An editorial column is an opinion piece that shares a viewpoint or perspective on a current event. They often take a lighter tone than news articles and are meant to educate, inform and entertain readers.
Traditionally, editorial pieces are written in a literary style. This means that the thought behind the piece must be accentuated by language and not drowned in it. It is like a beautiful lady wearing an elegant dress that doesn’t overwhelm her beauty. Alternatively, the style may be satirical or humorous in nature.
Companies are leveraging editorial marketing to grow strong communities of loyal customers. By delivering useful information that helps solve their audience’s problems, brands position themselves as knowledgeable entities ready to share their expertise. AdvisorStream, for example, improved lead capture by 260% after expanding their editorial content offerings with licensed third-party articles.
The key to a successful editorial strategy is creating a content plan that aligns with your overarching business goals and ensures that the pieces you produce are high-quality and relevant to your target audience. This includes conducting a content audit to identify gaps and identifying KPIs that will drive your strategy forward.
It is also important to pay attention to the differences between editorial and commercial use. Advertorial content is designed to convert customers into clients and typically contains a sales pitch or product feature. By ensuring that the editorial content you develop does not contain any commercial intent, you can avoid tainting your customer’s relationship with your brand.