The gig economy is revolutionizing marketing practices. Brands that see the value in journalistic content and talent outsourcing are seeing impactful results, strong ROI and reduced costs — leaving antiquated advertising approaches in their dust.
This shift to embrace the gig economy in a post-COVID world opens up valuable opportunities to connect brands with premium journalists. Brands don’t have time to play an endless game of catch-up in a fast-paced digital world where time and attention spans are at premiums.
That’s why PowerPublish is dedicated to helping organizations shift their focus to faster, cheaper and better content. PowerPublish editors spoke with president and founder Dan Curran to discuss how talent outsourcing is disrupting marketing content as we know it and how PowerPublish can aid companies in optimizing their content strategies.
Brand Journalism Meets Technology
PowerPublish: Why did you create PowerPublish?
Dan Curran: The supply chain for brand marketing is broken. PowerPublish provides marketers instant access to the world’s best content creators and storytellers: brand journalists. We have built a technology platform that accelerates the creation and distribution of premium blogs and social media content. It’s a win for the brand and a significant victory for the consumer. Consumers are thirsty for authentic content to enhance their lives and better understand a brand’s value proposition.
PowerPublish: How did you arrive at this concept to simplify content outsourcing by merging brand journalism with technology?
DC: Unlike existing online marketplaces, such as Fiverr and Upwork, our platform provides instant access to vetted brand journalists. PowerPublish has simplified everything. Aside from our intuitive self-serve interface, we also offer a ‘virtual editor’ where brands can enjoy a more concierge experience.
PowerPublish: What inspires your commitment to brand journalism?
DC: Fifty-percent-plus of journalists have lost their jobs due to the demise of traditional media. At the same time, brand marketers are stressed, short-staffed and preparing for a post-Covid world. Our passion is to bring these two parties together via technology and reimagine how brands engage their customers. Marketers will be well served by leveraging the authenticity, accuracy and storytelling skills that brand journalists bring to the table.
PowerPublish: What problems do most PowerPublish clients typically face, and how do you solve them?
DC: The number one problem brand marketers face, as it relates to content creation, is the lack of consistent publishing and distribution. Investments in blog and social media content creation are a waste of time — and money — unless done consistently. The PowerPublish platform is the flywheel for brands to aggressively publish premium content. As the saying goes, ‘Publish or perish!’
Fast, Agile Publishing
PowerPublish: What do companies often get wrong when it comes to publishing content?
DC: I previously addressed the importance of consistency and creating a flywheel of perpetual content publishing. Coming in a close second is a lack of focus. Fortunately, a brand journalist is a natural storyteller who can help marketers with the marriage of topic selection, SEO and storytelling.
PowerPublish: What do ad agencies get wrong that PowerPublish gets right?
DC: Speed and agility. Consumers have always been and will always be thirsty to consume relevant content. The PowerPublish platform delivers premium content at a faster velocity than traditional ad agencies. Our marriage of journalism and technology is a game-changer for modern brands.
Virtual Access To Premium Talent
PowerPublish: Why is outsourcing content typically such a pain point for businesses? How does PowerPublish make the process easier and smoother?
DC: We have removed the stress of onboarding and deployment. Marketing departments have very little patience for software vendors and agencies that require a lot of hand-holding. We are often told that Powerpublish is both effective and efficient.
PowerPublish: How did the pandemic solidify the need for virtual marketing departments and talent outsourcing?
DC: Brands are becoming more comfortable with outsourcing their content needs. But, they will continue to demand stringent safeguards to protect brand standards. PowerPublish has removed this heartburn by building compliance safeguards into our technology. Further, the economics of having virtual access to preeminent talent cannot be disputed. PowerPublish is delivering 50-percent-plus savings versus expensive ad agencies and in-house hires.
PowerPublish is transforming the way brands outsource content. Our unique, streamlined approach to brand journalism — with fully managed and self-serve offerings — focuses on delivering premium content and a seamless client experience. For more information about our virtual content newsroom, talent marketplace and SaaS platform, visit powerpublish.io.