For instance, with content being expressive, there are scenarios to which thoughtful organisations respond by not putting out any content. And at the end of the day, that calculated silence over an issue critical to their brand survival saves the day!

This indicates that there is a smart that trumps content as per communications – this phenomenon is called strategy. Reputation can be built without content, but it will be dead on arrival without a strategy.

The corporate communications manager who is not keen on content can make company staff brand advocates or ambassadors, yielding impressive outcomes.

This is because the teams have been made to understand not just what they’re doing, but why.

Leadership strategy has been translated into stories, metaphors, and messages that align everyone’s mental models.

Strategic Communication

Strategy is so germane to communications that there is a genre called strategic communication. This is the planned and intentional use of communication to achieve specific objectives for an organisation or individual.

It involves aligning all communication actions with the entity’s identity, values, and objectives, both internally and externally. It is an ongoing process that aims to optimize the impact of communication to achieve desired purposes.

Strategic communication does the following:

• Defines accurate and measurable objectives aligned with the organisation’s vision and mission.
• Analyses to understand the internal and external environment, stakeholders, and industry trends.
• Selects the most effective communication channels to reach the target audience.
• Ensures consistency in messaging through clear, relevant messages tailored to the target audience.
• Tracks results, measure the impact of communication, and adjust the strategy based on the results.

Strategy the Sovereign; Content the Gold State Coach

Given that content embody and reflect its strategy, the latter is the king while the former serves as his ceremonial carriage.

Content can’t rule in corporate communications because what is posted isn’t as important as what people believe.

This belief – which is instigated by strategy – is significant because it is how organisations wield influence.

It takes strategy for content to clearly and consistently align with organisational goals and map audience journeys.

The Gold State Coach could have been any other carriage but for the fact that the British monarch rides in it. Ditto for content that can only be celebrated as on-brand, on-time, on-tone, and on-culture due to the strategy put into it.

With content as the voice, strategy is the force that prevents this voice from being a noise, harnessing it to consistently reflect an organisation’s journey, mission and values while resonating with its audience.

In corporate communications, strategy is the very definition and at the intersection of messaging, branding, and executive profiling cum thought leadership. The playbook aligns all communication actions with the entity’s identity, values, and objectives, both internally and externally.

For business transformation sake, companies can’t be optimising for content when what they need is counsel.

With machine learning increasingly churning out AI slop nowadays, humanity must generate meaning in communications, which is what strategy guarantees.

Strategy doesn’t have to eat content for breakfast 

While not at the pinnacle of the perking order in corporate comms, content still occupy a pride of place given their visibility as press releases, decks, blogs, social media reels, shorts, proof points, internal newsletters and community updates.

Corporate communications integrates these fragments into a consistent identity, ensuring that every tweet, report, or speech sounds like part of one voice.

Communications hits the bull’s eye when the narrative arc coherently connects relevant touchpoints such that donors are assured of sustainable impact, field staffers see their work matters, partners spot where to collaborate, and beneficiaries hear dignity restored.

This is apparently beyond the ken of content.

It is a strategy that has the wherewithal to make multiple audiences see themselves in one core narrative. Be that as it may, content still do a yeoman’s job in corporate communications by mirroring real life so that audiences can see themselves in the messaging.

People remember stories, not bullet points or data. The compelling and authentic narrative that content convey has the utility of capturing attention, evoking emotion, humanising your organization, and ensuring that your voice isn’t lost in the noise.

A synergy between strategy and content is therefore required for relatable posts centering human realities, creatively adapted to each platform and expressed in clear language, not corporate speak.

As strategy sets the direction and storytelling (content) delivers the impact, momentum cum movement get activated and accelerated.

Uneasy lies the head that wears the Crown

The very essence of corporate communications depicts how integral strategy is to it.

Of course, it takes strategy to drive business outcomes by influencing perception and shaping narratives. You’ve also got to be strategic to align messaging with organisational goals, anticipate potential crises, and evaluate the impact of your communications.

It is through strategy that you can find unique ways to connect your organisation with diverse audiences, translate complex information into meaningful conversations, and make your company memorable.

