A turbulent year in media is coming to a close, and just a quick scan of 2016 This Week in Publishing headlines makes one thing clear: The industry has seen dramatic change in just a few short months, and at the center of it all is the rise of platforms.
Platforms Have Changed Everything
Back in April, we looked at how publishers were fleshing out multi-platform strategies and approaching content deals with Facebook (Instant Articles and video) and Google (Accelerated Mobile Pages) in efforts to better compete. And throughout the year, we’ve followed the fits and starts of algorithm-driven traffic and engagement from these and other platforms.
With the continuing proliferation of social and other media choices, competition for audience attention was greater than ever, meaning we all had to kick up our content efforts to break through the noise. (See our infographic posts highlighting top social media strategies.)
The “New” Face of News
And noisy it was: One of the most talked about stories of 2016 was the issue of fake news on social media, namely Facebook, and how that may have influenced the outcome of the U.S. elections. As headlines continue to inform us, the implications are great and it isn’t yet clear how platforms will approach the problem.
Platforms gained more control over not only audiences but also ad revenue, as we detailed in our Media Metrics posts and a recent Content Strategy article on the struggling digital news business. With the Big 2—Facebook and Google—accounting for the vast majority of digital ad revenues in 2016, news publishers were left scrambling. Consolidation and reorganization affected traditional media and digital natives alike, including industry leaders like BuzzFeed, The New York Times, Tronc, Time Inc., The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo…the list goes on.
Video and Joint Ventures
The good news is publishers were pushed to innovate and explore new revenue streams, including new advertising vehicles like video products and partnerships (see The Video Boom: Meeting the Challenges of Scale, Cost, and Monetization) and expansion into global markets (see The New Realities of Global Media). As TFP’s December Book Picks highlight, the new year will be all about new approaches. Catch up on your reading over the holiday and learn new insights on how to get noticed, unleash the extraordinary, and think differently in 2017.
Media Has Impact
Wrapping up 2016 on another positive note, we also explored in an earlier article how media has the power to drive change around the world, by informing, entertaining, and educating. Given the current climate, the questions we posed bear repeating: How can we best use our expanding reach to make a difference in the world and not just focus on the bottom line? And are we giving this enough importance in our daily efforts to use media as an agent of positive change? That challenge also includes placing a greater focus on diversity in tech and publishing, as we’ve covered in our Women in Media posts.
Indeed, much to think about in 2017. Make sure to subscribe to our emails and stay tuned to our blog, including our library of InDesign and digital publishing tips—all geared toward helping you stay on top of industry news, trends, and best practices in our ever-changing publishing business.
Wishes for an Exciting New Year
On a personal note, and on behalf of all the team at TFP, I’d like to express my appreciation to all of you who continue to follow us and provide positive feedback on the work we do for you across the industry. Sending wishes for a great holiday and an even more exciting new year ahead. Drop me a note if you have thoughts or opinions to share!
CEO Margot Knorr Mancini’s monthly blog on content strategy shares valuable insights and observations from her experiences in the publishing industry. Check out her other articles in our Content Strategy section. Have a suggestion for a topic you’d like to know more about? Drop us a note!
Posted by: Margot Knorr Mancini
