While the terms “content marketing” and “brand journalism” are two of the key buzz-words of today’s public relations field, the concept isn’t necessarily new. Companies have been using content as part of their marketing approach for years. What IS new is that hospitality marketing and public relations practitioners have far more opportunities to get their content before the eyes of their audiences through what was once traditional, and digital (now also traditional) avenues.

Don’t forget however, that “content curation“ or “content creation” must be meaningful. It must offer valuable information that can educate or prove useful to your intended audiences. Don’t just boast about yourself – teach, educate, share and prove that you can be a trusted source of industry information. Otherwise, all the content marketing will prove ineffective when there’s no response, feedback or action taken.

Are you engaging and connecting? Are you positioning yourself as the go to resource for all things hospitality? Travel? Food and beverage? Are you using an integrated marketing approach to sharing your content and news?

The practice of public relations in our industry is used to craft a hotel’s or brand’s image in order to achieve their desired outcome, one which is typically designed to influence the behaviors of its audience. Public relations activities include press relations, product publicity, corporate communications, lobbying and advisory services. Today, however, the ever-growing challenge for marketing communications professionals is that savvy audiences are in control of what, when and how the information will be consumed.

What was once a world of faxes, mail, and in-person media tours has evolved into a far more technological approach. Media tours and press conferences can now be held through video chat, while e-mail and other Internet services have essentially wiped out old-fashioned mail. If you add these resources to the ever-increasing influence of social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, technology dominates the public relations spectrum. Furthermore with everyone wanting access to their required or necessary information on their mobile devices, it makes these technological tools even more crucial today. While the assets and tools available to public relations professionals have certainly evolved over the years, keep in mind that the main objective of sharing valuable information remains the goal.

So how do today’s communications tools impact the foremost of today’s public relations activities – content marketing? In this mobile generation, it is easy for consumers of news content to choose how, when and where they gather their information. By repurposing content, public relations practitioners can share information with more people by properly re-distributing and re-configuring the format or even the specifics of the message, for the intended audience. This will enable the information to be carried through multiple vehicles where your audience will search, and even in the places they didn’t think to look. A simple and effective way to redistribute content is to update and refresh Twitter and Facebook posts, as well as articles and other available data or information. Reiterating some of the key points of your messages through info-graphics and short videos will particularly appeal to the publics who are now more inclined to look at visuals.

How else can you multi-purpose your information to reach your intended audience and even new markets? If a client writes a book, for example, and it needs to be publicized, there are multiple ways you can communicate the launch of this new book: a press release to introduce the author and book can be distributed to appropriate media. This content can then be redesigned into an editorial that will hopefully be read and eve re-distributed. The information can be shared on the client’s website with a URL to link through social media channels, while simultaneously starting conversations on appropriate LinkedIn groups or forums. In order to appeal to the visual needs of users today, it is also possible to create a short video of your client discussing the book, and connect with new communities through posts on one’s website and other social channels.

When repurposing content, it is important to focus on the media consumed by your specific audience. Are you speaking to guests? Diners? Meeting planners? Travel agents? Or simply anyone and everyone? Each social media channel that you use will have a different community, or following, that you will be reaching. Since these communities can be very different, you must ensure that the media you use will reach the group and engage it. To boost the visual aspect, content consumers desire information that will both absorb and educate them.

As more social sites, blogs, community chats and platforms evolve, providing more options of news sources, our job is to be sure the content is shared on the appropriate and legitimate channels that our audience prefers. It is essential for us to keep up on all the outlets in order for the consumer to have constant access to our information. This is not an easy task to say the least.

As we continue on the journey of the mobile generation, the importance of visuals in public relations and content marketing is becoming more and more essential. The mobile communication channel can connect anyone at anytime, and people are constantly looking at their smart phones in search of a visual piece of worthy news. We are all looking to learn something from the visuals we find , yet none of us have the time to review content that is not of direct or personal interest. So our messages need to be short, sweet and impactful to cut through the clutter of all the other noise that surrounds us in order to thrive.

Public relations and content marketing are used to tell a story, and the story must connect with an audience in order to mutually benefit the product, brand, service and of course the end user. The “ mobile” generation has impacted how social media is used and how companies or brands are redelivering content in order to engage their stakeholders. Keep in mind, it’s not just knowledge of social media that is pertinent here, it’s the value of the messaging shared through social media that will impact your branding and connections.

How the evolution of mobile marketing will continue to impact public relations tactics and allow us to keep content marketing as valuable to the end-user, will keep us all on our toes as we work hard to maintain successful marketing communications practices. How is your hotel or brand sharing information?