Political and economic uncertainty demands a swift and confident response – is your business equipped for the challenge?
Britain’s vote to leave the European Union caused shockwaves that are still reverberating around the corridors of power. One political head has fallen, another is on the chopping block and businesses are braced for troubled times.
One of the most noticeable features of the vote’s immediate aftermath was the paralysis it caused, both in Westminster and beyond. George Osborne seemed to go AWOL as the markets plummeted. Commercial organisations also seemed to clam up, keeping their own counsel and waiting for the dust to settle.
Meanwhile the media whipped itself into a state of frenzy. It didn’t have a lot to say but had a huge amount of airtime and column inches in which to say it.
Osborne finally emerged with some useful information and the markets immediately started to calm. The same was true following reassurances from Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England.
Nature abhors a vacuum and so do the rest of us – especially when it comes to valuable information in uncertain times.
Filling the information vacuum
Such periods of disruption create an incredible opportunity for businesses that are able to respond to them. If quality content has value when all is business-as-usual, then how much greater will that value be in tougher times?
If you are concerned about how Brexit may affect your business, it is safe to assume your customers and other stakeholders will be equally worried. This is the time to increase communication, to keep them informed and establish your organisation as authoritative and responsive.
Sharing content in periods of disruption is not without risk. You are putting your corporate head above the parapet while others take cover. Well-written, carefully planned, nuanced and above all honest content mitigates such risk. Your stakeholders understand the climate of uncertainty. They will be grateful for your frankness and for the valuable information you are sharing with them.
This is particularly true when media coverage focuses so heavily on personalities and political intrigue. Sensationalism and spin dominate the news agenda and genuine objective insight is rare.
Equipped to meet the content challenge
Some businesses will have the desire to keep communicating, conscious that their silence could allow competitors to gain an advantage. But desire is not enough. What is required is an established system that will allow content to be created in an agile way, with quick turnarounds to ensure the information you are sharing is timely and relevant.
Large businesses with sizeable in-house content marketing departments may have the resources to cope with such demanding times. Most will not. Unexpected issues will arise and finding content creators with a wide range of specialist B2B knowledge is crucial.
Another factor that will rise in importance if the economy weakens is cost. Marketing departments, along with every other aspect of businesses, will be asked to control their fixed costs.
A platform for success
It is in such times of disruption that a B2B-focussed content marketing platform can really prove its worth. Of course it will need to provide access to hundreds of individually approved writers, designers and video producers, each with proven sector expertise and experience.
It will need to streamline the commissioning and content creation process, allowing businesses to find the right person who can deliver quickly and at a competitive rate. And if it checks for plagiarism and helps improve SEO then all the better.
At Content Cloud we are braced for the stormy waters ahead. We are also excited about the opportunity it will present for our clients to use the platform to connect with their stakeholders. The need for quality content has never been greater.
