What drives social publishing success? Plus, InStyle makes digital push, Bauer Xcel on print-digital tactics, and programmatic’s big slice of the advertising pie
Social publishing, or preparing and posting content to platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and others, is no longer just an option up for discussion. Today, when it comes to distributing your good work and deploying it as a tool in audience development, a social media strategy is an absolute necessity.
The challenge is perfecting that strategy as much as possible. Especially in a business where the ground seems to shift every other week. But one way to stay ahead of the curve is to pay attention to the digital publishers doing it right, the ones who unite great content, great timing, and great discipline, to produce a whole other source of traffic and revenue.
But don’t fall prey to just slapping some articles up on Facebook Instant or Apple News. This just won’t cut it. Publishing social media successfully requires dedicated resources, including staff. But it will be worth it!
Just ask NatGeo. MinOnline did, as you’ll see below.
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Social Publishing Secrets From NatGeo VP
It’s not every day you can get social publishing advice from one of the most successful digital publishers on the planet. MinOnline has an excellent interview with National Geographic Vice President of Social Media Rajiv Mody that will prove helpful for publishers trying to pull off a social media strategy.
“Be willing to take some smart risks and let go. We’ve given the keys to the account to some of the best photographers in the world and they literally post on their own. This approach has been critical to our success. We see social media as a place to reach new audiences no matter what the platform. We’re targeting people who are curious about the world and want to give them access to things that they can’t get anywhere else,” Mody tells Jameson Doris.
“It’s tough to single out one platform because they all have their own benefits. Facebook is a powerhouse, which drives traffic and is constantly evolving their platform with new features. Snapchat enables us to reach younger audiences and have some fun with our brand. Instagram is a great way for us to reach Millennials while celebrating photography and photojournalism. Twitter allows us to reach people in real time and try to teach them something new. Pinterest is a great destination for travel and other NatGeo content.”
InStyle’s New Digital Publishing Approach
InStyle is expanding its digital publishing efforts, MinOnline reports.
“InStyle.com plans to double the volume of original content it delivers beginning this month on what it’s calling The InStyle Collection. In addition to the fashion coverage that it’s known for, InStyle.com will launch lifestyle verticals focused on entertainment, home and weddings, and will continue to expand its umbrella to include other Time Inc. properties, including Time Inc.’s Mimi, a vertical focused on beauty, and The Outfit, an offshoot of StyleWatch,” Michele Shapiro writes.
“Additionally, two other sites that Time Inc. purchased last year, xoJane and xoVain, will increase the amount of syndicated content that currently runs on InStyle.com, and Jane Pratt, the editor of both sites who formerly reported to Time Inc. Style Network VO and GM Deborah Marquardt will now report to InStyleeditorial director Ariel Foxman. (Marquardt is no longer with Time Inc.) The two sites will continue to publish content on their own landing pages, and Mimi will maintain its own social channels.”
From Print to Digital, Bauer Xcel Seeing Big Picture
Another great interview from MinOnline, this one with Bauer Xcel President Christian Baesler, one of the most forward-thinking publishing executives in the industry.
“The mission for Bauer Xcel Media was to create a profitable presence online that would provide brand-appropriate content for the audiences who love our print magazines, as well as new audiences, in an updated, more flexible digital format. We have several unique strategies that have worked very well. We have found a huge audience online with an organic growth strategy, and have embraced social media channels as well as a new editorial approach that is more focused on real-time trending topics than our print teams. This has created incredible engagement with our readers. We have also embraced a programmatic approach to advertising, which allowed us to grow our revenues at the same rate we grew traffic,” Baesler tells Doris.
“After successfully launching Bauer Xcel Media in the US in 2014, the model was expanded internationally in 2015, to become Bauer’s global digital division. This way, we are able to leverage technology, content, business models and talent internationally, and are able to build global products at a much faster pace.”
How Big Is the Programmatic Ad Sales Slice of the Pie?
We knew programmatic ad sales were big, but this big? MinOnline has the report.
“According to an eMarketer report, ‘US Programmatic Advertising: Seven Things Buyers and Sellers Need to Know,’ automation adoption rates have risen from 7% to 50% for nearly two-thirds of respondents (62%) in just two short years. eMarketer collected this data from a survey conducted by AdRoll in January,” Caysey Welton writes.
“According to the survey, efficiency was amongst the driving forces for marketers to turn to automation. Beyond that, programmatic’s ability to target specific audiences and pair them with ideal inventory also appeals to marketers. So as programmatic continues to become more “premium,” marketers are more interested in shifting their investments into automation.”
What social publishing advice can you share? Let us know in the comments!
To read more about social publishing and other news, visit MinOnline.com.
