Nimble, Razorfish Report launches. Content should be free.
Today Nimble a Razorfish Report on publishing in the digital age launches. Based on interviews with content producers from The New York Times, the BBC and the Wall Street Journal, it offers advice on how publishers can make the move to the digital economy. Here are some of the takeaways:- All content must be free. This doesn't mean that publishers must give the content away for free. Rather it means that it needs to be free to be accessed wherever and whenever consumers want to access it. Along those lines, the more containers you put around the content (in terms of metatags that express the meaning and function of the content) the more free it will get. It is also worth mentioning that container limitations (think in terms of tv segment length or column inches) do not exist for digital media.
- Editors will become curators for managing digital content. And not just their own content but also that of their readers. This includes user comments, partner content and automatically generated content. I'd argue that editors should already be filling this role and if they aren't then something is missing. And not just that, they need to be curators wherever content around their brand is published. This includes the social platforms.
- Publishers will need to explore new revenue models. It is a no brainer that this is required. We live in an age where content is everything but scarce and therefore it is not an easily monetizable asset. As a result, publishers must deliver additional services that align with the brand's value proposition while providing unique, meaningful value to users. For example, free content can be used as a way to drive sales of paid products and services.
- New advertising and other partnership opportunities will arise. Audiences are more receptive to highly relevant services and advertising that augment the content experience. We're already starting to see this and more will be visible in the coming months. For example, leveraging publisher data in unique ways can lead to more targeted advertising.
Read the whole report for all the wonderful insights. The report is authored by a friend and a content strategist extraordinaire - Rachel Lovinger!
Follow me on Twitter (@shivsingh) for more insights on digital strategy and social media.
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