Strategy shoulders this heavy weight of communications responsibilities in the following ways:

• It defines the overarching goals, aims and objectives that all communications efforts are meant to achieve, ensuring that the big-picture, helicopter view is captured.
• It determines the outcomes the entire team is working toward, the audiences that matter most, the messaging that supports those aims, and the techniques we’ll use to measure effectiveness.
• It creates alignment and clarity on what success actually looks like at the senior leadership level.
• It ensures that content is grounded in how influence forms: how culture moves, meaning spreads, identity is signaled, and demand takes shape inside communities before brands even enter the conversation.
• It helps people make sense of what the organisation does, why it matters, and how it connects to their world. It is the bridge between doing and being known.

Conclusion 

With corporate communications covering how organisations are positioned and regarded over time – across consumers, partners, policymakers, and internal teams, it takes strategy – which encompasses creativity, structure, and system design – to build and align these layers.

The organisation that is strategic about communications is the one that will be able to shape perception, earn credibility, build authority, wield influence, protect reputation, and sustain long-term organisational value. Content remains critical to the foregoing and should be harnessed even though corporate communications isn’t its kingdom!

The crux of the matter is that before crafting or developing any content, be sure to have a brainstorming session with eggheads. That way, the majesty of strategy will make the final output magical.

*Ugochukwu, a Branding Strategist and Media Trainer, welcomes feedback via nmiringwu@gmail.com

• “Audiences don’t just want stories; they want stories they can trust and relate to. Authenticity is non-negotiable
• “AI is a strategic partner. It doesn’t replace human creativity but enhances it.”
• “In an age of short attention spans, visual and interactive content rules”
• “There is a shift toward micro-influencers, with their smaller but highly engaging audiences, becoming more impactful than those with massive followings”
• “Experiment with AI and emerging technologies, but always remember—the human touch remains irreplaceable in PR”

Technology now drives nearly every aspect of human and business interactions, and the question is no longer if artificial intelligence will overhaul industries but how it will redefine them. Public Relations (PR) is no exception. 

At the second edition of The Newmark Nigerian Industry Webinar, titled ‘The Future of PR in a Digital Age: Content, Automation, and the Role of AI,’ PR professionals dissected how artificial intelligence, content, and automation are impacting public relations (PR).

Hosted by Kayode Bakare, a broadcaster with Rhythm 93.7 FM Lagos, the event was an enlightening discourse on leveraging technology in PR to facilitate stronger audience relationships and innovation.

The speakers included Maureen Mwendwa, senior manager of Social Influence at Newmark Digital; Oreoluwa Ettu, head of Digital Marketing and Graphics Design at Keystone Bank; Damilola Dawson, director of Digital Content at Pulse Nigeria; and Jill Chanley, associate director of Communications, Food and Nutrition Portfolio at Global Health Advocacy Incubator (GHAI).

Maureen Mwendwa on AI as a Strategic Partner

Delivering the keynote address, Maureen Mwendwa, senior manager of Social Influence at Newmark Digital, asked a relatable question: “How many of you have used spell check, asked a voice assistant to play a song, or relied on GPS to navigate? If you have, you’ve already interacted with AI.”

Mwendwa stressed how AI has quietly integrated into daily life and is now revolutionising PR by simplifying tasks and enhancing creativity.

She shared an example from a campaign for a hotel in Goma, DR Congo: “We used a mix of user-generated content and engaging video storytelling to completely shift brand perception and boost reputation. When content aligns with audience interest, the impact is incredible.”

However, she emphasised that AI is a tool, not a replacement for human creativity: “AI is a strategic partner. It doesn’t replace human creativity but enhances it, allowing us to craft better, more compelling narratives.”

Storytelling for Advocacy with Jill Chanley

Jill Chanley, associate director at GHAI, stressed the power of storytelling in digital advocacy, distinguishing it from digital marketing. She explained: “Unlike digital marketing, which focuses on awareness, digital advocacy drives specific policy actions.”

Chanley outlined a three-step approach to creating effective advocacy messages:

1. Highlight the problem – Identify the issue and its root cause.
2. Articulate the relevance – Connect the issue to the audience’s values and experiences.
3. Provide actionable solutions – Ensure the call to action is practical and contextually relevant.

She shared an example from Barbados, where data on the cost of non-communicable diseases was used to advocate for a tax on sugary beverages: “This approach combined data, narratives, and visuals to create a persuasive case that aligned with stakeholders.”

The Role of Collaboration and Continuous Learning

Speakers at the Newmark Webinar agreed that collaboration and continuous learning are essential for PR professionals in this phase of digitalisation.

