At the Fifth-Annual Women’s Leadership Conference, hosted by Exceptional Women in Publishing (EWIP) this week, representatives from publishing industry powerhouses gathered to discuss the state of the industry, from digital monetization to social media to content strategy. The conference’s keynote presentation—a panel discussion moderated by Kara Swisher of AllThingsD.com—focused on identifying the new and developing platforms where digital content can shine, audiences can grow, and customer behavior can be tracked.
The importance of experimentation, value, content, and community were the continuous themes of the discussion, and were echoed in statements by the panelists: Michaela O’Connor Abrams, President of Dwell Media; Liz Schimel, EVP and Chief Digital Officer at Meredith; Christina Mace-Turner, Head of Partnerships at Flipboard; Jane Goldman, Editor in Chief and Vice President of CBS Interactive; Barb Newton, President of Sunset Publishing; and Karen Wickre, Editorial Director of Twitter.
Pushing Content to New Audiences
At a time when new technologies and platforms—especially in the social media space—are constantly being developed and released, publishers are still trying to come up with a magical formula for the best way to share content and attract new audiences.
With all of this platform integration, is there fear among publishers that their content will be at the mercy of outside partners rather than under their own in control? The panelists’ response was a resounding no. The general consensus was that if a platform like Flipboard, or a social media site like Pinterest, brings in a new audience and increases discoverability, than it’s worth any associated risk.
“Discoverability in a very crowded web is a problem we all look to solve,” said Meredith’s Schimel. “We ensure that everything we do provides added value and context.” If outside sites are providing value as referral sources, then there’s no reason to stop using them in the foreseeable future. The panelists from Dwell, Meredith, and Sunset all pointed to Pinterest as one of the most successful outside referral tools right now, with Twitter, Instagram, and Flipboard identified as other strong sources.
The Rapid Growth of Mobile
As of January this year, 26% of American adults owned an e-reader and 31% owned a tablet. Data from December 2012 showed that 87% own a cellphone, 45% of which are smartphones. There’s no doubt that the growth of the mobile market should be taken into consideration as publishers plan and develop their content and advertising strategies.
But publishers aren’t all on the same page when it comes to the current value of mobile. “Right now the audience is in one place, the publishers are in another place, and the advertisers are somewhere else,” said CBS Interactive’s Goldman. “It’s too soon for mobile to be a significant revenue stream.”
Schimel noted that Meredith is focusing on customizing the mobile experience. For example, when its AllRecipes.com site is viewed on a mobile device, recipes display an accompanying shopping list, where advertisers can pay for contextual product placement.
What’s Next, and How Should We Respond?
When asked about their brands’ plans for the future, the panelists agreed that above all, experimentation and great content are king when it comes to utilizing new technology and growing audiences and community.
“The pain in the industry is not because of the decline of print, it’s because of slow adaptation of magazines to the digital age. This new risk-taking behavior should be 10 to 15 years old, but it’s not, it’s three to five years old,” said Dwell’s O’Connor Abrams. Schimel echoed those sentiments, commenting that at Meredith, the mantra is “experimentation all the time” and that the company is focused on creating a community of passionate users, not just on sharing content.
As the panel came to a close, the message to publishers was clear: Don’t stop experimenting, focus on creating valuable content, and using every viable channel to stay engaged with your audience.
Posted by: Gina Barrett