It wasn’t too way back that we weren’t taking part a lot throughout Advertising and marketing.
If I printed a weblog publish on “search engine marketing technique”, it changed into a cheerful accident if the YouTube workforce had coated anything else equivalent that I may use in my publish.
Groups simply were not developing content material cohesively throughout other verticals. Let’s be fair: We would grown too huge.
At the Weblog workforce, this additionally supposed we had restricted non-organic channels to make use of to get our posts in entrance of the best audiences.
These days, I’ll pull again the curtain (sorry, I simply noticed Depraved) on how HubSpot’s Weblog workforce reimagined our technique to content material — reworking what was a siloed weblog technique right into a dynamic, multi-channel storytelling device.
(Psst: Curious what else is occurring on the planet of running a blog? Take a look at our brand-new 2025 State of Running a blog document with records from 500+ entrepreneurs — the primary time now we have ever run any such complete audit on what is taking place around the running a blog panorama.)
Why We Introduced Our Media Narratives Program
After we first began our Unique Analysis program in 2017, one thing changed into instantly transparent: our weblog readers are completely obsessed with records.
Like, Taylor-Swift-friendship-bracelets-level obsessed.
In our first complete yr, we drove over 1.4 million perspectives via unique examine. Seems, folks love records — irrespective of platform.
The problem? High quality examine is expensive and time-consuming. We would have liked a extra strategic way not to simply create examine, however to distribute it successfully throughout a couple of channels to verify we have been getting the most important bang for our research-bucks.
For example, you don’t have to be a weblog reader to get right of entry to our State of Advertising and marketing records — even if, selfishly, I’d find it irresistible should you have been.
But when as an alternative you might be an avid YouTuber, e-newsletter subscriber, or IG follower, you must nonetheless be capable to get right of entry to the highest advertising and marketing tendencies on the ones platforms, too.
Input: Media Narratives.
In June 2022, I piloted our first Media Narrative — a quarterly way that might turn into how we consider examine, content material, and cross-team collaboration.
What began as an experimental program temporarily changed into a formidable distribution engine for our unique examine, weblog, and model.
What’s a Media Narrative?
Media Narratives is, at its core, a selection of multimedia content material focused round one data-backed theme.
Suppose: A YouTube video, podcast episode, weblog publish, and a TikTok vid, all discussing the similar trending matter and using site visitors against one ultimate be offering.
Every Media Narrative is fueled via the Weblog’s unique examine and professional idea management, and at all times has one corresponding research-backed document.
Let’s destroy it down in bullet-point structure. A Media Narrative is composed of:
- One centered, research-backed be offering (assume: State of Advertising and marketing, State of Gross sales, State of AI)
- 15+ in-depth weblog posts discussing the subtopics of that overarching document (i.e. “best advertising and marketing demanding situations”, “best advertising and marketing channels”, “advertising and marketing KPIs to concentrate on”)
- Knowledgeable interviews
- Movies
- Podcast mentions
- Social content material
… With unique examine as the basis for every particular person channel’s content material.
And, to-date, Media Narratives have pushed over 6M+ perspectives to the Weblog.
How Media Narratives Assist Us Resolve for Channel Volatility
As biological seek changed into more and more unpredictable in 2024, we advanced a brand-new, powerful technique that does not simply depend on conventional search engine marketing techniques.
However we had every other secret weapon, too: Media Narratives.
Media Narratives have helped cushion the blow of seek volatility over the last yr for 2 causes:
- Media Narratives leverage a couple of distribution channels — like YouTube, social media, and podcasts — which assist us create content material for platforms which might be much less impacted via the biological tides.
- Media Narratives content material is helping us compete towards AI, since Media Narrative content material is just too tricky to duplicate the use of AI. … Being curious about human views, and all.
In different phrases, Media Narratives ensure we would not have all of our eggs in a single basket.
We distribute content material on all of the channels our target audience may desire, so they may be able to make a decision how, the place, and why they wish to devour our content material.