Maureen Mwendwa advised: “Invest in training your teams, experiment with new content formats, and use analytics to refine your strategies. Collaboration with data analysts, designers, and content creators brings incredible potential.”

Kayode Bakare reiterated: “AI is not here to replace us; it’s here to assist. Let’s leverage these tools to enhance our work while staying true to the essence of PR – building relationships and telling impactful stories.”

Oreoluwa Ettu on AI’s Impact in Financial Services

Oreoluwa Ettu, head of Digital Marketing at Keystone Bank, explored how AI is changing PR strategies, particularly in financial services.

Ettu shared an example of how Keystone Bank used AI for sentiment analysis during a misinformation crisis: “We were able to track sentiment in real-time and measure the positive reception of our corrective messaging. This allowed us to address the negative narrative effectively and reassure our customers.”

However, he also acknowledged challenges in adopting AI, such as integrating legacy systems and complying with data privacy laws. “It’s essential to balance AI with ethical practices and ensure it doesn’t overshadow the human touch in PR,” he advised.

Damilola Dawson on Authenticity and Multimedia

Damilola Dawson, director of Digital Content at Pulse Nigeria, spoke on the importance of authenticity in digital PR: “Audiences don’t just want stories; they want stories they can trust and relate to. Authenticity is non-negotiable.”

Dawson also emphasised the rise of multimedia content like augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) in PR campaigns: “In an age of short attention spans, visual and interactive content rules. Imagine using AR and VR to recreate events that feel immersive and engaging.”

He discussed the evolving role of influencers, noting a shift toward micro-influencers: “Micro-influencers, with their smaller but highly engaging audiences, are becoming more impactful than those with massive followings. It’s about long-term collaborations, not one-off sponsorships.”

Balancing AI and Ethics in PR

The Newmark Webinar panel also delved into the ethical implications of AI in PR. Damilola Dawson addressed the use of AI to combat fake news: “Proper research remains irreplaceable because AI draws its answers from the internet, which can sometimes result in inaccuracies.”

He cautioned against over-reliance on AI for content creation: “Google heavily clamps down on AI-generated content, preferring original, human-generated material. Over-reliance on AI can impact visibility and engagement. Balance is key.”

Leveraging Technology without Losing the Human Touch

The Newmark webinar stressed the need for PR professionals to adapt to technological advancements while maintaining ethical and strategic integrity.

Maureen Mwendwa concluded: “Experiment with AI and emerging technologies, but always remember—the human touch remains irreplaceable in PR.”

This blend of cutting-edge tools and authentic storytelling is where the future of PR lies.

The way we consume and interact with information has undergone a continuously dynamic process, with social media and traditional media adapting to cater to the changing needs of consumers. 

The strengths, weaknesses, and societal impact of social media and traditional media are worth dissecting. Let’s shed some light on the nuances that define this ongoing battle for our attention.

Social Media

Social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, are now a daily go-to platform for many. They offer instantaneous connectivity, allowing individuals to share thoughts, news, and multimedia content with a global audience in real-time. 

One of the significant advantages of social media is its democratizing effect on information dissemination; anyone with an internet connection can become a content creator, shaping narratives and influencing public discourse.

However, this wide sea of information on social media is often affected by issues of authenticity and reliability. The rapid spread of misinformation, sensationalism, and echo chambers, where users are exposed only to viewpoints similar to their own, are challenges that social media platforms grapple with. 

This virtual space requires critical thinking and media literacy skills to distinguish facts from falsehoods.

Traditional Media

Traditional media outlets, encompassing newspapers, television news channels, and radio stations, have long been regarded as bastions of reliable information. Journalists and editors adhere to rigorous standards of fact-checking, ensuring that news stories are accurate, balanced, and well-researched. 

The depth of analysis and investigative journalism provided by traditional media outlets remains unmatched, offering in-depth perspectives on complex issues.

However, traditional media faces challenges in the digital age. The immediacy of social media often overshadows the time-consuming nature of traditional reporting. 

Again, declining newspaper circulations and the rise of digital streaming services have posed economic challenges to traditional media organizations, forcing them to adapt to new business models to sustain their operations.

Key Differences Between Social Media vs. Traditional Media

There are several key differences between social media and traditional media.

Source of Information:

• Social media platforms allow anyone to create and share content, fostering a diverse range of voices and perspectives.
• Traditional media platforms typically have a single source of information, such as a news organization or journalist, ensuring a curated and vetted approach to news dissemination.

