Posts Tagged ‘content’
Why content is marketing
Sunday, October 25th, 2009Newspapers are frantically experimenting with paywalls for online news content, trying to plug the digital dam when the combined force of Google, Twitter and the BBC is bearing down on the far side. I’ve previously argued that news has always been a loss leader: broadcasters have cross-subsidised news and documentaries with drama and light entertainment; newspapers have cross-subsidised with lifetyle copy and related advertising. These media behemoths need to pick up some lessons from b2b publications, and also from the marketing departments of non-media products and services who are increasingly embracing social media. Here’s some steps to making the switch to thinking of your content as your marketing… (more…)
Tags: content, free content, intelligent content, marketing, paid-for content, Specialist Media Network
Posted in b2b, consumer, content, marketing
Creating value from online video
Monday, October 12th, 2009Traditional TV broadcasters are rapidly migrating to online video. They are commissioning for online alongside TV, using the web to build audiences for broadcast shows, enhancing searchability using tags, and charging for archive access. But how can publishers create value from original video content when they lack the broadcast channel and often the production skills? How can they justify the upfront investment? At the AOP summit last week, publishers like Cnet showed that there is a way to create value from original video; here are some tips to get you started: (more…)
Tags: AOP, broadcasters, Cnet, content, inskin, video, videojug
Posted in consumer, content, marketing, news
Search engine optimisation made easy
Thursday, May 14th, 2009Whether you’re a small business optimising your own site for search engines in your spare time, or a larger business wondering whether to spend a small fortune with an SEO agency, it’s easy to get bewildered by the options available. Here’s a simple starter kit of tips for basic search engine optimisation, inspired by an ex-colleague of mine, Simon Penson, who learnt his craft on the website of Todays Golfer Magazine, and now works with a range of clients on SEO research and copywriting. The Emap specialist interest sites we launched together grew their traffic almost entirely through content-driven SEO and spent very little on paid marketing. My own view on SEO is that it helps enormously if you are either a wordsmith yourself, or know a good journalist, so you can incorporate your keywords without distorting the copy. (more…)
Tags: archive, blogging, content, keywords, linking, search engine optimisation, SEO, traffic
Posted in SME digital marketing, content, marketing, news
Success in online ad sales for traditional media businesses
Thursday, May 7th, 2009A dramatic increase in the supply of online inventory and a decline in advertiser demand are putting severe pressure on online ad rates. Online sales teams in traditional media businesses are struggling to turn increased traffic into extra revenue, and compare poorly to “old media” sales teams on efficiency measures. Internal competition is often exacerbated by incentive schemes that encourage the trad media team to hold back on client leads for their online colleagues. Yet the old media ad revenues are in inexorable decline, and there is no option but to keep learning and investing, however tempting it may be to outsource online sales. Here are five essentials for success in online ad sales for traditional media companies. I’m indebted to European media consultancy and online sales gurus at Red Door who have extensive expertise in this field. (more…)
Tags: advertisers, advertising, analytics, behavioural targeting, content, context, CPM, niches, online sales, sales team, tracking, traditional media
Posted in advertising, business strategy, consumer
How a blog can grow your business
Monday, May 4th, 2009The common view of bloggers is as maverick commentators, lone individuals on a mission to explain their views to the world. But the same software that independent writers can use to broadcast their thoughts online is also highly useful to businesses on a limited budget who want to quickly grow their traffic, establish a reputation and reach new customers. This article explains some of the key benefits of blogging for your business. (more…)
Tags: blogging, comments, consumers, content, customer relationships, marketing, networking, reputation, RSS
Posted in SME digital marketing, b2b, consumer, content, marketing
Five warning signs for magazine publishers
Tuesday, April 7th, 2009Yesterday two more established print titles closed; Dennis’ Maxim is now online-only (see Brand Republic)and the ex-journalist’s bible UK Press Gazette has closed completely, as its publisher can’t find a way to make money on the web (see Paid content). Meanwhile newspapers over in the US are closing and one blogger is mapping their decline. This sort of news no doubt puts a shiver down the spine of many traditional publishers. Here I list five warning signs that your publication could be on the danger list, and suggest what you could do now to avert disaster. (more…)
Tags: advertising, archive, Arena, content, magazine closures, market position, Maxim, media brand, online strategy, paid-for content, Press Gazette, proposition, subscriptions, US newspaper closures
Posted in advertising, b2b, business strategy, consumer, content
The publishing skills every business needs to acquire to succeed on the web
Tuesday, March 31st, 2009Every business that wants to use the web to build a closer relationship with its customers has to create compelling online content. Thus they are a publisher - that is now a well accepted truth. However, what many businesses are unclear about is exactly what publishing skills they need to learn. Here I have attempted to distil 15 years of magazine publishing experience into five simple principles that any business, be it a retailer, a provider of professional services or a manufacturer, should consider before they start to create online content: (more…)
Tags: consumer, content, marketing, proposition, reader, top tips
Posted in SME digital marketing, consumer, content, marketing
Reinventing online content for publishers
Sunday, May 10th, 2009There’s been much debate in the last week on charging for content. Newspapers like the Guardian that were previously adamant that all their content should be free, are now thinking about charging for specific information to targeted groups, eg media guardian. The continued pressure on advertising revenue is forcing newspaper and magazine publishers to make dramatic cuts in editorial. I’ve been thinking about how publishers can reinvent the way they think about creating content, and restructure their editorial investment accordingly. See my earlier post on paid-for content for some extra tips. Here’s some radical ideas on inverting the traditional pyramid of editorial investment, with news as the broad base, and a small amount of added value content at the top: (more…)
Tags: calculators, comment, consumer, content, editorial, Guardian, Media Guardian, news, online tools, opinion, paid-for content, publishers, subscription
Posted in business strategy, consumer, content, opinions
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