Content marketing startup NewsCred isn’t just connecting marketers with freelancers anymore — through a new partnership program, it allows them to commission work from organizations like Getty Images and Visual.ly.
The goal of these content marketing programs is to help companies build their presence online and awareness among consumers, often with content that doesn’t directly promote the company itself. NewsCred was already working with media companies like Getty and Bloomberg on this front through its content licensing program.
But until now, NewsCred’s programs fell into two distinct buckets — customers could license and syndicate existing content from media companies, or they could go to The NewsRoom to commission work from freelancers. With today’s announcement, NewsCred is bringing those approaches closer together.
For example, co-founder and CEO Shafqat Islam told me via email that NewsCred customers can now send Getty photographers to a red carpet event or sports game to get custom images “with the click of a button.”
“As you know, our existing network of freelance content creators were journalists,” Islam said. “However, we realized that there are amazing companies who are bringing serious value and creativity to the marketing landscape, specifically regarding multi-media content.”
In addition to Getty Images (photography) and Visual.ly (infographics and data visualization), the initial partners in this program include Big Frame (video), Movable Media (blog posts, social media), and Wochit (video).
“Text, images, and video are just the beginning,” Islam added. “Over time we intend to add other vetted partners into The NewsRoom, tackling every aspect of multi-media content – from 6 second Vine video creation to interactive graphics.”
The company, which recently raised $25 million in Series C funding, says that demand for this kind of content is growing 200 percent month-over-month. It also says more than 15 brands from the Fortune 500 have commissioned original content through the service, with hundreds of thousands of dollars overall paid to content creators.