Neatly … With a bit of luck they are now not asking why.
Plus, we put up content material for Media Narratives like “Advertising and marketing Budgets: How A lot Will have to Your Workforce Spend in 2024?” and “The Most sensible 5 Advertising and marketing Demanding situations Anticipated Globally in 2025, And Learn how to Triumph over Them” — two subjects I would fairly now not ask a robotic about.
What This Manner for Entrepreneurs [3 Lessons for 2025]
1. Do not simply depend on seek.
K, ok — I do know that is an evident one.
However additionally it is unusually tricky. Our Weblog technique nonetheless is based totally on biological site visitors.
As a result of, let’s accept it … Social media customers aren’t too desperate to click on on a weblog hyperlink that takes them off of TikTok. I am getting it.
However now we have discovered it more and more essential to check content material on new channels.
Non-organic content material merits its time to polish. You can almost definitely by no means Google key phrase phrases like “$400K fighter jets” and “Anti-marketing Liquid Demise”, proper?
And but — and I am hoping this is not too presumptuous — I believe you’d love to learn, “Martha Stewart, $400K Fighter Jets, and Comedy Writers: How Liquid Demise Wins at Anti-Advertising and marketing, In step with Liquid Demise’s VP”.
So give it a shot — percentage your weblog posts by means of newsletters, social posts, YouTube descriptions, and extra. And take a look at out some more moderen UGC distribution channels, like Substack, Reddit, and Discord.
You need to play via the principles of every platform (cough, cough: Do not unsolicited mail your fans) however you must nonetheless get inventive on the subject of the way you get your content material available in the market.
Nonetheless curious what different entrepreneurs’ are as much as? Give our 2025 State of Running a blog document (with records from 500+ entrepreneurs) a learn.
2. Spend money on unique examine.
We’ve got all noticed it first-hand: Within the age of AI, approach too many entrepreneurs are getting relaxed publishing generic “5 Advertising and marketing Developments” posts instantly from the fingertips of excellent ole’ GPT.
So… What is the Batman to ChatGPT’s Robin? Actual, human views.
Unique records coupled with professional critiques is your aggressive merit in a global of AI-generated content material.
It is pricey, nevertheless it could be a profitable funding if it permits you to outrank your competition whilst making your content material extra precious.
For those who do make a decision to spend money on unique examine, I would recommend to begin small with a examine document that correlates strongly on your highest-intent subjects. For those who promote video advertising and marketing device, a video advertising and marketing document is your candy spot.
3. Include cross-team collaboration.
Our maximum a hit Narratives destroy down silos.
When your podcast, social, e-newsletter, and weblog groups paintings in combination, you create one thing more than the sum of its portions.
It is not simple. It required a project-management mindset I wasn’t used to, and in the long run, I wanted to make the effort to be informed how every workforce operates (and their most popular communique types) ahead of I were given it proper.
What I discovered is that this: When running with different groups, you must create collaboration alternatives in a couple of codecs.
For me, this supposed organizing a quarterly Zoom assembly that stakeholders may sign up for, or an async spreadsheet they might drop notes into, or the choice for a 1:1 assembly with me to talk about how we may paintings in combination.
This may glance other for you, however it is a good suggestion to assemble comments throughout groups to be sure to’re making a procedure that works for everybody.
Enjoying It Secure Manner Being Left At the back of
If there is something I’ve discovered from proudly owning Media Narratives, it is this: Content material good fortune isn’t about enjoying it protected.
As a substitute, it is about being daring, data-driven, and adaptable.
Our Media Narratives program is evidence that infrequently, the larger bets can repay. It helped us remedy for some primary inner problems (siloed content material groups), whilst developing extra attention-grabbing content material for our audiences.
And being a robust protection towards AI was once an added bonus.
My level? Use 2025 to check out some new pilot methods. Heck – give one thing like your personal Media Narratives a shot. You by no means know the way it will do.
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