Gatekeeping:

• Social media platforms have no gatekeeping function, enabling anyone to publish or share content, leading to issues of misinformation and content reliability.
• Traditional media platforms exercise a gatekeeping function, carefully selecting and verifying information before publication, ensuring higher credibility and accuracy.

Speed of Information:

• Information spreads quickly on social media, often within minutes or even seconds, allowing for rapid dissemination of news and events.
• Traditional media is slower to disseminate information, as thorough fact-checking and in-depth analysis take time, ensuring a more considered approach to news reporting.

Audience:

• Social media platforms have a global audience, connecting individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures, fostering international conversations.
• Traditional media platforms typically have a local or regional audience, focusing on specific geographic areas, catering to localized interests and concerns.

Interactivity:

• Social media platforms are interactive, allowing users to comment on and share content, fostering community engagement and real-time discussions.
• Traditional media platforms are typically non-interactive, meaning that the audience cannot directly interact with the content, leading to a more passive consumption experience.

Social Media vs. Traditional Media: Benefits and Drawbacks

Both social media and traditional media have their own benefits and drawbacks.

For Social Media, the benefits include: 

• Speed: Information spreads quickly on social media, enabling real-time updates on news and events.
• Global Audience: Social media platforms have a global reach, connecting people worldwide and fostering international dialogue.
• Interactivity: Social media platforms allow users to engage with content, facilitating discussions, debates, and community interactions.
• Low Cost: Creating and sharing content on social media is relatively inexpensive, democratizing access to information dissemination.

Drawbacks:

• Misinformation: Social media is often criticized for the spread of misinformation, false news, and conspiracy theories.
• Lack of Gatekeeping: Anyone can publish or share anything they want on social media, leading to the dissemination of unverified or harmful content.
• Addiction: Social media platforms can be addictive, leading to excessive screen time and potential negative impacts on mental health.

Traditional Media – Benefits:

• Trustworthiness: Traditional media platforms are generally more trustworthy, as they have a gatekeeping function, ensuring accurate and reliable news coverage.
• Quality: Traditional media platforms produce high-quality content, including in-depth analyses, investigative journalism, and well-researched reporting.
• Depth: Traditional media platforms provide comprehensive coverage of news and events, offering detailed insights and context on complex issues.

Drawbacks:

• Slow: Traditional media is slower to disseminate information compared to social media, as thorough fact-checking and research take time.
• Local Audience: Traditional media platforms typically cater to local or regional audiences, focusing on specific geographic areas.
• Non-Interactive: Traditional media platforms are non-interactive, limiting direct engagement between the audience and the content.

A symbiotic relationship between social media and traditional media is essential. Social media’s speed, global reach, and interactivity complement traditional media’s credibility, quality, and depth. 

Critical media literacy skills are paramount in this digital age. Consumers must discern between reliable sources and misinformation, ensuring that the information they engage with is accurate and credible. 

Recognizing the strengths of both social media and traditional media while acknowledging their limitations, will limit the complexities of modern digitization, facilitating a well-informed, critically thinking society.

This marked the first instance in which WhatsApp received such a penalty, amounting to 3 million rubles ($37,000).

Last year, Russian authorities designated WhatsApp’s parent company, Meta, as “extremist” and enforced a ban.

While Facebook and Instagram, both platforms owned by Meta, were blocked in Russia, WhatsApp remained accessible.

WhatsApp was penalized for its inability to remove a chat group that was offering an anti-depressant prohibited for sale in Russia, as reported by Russian news agencies.

In the past, Google, Twitter, TikTok, and the messaging app Telegram have also faced fines for their failure to delete illegal content.

Additionally, WhatsApp had previously been fined for not storing the data of Russian users on servers located within Russia, which violated local regulations.

As soon as you start blogging, you start considering how to make money off your website. There are several ways to achieve it, but Google Adsense is one of the most popular.

Through the Google AdSense program, website owners in the Google Network of content sites can distribute text, image, video, or interactive media adverts that are specifically tailored to the site’s audience and content. Google oversees, organizes, and maintains these adverts.

As a blogger, you need to take care of the fundamentals, such as optimizing your website for search engines and generating traffic. Your initial priorities shouldn’t concentrate on how to make money.

