Corporate publishing describes the process of creating materials for businesses. These will often be internal documents, pamphlets for customers and clients, portfolios and other media intended to help build the relationship with the audience or ensure the smooth running of business. Publishing is an in-depth process and it’s important that companies understand the various steps involved.
Corporate publishing describes the publishing companies of companies that are not publishing houses. This means publishing of materials that are intended either for marketing purposes or for ‘in-house’ uses. Corporate publishing then includes the publishing of flyers, pamphlets, stylebooks, guidelines, newsletters and more. It might also mean publishing newsroom stories or press releases that will be released to the press. Either way, companies that are not typically versed in publishing will still need to familiarize themselves with the different factors involved in the process in order to produce high quality materials. What does this involve?
Writing
Most companies, regardless of their industry should have a copywriter on the books. Copywriters are writers that write specifically for business and that as such, should understand how to write in a professional manner that is also engaging. This means several things. Firstly, copywriters need to write professionally, which normally means writing in third person (no ‘I’) and which will typically mean avoiding slang, contractions and colloquialisms. At the same time though, the copywriter must be able to adapt to the tone and style of the industry and the audience.
For instance, if a business is publishing content to share with its audience with the objective of strengthening its bonds and building a closer relationship, and if the audience is typically young and the product sold something that is more ‘fun’ or ‘modern’, then it could be that a more relaxed and casual writing style is preferred.
Likewise, copywriters need to be able to engage, communicate well and sell. The aim of any communication is to convey meaning in as efficient a manner as possible. This means that the writer shouldn’t try to impress the audience with jargon and slang and should instead focus on writing content that will be easy to understand and to follow.
Design
It isn’t enough to simply write some good copy and then release it however. Corporate publishing also needs to consider the role of design and layout. An organization needs to consider what the page should look like and how the content will be positioned around images, the logo and more. This might be simple (using headed letter paper) or it might be complex in the case of an entire pamphlet or leaflet – or an industry magazine.
Design will be done in-house or outsourced and can use a range of tools. Photography is often necessary, as is creating a floor plan and using tools such as Illustrator and Photoshop to create digital imagery. Today, much of the mock-up for the design will be handled on a computer, before finally being put together and printed.
Publishing
Publishing the content – or printing it – can once again be handled in-house or it can be outsourced. The latter will involve sending the finished work away to a printing press where it can be printed onto paper in large quantities. This might also require binding or adding a finish too in order to create a glossy final image. Publishing is an in-depth process but it’s more achievable than many companies realize. Once you learn how to publish content for your business, you’ll find it has a range of uses for helping to engage a larger audience, build morale within your organization and find clients.
