Creating content that attracts an engaged audience is tricky enough. Holding an audience’s attention is even more difficult. One often overlooked place to find inspiration for education marketing content is from trusted journalists in the news.

Maybe you want to tap into policy and legislation. Perhaps you’d rather play it safer and examine the tech side with its new apps, websites and digital learning options. Whatever your angle, local, national and even niche-consumer publications are a great place to search for content inspiration for a handful of reasons.

LEVERAGE THE NEWS: BECOME A RELIABLE RESOURCE

The news is guaranteed to have more than enough content worth commenting on to create an endless stream of topic inspiration for education marketing. And because somewhere between 60 percent and 75 percent of people say their main source of current news is online, you have a guaranteed audience. When it comes to most-searched platforms, Facebook comes in first, and YouTube second, though the number of platforms out there to leverage is growing at an incredible rate.

When you create content focused around current and trending events, you have an opportunity to increase your own brand based on the thoughts and views of your corporation. If you have certain political beliefs you want to make known, this is a great way to call attention to them. Nike does an excellent job of positioning its brand within the consumer’s emotional state, not simply their need for shoes or sports gear. Their emotional advertising consistently follows trending topics, from the Women’s World Cup ad following their clinching win to Colin Kaepernick’s ad prior to the 2018 football season. Both ads created emotional responses and they played off of trending topics in the news.

Keep in mind, however, politics can be messy. Choosing a side can harm your business just as much as it can help. Weigh all pros and cons before publishing anything with strong opinions, and be mindful of neutrality whenever possible.

BECOME A SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCER

Now that platforms are so politically charged, it’s often difficult for readers to know where real, fact-based news is coming from. If you are mindful of fact-checking and are able to post useful content regularly, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can build a following as a social media influencer. When posting content on social media, don’t forget to take advantage of trending hashtags. Follow those hashtags and reply intelligently to commenters. Liking and engaging with others in your online community will help validate your brand and build credibility.

The more you put yourself out there, the more you will be seen. And the more you are seen, the more you will be remembered – hopefully as a positive resource and a thought leader in the education industry.

FOLLOW CURRENT TOPICS FOR DAILY INSPIRATION

Not sure you want to write about the news directly? Another idea is to simply use it as inspiration. How many times have you received an email that takes a current topic and uses it as a jumping-off point for the article or email? For example, an email subject line might read ‘Five Things We Learned From the Presidential Election’ or ‘How Recent School Violence Impacts Your Local Community.’ This subject line has a click-bait feel, but it also works.

And remember, the email or newsletter itself doesn’t need to talk about the named current event specifically. Rather, when the entire nation is already watching, presenting your take keeps you current in the eyes of your readers. Proving you’re paying attention to notable events will build and sustain your brand’s reputation, especially if you’re consistent and truthful.

Wondering if current events fit into your education marketing strategy? We’d love to connect. Reach out at hello@cblohm.com or simply contact us on our site today.

Did you enjoy this blog on education content marketing and public relations? Read more from our public relations category now:

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• Three Communication Tips When Heading into a Merger or Acquisition: Set your brand up for success when heading into a merger or acquisition in the education industry with this advice.
• We Turned Down a Monthly Forbes.com Column. Here’s Why.: If you think that paying a news organization for the opportunity to publish content sounds suspiciously like advertising, you’re not alone.

Or perhaps you’d prefer more from our content marketing category now:

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• Let’s Get Visual: The Power of the Infographic: Any brand can harness the power of the infographic in education marketing efforts to yield high-impact results.

About the Author

Saul Hafenbredl helps account teams turn strategy into results as Strategy Director at C. Blohm & Associates, Inc. (CB&A). Driven by a “focus on what matters” philosophy, Hafenbredl directs marketing communications campaigns across CB&A’s client family, forecasting challenges and opportunities along the way.