by Pip Harry
25 September 2015
It’s no secret that newspapers and magazines are undergoing serious change, dropping circulation or being put out to pasture. Your strategy to deal with this may involve pitching to more editors, dipping a toe into digital – or taking the leap from the editorial desk to an in-house communications / marketing role. And as our industry ebbs and flows, it’s a fact that adding any kind of feather to your cap is smart.
If you’re sniffing around for a suitable comms role, it pays to align yourself to an area of interest. Your compassion could lead to working for a non-profit. Foodies could be a good fit for a supermarket chain and if you’ve got an obsession with beauty products you could be a match with a cosmetics company.
As a long-time journo who’s recently made the switch from editing women’s mags to working in the marketing department of a charity organisation, here’s what you need to know about the other side…
1. Your skill set is still relevant and valuable. You know how to hit deadlines, write strong concise copy, dig up fresh, relevant content and work under pressure. Good news! All of your journo strengths will slot in well to most marketing teams. Just make sure you set clear boundaries if your role is external communications or every man and his dog will be wanting you to read over their quarterly report or PowerPoint preso for typos.
2. You’re part of a much bigger picture. In a marketing role you’ll still be asked to tell good news stories and entertain clients and customers, but ultimately you’ll be plugged into a larger corporate business strategy that will have its own very specific goals and roll-outs. Go along for the ride and remember you’re working for a company and it’s CEO now, not the readers. You may have to back down on some of your long-held beliefs on what makes a good yarn to fulfil a business message.
3. You might wear more hats. In an editorial team, most people hold very specific roles and as such you won’t often see the production manager trying her hand at writing a lead feature. But now that you’re in marketing you might find yourself a Jack or Jill of all trades. Expect to step out of your comfort zone and take photos, shoot videos and help plan and manage events. Being tech savvy, social media aware and flexible will stand you in good stead.
4. It could get dry. Some days your job will be focused on translating dry financial stats into an annual report or trying to inject life into a standard press release. Translating business speak into compelling copy is par for the course. As is drumming up interest from the media, who you’ll be well aware are often busy and disinterested. Consider it payback for all those times you binned a press release or didn’t return a call.
5. You don’t have to be impartial. As part of a marketing team, you no longer have to stay impartial or even balanced in your writing and messages. Your job is to make your company or product stand out and look good in a crowd. You don’t have to hide the hard sell in an editorial mention or advertorial format. Bonus!
Are you a journo who’s made the switch – or is thinking about it? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Great article, absolutely agree! I’ve worked in a couple of contract comms roles and they definitely expect you to know about social media strategy, how to use InDesign etc as well as writing and editing skills. Another difference is that you’ll often be working with people who don’t necessarily understand comms or may not have worked with a comms team before – which is both challenging and rewarding! You’ll also spend a fair bit of time writing comms strategies for everything from media relations to social media.
Hi Angela, thanks for adding these great extra points! I’ve only been in comms for a few months, so it’s nice to have the perspective of someone who’s been at it a little longer. Pip
I’m trying to make the switch right now but getting nowhere – how can I get a comms manager to take a chance on me (after a decade as a sub)?
I think it’s about getting in the door and proving you can make the switch. Your subbing experience would be invaluable to most commms roles. Maybe work experience? Shorter, contract gigs to have a ‘taste’? Or just keep knocking on the doors. Good luck!
Pip, what fine wisdom and insights you have shared here. It truly is a shock to the system when a journo / editor moves into a related field like comms, but the payoffs in the development of brand new skills can be priceless.
Thanks John! Brand new skills are great to tuck into your resume in these changing times, and I’ve appreciated getting a chance to run at things I ordinarily would leave to another person/department. 🙂
Great article. Lots of good points for people to bear in mind. Also good comments from other readers (yes Angela, working with people who don’t “get” what we do can be tricky 🙂
I made the switch in conjunction with a move to Sweden 16 years ago (not much journalism work before I got the language), and have really enjoyed it. Apart from skills in writing and editing, you take the journalistic method with you, which is a huge asset in corporate communication. Get the most important facts up front so they reach everyone, then move into the detail further down for those who want it.
And the ability to explain things to people who might not otherwise understand them is also a bonus. Especially coming in as a consultant, you bring an outside perspective which can really help your clients.
Add the lack of nightshifts, and the opportunity to work outside the News sphere, and the transition was one of the best things I have done.
Great article and I went from freelance travel writing (which I still do) to a part-time communications & marketing role at a NFP aged care provider. It’s been an insightful learning curve and there is a lot to be said for permanent work and I’m still essentially being paid to write. Interestingly enough, there are many comparisons to be drawn between the travel and aged care industries as they’re both lifestyle related. It never even occurred to me to try my hand at a “proper” job comms/marketing before even though all freelance writers possess many of the required skills often without even realising it.