Content Personalisation for Digital Publishers

The tremendous volume of material that modern media consumers are exposed to daily has worn them down. In that condition of content exhaustion, people sought clarity and demanded relevancy: some sort of solution that could filter out all the articles and ads that were of no interest to them, saving them time and energy.

As a result, personalised news or content was developed. To better fulfil its readers' interests, requirements, and expectations, news organisations have begun carefully selecting and curating material for them. It is thought that by going through this process, they would be able to strengthen their ties with their audience and foster loyalty, which is critical in today's society.

Types of Content Personalisation

The type of material that readers expect to see varies from one individual to the next. To be able to deliver unique material to their audience, 86 per cent of publishers nowadays customise their content passively rather than actively. Passive personalisation is a strategy in which readers' material is adapted based on their location or browsing history, whereas active personalisation is a strategy in which readers choose what sort of content they want to view.

How did we enter the era of personalisation?

You'll hear something about a customer-centric strategy or personalisation in every field if you point your finger at it. So, how did this come to be? How did the era of personalisation begin?

Consumers were exposed to particular promotional messages and had substantially fewer alternatives in conventional marketing in the not-so-distant past, when advertising tools were limited. Customer behaviour transformed as the global market grew and we entered the digital era, ushering in a new era of individualism.

Adapting to the consumer and tailoring everything to their preferences – from marketing messaging to products – became the standard.

Of the connection between brands and consumers, a change in power occurred naturally. In some ways, brands have lost their clout. Consumers now have more freedom of choice and a wider range of options for where they may spend their money, while firms have a new set of marketing issues, one of which is figuring out how to grab and then show yourself worthy of customers' attention.

Personalised news economy 

Publishers are currently concentrating on establishing loyalty by enhancing their readers' experience in order to start or optimise their subscription operations. They accomplish this by offering tailored news based on algorithms and other pattern detection methods, as well as direct reader input.

Most newsrooms have made the move in editorial strategy, which means moving away from quantity and toward quality and relevancy. According to this year's Digiday poll, 70% of publishers customise content for their users, with the other half planning to do so in the near future. Instead of active customisation, the majority of publishers use passive personalisation. This implies they gather data on readers' location or surfing history to personalise content for them. 

Challenges 

Increased competition

The world of internet content has been saturated for years before the surge of influencers. The publishing industry is becoming more competitive as the number of methods to exchange material and information online grows. This presents a problem in terms of not just attracting new readers, but also keeping existing ones. Publishers must have a distinct tone of voice. To stand out from the pack, they must listen to their readers and respond to their demands and requirements.

Data management

Accessing demographic data might be difficult for publishers. However, this sort of data is critical to the industry's success. Especially when it comes to customising material. Users have come to demand content that is tailored to them. As a result, the more demographic data publishers have, the better. Furthermore, advertising is a critical source of money for many publishers. And data is something that advertisers desire. Whether it's to find the best publishers to work with or to generate leads.

Multiple consumption channels

Today's publishers are more than just news and book publishers. They're working on a slew of fresh and intriguing projects. In a variety of unique and intriguing ways. Digital, video, audio, online and offline training, events, and prizes are all on the table. Just to mention a few. Publishers must increasingly consider their product offering in terms other than content and presentation. And figuring out how people want to consume material is a big part of it.

New and emerging technology

It's challenging enough for publishers to keep up with the latest technologies. However, putting them into practice might be even more difficult. New and developing technologies, on the other hand, may give considerable benefits to readers, as well as a competitive advantage for publishers and improved revenue potential.  Publishers must accept and embrace the most up-to-date solutions available. Putting in place the technologies that will best serve their company and their readers.

According to certain predictions, personalisation is the inevitable future of news platforms, and those who do not make the transition from the broadcasting paradigm to the customised model will suffer, if not perish.

User to Content Recommendations of Evolok

The term ‘Content Recommendations’ has been quoted perpetually within the publishing industry of late. Organisations such as Amazon and Retail E-commerce sites have been offering ‘Content Recommendations for years. At Evolok we have redefined content recommendations to offer the most advanced, fully automated ‘user to content recommendations’ instead of content to content suggestions. This allows for increased engagement, brand loyalty and overall conversion growth.

Utilising the Evolok suite we can offer users a personalised experience by providing suggestions for articles and ads that would appeal to them on a personal level. If you would like more information on these features please click below.

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