An editor-in-chief at a technology company was asked to present recommendations for the “next phase” of its content strategy to its leadership team a few weeks ago. She had a clear message: As it becomes clear that major platforms will be sending less traffic to publishers of all stripes, or its content efforts are “all just a giant waste of time.”
The editor had spent three years devising an editorial strategy, coming up with content ideas, and assigning stories largely designed to attract and engage an audience via organic traffic and pass-around. Now, most of her time is spent thinking about “how the hell do I get people to come and read this?”
In recent years many companies have spent significant time and resources building in-house content operations. The idea was to attract and engage prospective customers – primarily through social media and search – and to drive down customer acquisition costs as a result.
However, as it becomes clear that major platforms will be sending less traffic to publishers of all stripes, content teams are now facing the reality that they’ll likely need to pay up for distribution if they expect their content to reach audiences.