The New Rules of Content
The Future of Advertising
When you compare publishing today with the titans of the past such as Conde Nast, Time, Rodale, and Hearst, it’s clear that the world of publishing has evolved and is in the middle of re-defining itself. As social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and others mature and disrupt content distribution those platforms also end up disrupting the publishers existing business models. So as these new distribution channels create new opportunities, publishers are finding themselves becoming more enduring and independent by taking the opportunity to create self-sustaining revenues, not just as publishers but as marketers that can leverage their expertise in the various content forms to help brands/clients become storytellers.
There are five different forms of content (though they are not mutually exclusive), which are long form, short form, sharable, informative, and entertaining. In an age where a trending story, regardless of form, is regurgitated, reshared, reshaped, and reformed so it can be consumed by a particular audience type; the motivation of a story becomes it’s most important component. While some publishers like to just focus on the short term and optimize content distribution in order to juice up their traffic and revenue; others take the long tail and either partner with a brand/client to create amazing stories that create emotional connections, or they partner with smart marketers that know how to extend the half-life or enhance the content experience. When done right this becomes more effective than just sponsored content or any other form of native advertising.
Good content gets eyeballs, great content creates discussion.
And that’s the biggest difference between the publishers/marketers that understand the life cycle and rules of content. Creating content that focuses on the short term by trying to generate buzz and sizzle will garner eyeballs, only until the next big story breaks. On the other hand, creators, who sit at the forefront of content creation, understand that the most important aspects of good content are its relevancy and timing. Content that is relevant and delivered at the right time remains more social because it generates more conversation, and more conversation will yield more social actions (likes, comments, shares, etc.). Thought leaders will write posts or tweet their opinion about the piece and their fans/followers will become aware of it. Good content gets eyeballs, great content creates discussion.
Which begs the question, how does one make great and smart content? Data.
As more data becomes available and accessible it’s no longer a matter of if the data exists, it’s a matter of connecting the right data to understand the puzzle. And content is an ever changing puzzle. Using data to find a silver bullet is a bridge to nowhere, but using data to determine what puzzle you’re trying to solve is a better approach. Because once you understand the puzzle and that your consumer/audience has multiple touch points, you can create content that is optimized to make sure that the right form of content is hitting the right consumer at the right time.
Ultimately the goal of content from a brand’s perspective is to impact a consumer/audience member’s offline behavior. Given the new realities of mobile technology, social platforms have amplified their ability to become content distributors. Mobile technology + social platforms + the new realities of content consumption has allowed social platforms to become steroid farms when it comes to content distribution. Smart publishers understand this and are using their skills as master storytellers to work directly with brands to create smart, effective, and emotional stories that evoke an emotional response.
In the past, brands needed agencies and publishers to reach their audience. But now brands have taken a page from the publishers and realize that they can leverage social platforms as distribution channels to directly reach their audiences. There are, however, smart brands, who understand that their audiences have certain expectations when content is delivered to them from certain publishers or channels. Hence, as brands embark on these makeovers that allow them to directly reach their customers and audience; brands need to understand channel distribution and storytelling, and the nuances that exist in the relationship between both. Over the next few years understanding this relationship will be the most important skill that brands will have to master.
