form of a blog, video, infographic, website copy, or something else. Bloggers and social media influencers are often referred to as content creators. They are sought out by brands due to their large followings on social media and high levels of engagement. Here’s a brief look at them.

Bloggers

Blogs offer varied opportunities for featured coverage. From food and beverage, travel and beauty, to tech and business, they run the gamut in subject matter and target audience. Bloggers set their own rules regarding brand collaborations. For some, blogging is a full-time business but for others it may be part of their work in addition to hosting a TV show, podcast, teaching or writing books.

Bloggers may write a feature, host a giveaway, interview a founder, write a review, or offer gift guide opportunities. They will generally use a product or service before recommending it to their readers. If they receive free products, services or a fee, it will be clearly stated as such on their blog. They are also active on social media sharing their blog posts, which provides additional exposure for brands.

Brands

A brand may maintain a blog on their company website creating an Owned Media channel with relevant advice, news, tips, current research, surveys, guides, etc. This represents another type of content creation that serves as a resource for consumers and the media.

Social Media Influencers

Social media influencers may engage in paid collaborations that include sponsored posts, how-to videos or posting photos with or using a brand. Caitlin Covington is an influencer who in this New York Times profile says she was paid $10,000 to $15,000 for two different sponsored posts. Well-known celebrities can command even higher fees for endorsements on their social media channels if they enter into brand partnerships. Known as influencer marketing, these activities are also referred to as Paid Media.

To reach younger people, TikTok stars were invited to the White House in September and other influencers with a combined following of more than 67 million visited in October before the midterm elections.

There are all kinds of influencers to potentially partner with based upon their personas and audience demographics. Carefully consider if they align with your products, services, budget and marketing goals before collaborating.

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Today’s expansive media landscape offers many opportunities to share your messages and garner impactful visibility, authority, credibility, and engagement with your target audience. We can help you determine and implement a results-oriented marketing communications strategy that is right for you.

Filed Under: General Articles, Journalism, Marketing, Media, Public Relations Tagged With: American Press Institute, bloggers, brand story, content creators, influencers, journalists, media coverage, media relations, PESO Model, Pew Research Center, social media, TikTok

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