Do’s and don’ts of digital publishing
Digital publishing has grown significantly in the past years. This has resulted in more players in the publishing field. With more players, the competition has risen and so have the diversity of trends. As more publishers try to walk the fine line of traffic and quality, it’s time we look into the simple rule book of Dos and Don’ts in digital publishing. Ever wonder what could be the red flags in digital publishing?
Digital publishing Dos :
Let’s start at the more positive front. Here are some things you should definitely be doing as a digital publisher in today’s day and age.
Use social media to promote your work
If you’ve pushed content on your website, it’s always a good idea to look into several channels to promote your content. Promotion gives it the attention it deserves. Expecting your content to excel simply by pushing it to your subscribers is not the greatest idea. Promoting it on personal and social platforms is the way to win.
Audience engagement is not underrated
Are your readers enjoying the content? There’s only one way to know. Push interactivity on all your channels - website, apps, social media, etc. You can also encourage users to add video, audio, reactions, photos etc to get the most out of it.
Tracking analytics to learn what works for your content.
Most publishers have a detailed tracking analytics system. This gives you useful information about your readers. Information such as - what pages got their attention,stories they spent more time on, the type of content that is trending etc. This helps you understand what content is working and what isn’t. You can guide your editorial team accordingly.
Optimize content for mobile-first audience
It’s no surprise that most of the readers today consume news via their smartphones. It’s quick and efficient. Therefore, it’s important that your pages load quicker on mobile devices. Pay more attention to optimizing your content for the same, this ensures that your content is shareable and has potential for virality.
Add your color to your content
No, we do not mean biased perspective. As a brand, you may take dedicated efforts to focus on specific niche or communities. If this is something your readers expect and appreciate, don’t feel pressured to write what everyone else is writing about. Being able to stand out in the publishing space is just as important as traffic.
Dont’s of Digital publishing
Do you follow all of the Dos mentioned above? Now, time for the red flags. These are things you should definitely avoid or at least correct.
Don’t forget your readers/subscribers
As you grow in the publishing space, don’t forget to keep a check on your audience. Your audience behavior is key to your content creation and distribution. Pay attention to both existing and new users. This helps you maintain your traffic and have a more consistent digital presence. While you make content strategies, ensure you have separate approaches for retaining old users and attracting newer ones.
Do not stress on quantity
Content quality will inevitably take you higher on the page rankings. While you may feel pressured to publish new content regularly, it’s crucial to not let it tamper with your quality. A solid, good piece of content is always going to be better than a lot of mediocre pieces.
Using your tracking analytics, find topics that will interest your readers. Use listicles to keep up with your number and save your in depth stories for your loyal readers.
Don’t make content labrous to read
While we encourage you to create content as you like, it’s important you look into how it’s presented. Write extensive reports on stories you are confident about but structure them in a way that is easy to consume. You can use images, infographics, or any interactive elements to help your readers absorb the information better.
Don’t sound same as everyone
As more and more publishers shift to the digital platform, it’s important that you stand true to your readerbase. It’s easy to follow the breaking news bandwagon but if you’re known for in-depth stories, take your time and publish a piece that you know your readers will appreciate from you. It’s important to stand your ground and bring your own color to the space, let the readers decide what they want to consume.
Conclusion
Do you follow these dos and don'ts? Every publisher can have their own rule book, we've included a more broadly acceptable list of things you should try to do and the ones you should avoid. Let us know what else you do to ensure your digital presence stays unmatched in the comments below!