The phrase ‘content is king’ undoubtedly passed into the annals of cliché long ago. Brands, just as much as publishers, have realised the value of creating bespoke content, and have been producing their own publications for a number of years. Airlines, with their in-flight magazines, and fashion brands such as Topshop immediately spring to mind as examples of this. What is new, however, particularly in the past five or so years, is the way in which consumers are interacting with brands, and consuming content.
The mobile internet has exploded – recent research by eMarketer estimates that 60.4 per cent of all mobile users in the UK now use smartphones, while tablet ownership has increased 282 per cent in the last two years alone. That kind of growth means it’s critical that brand marketers and publishers alike wake up to the changing needs and behaviours of consumers.
The digital consumers of today want their content instantly, wherever they are, delivered through an engaging high-quality experience. If content owners don’t cater for these needs, someone else will swoop in and supplant them.
The good news is that this explosion has created a unique opportunity for marketers to reimagine the way they publish their content, and ultimately engage with their audiences. But let’s be clear here – only those that are truly committed to embracing a new approach to digital content will be in a position to benefit.
This is the real problem facing the industry today: there has been a paradigm shift in audience needs and behaviours, but many content owners have yet to reflect this through the way they deliver their digital content. Even some of the largest brands and publishers have limited their ambitions (and real investment) to low-rent PDF-based digital replicas.
In the short term, this might seem like a low friction, low cost solution. In reality, this is a disastrous long-term strategy, especially when you consider the high expectations users now have of what a mobile experience can actually deliver, and the many thousands spent on branding.
So, how can savvy brands give their expectant consumers what they want, without needing to break the bank, or constantly re-invent the wheel to do so?
Firstly, deliver your content where your consumers want it, and in a way that is appropriate to the device they have in their hand. Transposing a digitised page of print to a mobile phone is not doing anybody any favours. It’s difficult to read, doesn’t make the most of the interactivity mobile devices can now deliver, and is potentially doing more damage to your brand than good. You have to design the experience to fit the devices that the consumers in your market use on a daily basis.
Secondly, deliver your content when your consumers want it. Just because you have a monthly magazine in print, it doesn’t mean your digital version has to follow suit. You will rarely find a modern consumer without their smartphone or tablet, which give them easy access to a world of content and information, so increasing the frequency of your content can increase reader engagement and open up new advertising opportunities.
Thirdly, deliver additional services that help you extend your brand beyond your traditional print content. Don’t limit yourself to traditional editorial content – mobile devices have a range of capabilities that allow you to create fully customised apps that engage readers in ways that print simply can’t. Make use of them.
Finally, do all of this in a way that will allow you to transition easily from print to digital workflows when the time comes. The tools used to produce content for print were not designed for delivering digital editions across multiple platforms, and it shows. The industry will benefit from embracing structured content, and responsive layouts that are designed to reflow across screen sizes and orientations – embrace it.
Up until recently, newspaper publishers have (albeit through necessity) taken the lead on the digital transformation. There are now, however, a growing number of brands in the magazine space that are beginning to fully explore the engagement and interactivity that digital offers, such as Grazia. Through its latest app, Grazia has re-thought what its content can actually be.
Not only does it provide readers with content from the magazine that renders responsively on tablets and smartphones, perhaps more interestingly it enables them to shop for items directly from the page and share their interests with friends through social networks. Crucially, this is produced through a single editorial process that spans all devices. It is only through innovations like this that publishers will be able to thrive in the new world of digital content.
There is a great future on the horizon for content. There will always be demand for compelling content, and people are willing to pay for it, but only if it meets the high expectations digital consumers now have. If your plan is to merely dip your toes in digital with low quality replica products, you may as well not bother.
Those that are serious about engaging the hyper-connected consumer need to invest properly in the technology and create bespoke digital offerings. Only by engaging with these consumers on their own terms will brands and publishers be able to fully exploit the digital goldmine that is now within their reach.
