The news media don’t have it figured all out, of course. We can easily see that when we look at the declining newspaper revenue and readership year over year. But news media are in the content business and as concepts like content marketing and brand journalism become more accepted, marketers are thrust into the content space too. So why not learn some lessons from the content pros: journalists, editors, and content creators?
Pressure to drive traffic, ad revenue
News media have been under tremendous pressure to figure out how to profit from content online, and since their revenue is mostly ad-based, success translates to traffic. Marketers will agree that once you invest time in creating content, you’d like to get some traffic to it. Looking at how news media have tackled this problem and who has succeeded and how are valuable lessons for content creators, marketers, or journalists. Besides, isn’t it better to learn from the mistakes of others than your own?
Content lessons from journalists
So, without further ado, I’d like to share a presentation from the recent ASNE-APME 2014 conference, where newspapers editors met to discuss the current state and future of their business. If you want to read more about the various presentations, just look at the #editors14 hashtag on Twitter (journalists adore Twitter). The presentation I’d like to share focuses on growing audiences and offers valuable content lessons for all, including content creators. Below are my favourite points from Webmedia Group’s deck, but you can find it in its entirety below or here.
Creating content for a consumer, not their device
Focus on the consumer vs. just their device. This is key, depending on your product or service, people are likely accessing your content on various devices, yes, but the keyword here is still people. It’s important not to focus too much on device, content must be easily accessible via various devices but don’t overlook the actual content and user. Content creators must remember that at the end of the day, they’re developing content for people, not their devices.
4 audience parameters to keep in mind
A deep consideration of your audience. The presentation looks into several current realities of the consumer: time (content was developed for someone for a particular moment in time), activities (developed around what they’re doing in that moment), IQ/EQ (developed to meet their emotional and intellectual IQ), and behaviours (developed based on their behaviours). As marketers and content creators, we should be thinking about these parameters when developing content. Try and apply these to your buyer persona and create content around them.
Plagiarizing from a plagiarizer?
Looking to Buzzfeed for inspiration. Now, I am not a big buzzfeed fan, in my opinion they just recycle stale content from Reddit and lack any originality, that being said, the content on Reddit is often great but not easily accessible to many. So, what Buzzfeed did was ingenious is a way; they took Reddit’s (and others’) content and made it accessible (turning it into lists, galleries) instead of Reddit’s forum format.
The result? Viral content. Of course the content is often not Buzzfeed’s, but then again, it’s not really Reddit’s either, it’s their community’s; they’re the ones who upvote, troll, and comment. I had a chance to ask Reddit co-founder Alex Ohanian what he thought about the blatant stealing of content ideas, and he didn’t seem to mind much.
Growing Audience For Newspapers – ASNE/ APME Conference 2014 from Webbmedia Group
Hopefully you’ve found some valuable lessons and commonalities between the problems journalists and editors face, and those we marketers face. It’s an interesting time in that industry, if you like to follow it further I recommend keeping an eye on Poynter and CJR.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why should content creators learn from journalists and editors?
Journalists and editors are seasoned professionals in the content space. They focus on audience engagement, storytelling, and building trust. Content creators can apply similar strategies to drive traffic, understand audience behaviors, and produce impactful content.
How can content creators ensure their content appeals to audiences across various devices?
Content creators should focus on creating user-centric content, ensuring accessibility across devices while maintaining quality. The priority should always be the audience’s needs and preferences rather than the device itself.
What are the four key audience parameters content creators should consider?
Content creators should consider:
- Time: Tailoring content for the specific moment it will be consumed.
- Activities: Developing content based on what the audience is doing at that moment.
- IQ/EQ: Matching content with the audience’s intellectual and emotional needs.
- Behaviors: Creating content aligned with audience behaviors and habits.
How can content creators drive traffic to their work?
Like news media, content creators should focus on understanding what drives their audience. Strategies include optimizing for SEO, leveraging social media platforms, and using engaging formats like lists, galleries, and multimedia content to attract and retain viewers.
What can content creators learn from platforms like Buzzfeed and Reddit?
Content creators can learn the value of repurposing content to make it more accessible and engaging. Buzzfeed, for instance, transforms community-generated content from Reddit into shareable formats like lists and galleries, emphasizing presentation and reach.
