Have you ever spent hours and hours developing a presentation for an upcoming industry conference or panel that will be forgotten just as quickly as the event you created it for?

Or did you write an article on an idea you had to post to your website?

But did you take the time to extend the life of that content and leverage the energy (and industry expertise) spent in creating it in ways that go beyond the original event or mailing?

No?

Well you should. Here’s how!

We believe in a holistic approach to content development for thought leadership that can be multi-purposed as content for a PR campaign.

What do we mean by that?

Simply this – most companies have content and ideas that are readily available to create thought leadership. It may in the form of a white paper, or it may be that marketing presentation, or some industry or market research with relevance to your customers and products. The trick is to extend the life of that content.

Here’s how.

Write a bylined article.

Your white paper or presentation are complete and all your thoughts and views are reflected in the document. But how can you make it even more timely? Put your name on an analysis of an ongoing market trend that incorporates your content and demonstrates your industry knowledge and viewpoint to your key audiences. It’s easy to do because the trade publications your customers read are always looking for timely and educational articles (as long as they are not self-promotional) on issues that impact their readers. If you can put together a bylined article of, typically, between 600-1,000 words you are golden!

Create and distribute a press release.

You have just made a successful presentation at a conference and are heading home on a three-hour flight, with time to kill. So why not write a press release that is based on your presentation – and highlights the fact that you were a speaker at the conference? It allows you to sum up the key points you made in your presentation and even add more to reflect the questions you got during the Q&A. A nice variation: Issuing a press release before the event that closely allies you with the conference itself while telegraphing the key points you will make there.

Distribute an email blast

This one’s easy. Smart marketers take the time to develop contact lists and keep them updated. Why not utilize those lists to update your contacts on all the great things your firm is doing? While we do not suggest a continuous stream of email blasts, keeping in touch is important. What to write about? Why not use the key points from your presentation, updated to reflect relevant industry trends. And remember to include a link to the bylined article you’re going to write!

Curate website content

Your company has a website, so use it! A website can be a very powerful tool in creating exposure. That means posting your bylined article or press release on your website, because each time a piece of content is added, there is a good chance that it can be picked up by search engine spiders. Make sure you include hyperlinks in your content and your chances of it getting noticed can be greater! Also, not every press release needs paid newswire distribution (think PR Newswire or Business Wire). You can just add it to your website as a stand-alone piece of content.

So before you file that white paper or presentation, ask yourself if you can do more to leverage the content so your company – and its clients and potential clients – can benefit from the information. Why not share the wealth!

With over 20 years of experience in media and public relations, Rosalia Scampoli is a Senior Media Director of Marketcom PR, a B2B-oriented communications boutique committed to helping clients achieve the results they need to sell more effectively in their marketplaces.  Ms. Scampoli develops and manages communication platforms for clients across a variety of financial services, nonprofit and B2B industries.