Hi, Lauren Kaye, here, with this week’s Content & Coffee with Brafton. Would you be surprised if I told you that the world of traditional journalism and digital marketing are no longer at odds? That, as a matter of fact, they appear to be moving in the same direction? Click play to watch the video, or read the full text below.

Don’t take my word for it. Just this week, Google launched Media Tools, a new platform that simplifies online publication. It gives journalists the resources they need to research topics and publish content, engage audiences and measure performance through analytics reports.

Basically, it’s a one-stop-shop for writers who want to turn an idea into an online news story.

But that’s just scratching the surface of the potential of Media Tools. It also brings in new functions that can help writers optimize text for web readers. I’m talking engagement, because consumers want dynamic content. There are charts for demonstrating data, maps that track trends and one-click access to social networks for sharing.

Now that Google’s announced this new suite of tools, we asked ourselves: Is content marketing becoming more like journalism, or is it the other way around? Consider the fact that Google is packaging these tools for journalists, but they are programs that marketers use on a daily basis – we hope.

At Brafton, we’ve always touted the benefits of brand journalism. We think marketers stand to gain a lot by following Google Trends and covering industry news to build SERP presence and earn loyal readers. The ‘net has given marketers access to the same tools journalists need to write compelling stories. And savvy brands will pick those tools up and use them to their advantage, appealing to broader
audiences and giving visitors a reason to return to their sites time and time again – timely and authoritative updates.

Catch you next week, and happy content marketing!

Lauren Kaye is a Marketing Editor at Brafton Inc. She studied creative and technical writing at Virginia Tech before pursuing the digital frontier and finding content marketing was the best place to put her passions to work. Lauren also writes creative short fiction, hikes in New England and appreciates a good book recommendation.