Creating Contents 

Because it needs to be original, creating content is one of the more challenging tasks. As a blogger, you should make an effort to produce interesting and educational content for your readers. Added to this is your online presence –  you should also focus on SEO and make sure that your content is optimized for search engines.

SEO

For your content to be more visible and accessible as a blogger, you must concentrate on SEO (Search Engine Optimization). This is one of the ways to increase traffic to their blog and website’s ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).

To achieve this, there are a bunch of strategies to deploy, such as incorporating pertinent keywords into the content, optimizing the meta tags and photos, and constructing backlinks to the site. 

However, it’s critical to keep in mind that creating high-quality and engaging material that appeals to readers is just as important as using SEO as one component of a successful blogging strategy.

Driving Traffic

Being a successful blogger involves many different factors, including increasing a website’s visibility. It requires time and work, but you can do it by constantly producing high-quality material, interacting with your audience, and promoting your site, promoting content on social media, guest posting on other blogs, etc. 

To Qualify for Google Adsense – Know the Following

1. Your website must have been online for at least six months.
2. Any violent, sexually explicit, or content is not permitted on the website.
3. The website must not have previously had AdSense access denied.
4. No pornographic or gambling-related content is permitted on the website.
5. The website needs a privacy statement.
6. A substantial amount of high-quality, AdSense-compliant content must be included on the website.
7. The website must be available in a language that AdSense supports.
8. There cannot be any unlawful or protected content on the website.

Monetizing your website with Google AdSense

• Sign up for a Google AdSense account by visiting https://www.google.com/adsense.
• Once the account is set up, you must upload the AdSense code to your website. Usually, you can do this by simply copying and pasting the code into the HTML of your website.
• Once you have inserted the AdSense code, you will need to wait for Google to review and approve your website for AdSense. The process can take many days.
• You can start modifying the ad units once your website has been approved and start earning money from clicks and impressions on your site.

The event which is themed, “Stimulating the Development of Indigenous Content through Innovation and Commercialization,” will be held on Monday – Tuesday, August 1-2, 2022 at Landmark Events Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

NODITS was set up in  2021, as the primary vehicle for the realization of the provisions of the National Policy on the Promotion and Implementation of Indigenous Contents in the Telecommunications Sector (NPPIC). 

Engr. Babagana Digima, Team Lead at NODITS, said the Expo is focused on bringing stakeholders in the communications value-chain together, and providing a platform where practicable ideas and solutions can be evolved to stimulate the demand and supply of indigenous solutions, technologies, human capacity, and skills. 

“We have invited indigenous operators, manufacturers, regulators, government agencies, policymakers, innovators, influencers, industry leaders, startups, academia, and global experts to an exhibition to showcase their products and services, innovative solutions, and new technologies that will help stimulate further growth of the Nigerian digital economy.

“So far, a lot of interested companies, service providers, industry bodies, manufacturers, innovators, and government agencies have impressively confirmed participation in the exhibition and we look forward enthusiastically to having productive engagements and far-reaching resolutions, whose implementation will further advance the cause of Nigerian indigenous telecoms development,” Digima said.

According to reports, Roskomnadzor, said the Tagansky District Court had fined Google 21.1 billion roubles for repeatedly failing to restrict access promptly to banned materials, and singled out YouTube for particular criticism.

It said YouTube had not deleted “fakes about the course of the special military operation in Ukraine, discrediting the armed forces of the Russian Federation

YouTube had failed to block “false information” on the offensive in Ukraine, “extremist and terrorist propaganda” and content “calling on minors to participate in unauthorized demonstrations”.

The regulator said that as this was a repeat conviction for Google the fine was based on its annual revenue in Russia.

Russian authorities have been dialing up their pressure on Western social media firms in recent years with repeated fines and threats in a bid to remove criticism from the internet, one of the last bastions of free speech in Russia.

Like most of its Western rivals, Google recently quit the Russian market to denounce Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine.

According to Vladimir Zykov, an expert cited by Russian news agency Ria-Novosti, the fine is the largest ever imposed on a Western tech firm by a Russian court.

Russian authorities can impose on Google “as many fines as they wish, they won’t receive the money” as the firm has pulled out of the country, he added.

Roskomnadzor branded the activities of Google and YouTube with the “terrorist” label in March, opening up the possibility they would be blocked in Russia, as have Twitter, Instagram and many independent media following the start of the military operation.