Customers anticipate to be engaged and educated with regular streams of contemporary content material. In response to this want, publication editors are making certain they serve up contemporary content material often. However simply what are their collective content material targets for this yr? That’s what our unique report, The State of Contributed Content material 2023, sought to reply.
For this survey, we centered our efforts on tapping into the mindsets of 46 on-line publication editors and culling information from greater than 113,000 items of digitally revealed content material. This allowed us to drill deeper into how entrepreneurs, creators, thought leaders, executives, and writers might take advantage of their content material advertising and marketing targets.
If you wish to align your earned media efforts with what prime editors say they’re on the lookout for, you’ll discover the next snapshot useful.
1. Editors Are Turning into Pickier About High quality However Nonetheless Want Amount
Even though an awesome 97.5% of editors stated they’re going to publish the identical or a better quantity of guest-contributed content material in 2023 as they did final yr, they’re not prepared to publish simply something. In truth, 13% of editors revealed they weren’t more likely to publish guest-contributed content material in any respect, which is up from 0% in our 2021 report. This tells our staff that editors have gotten more and more selective when placing out content material that meets their publications’ exact pointers.
Don’t let these findings dissuade you, although. As a substitute, enable them to information your selections on what to pitch. Following publication pointers precisely is a great method to make sure your high-quality, distinctive, and forward-thinking materials will get the nod. That’s necessary, on condition that 86.8% of editors anticipate to publish a minimum of one piece of guest-contributed content material weekly, 54.3% will publish as much as 4 items, and 21.7% will launch as much as 10 items.
2. Publications Are Mixing Up Their Content material
For those who’ve been excited about diversifying your thought management and earned media, you’re on pattern with what publications are doing. When requested in regards to the totally different types of media they’re on the lookout for in the present day, editors confirmed some pretty robust preferences for diversification.
What does diversification appear to be? Greater than three-quarters of respondents stated they plan to publish video content material this yr. Almost three-quarters will publish podcasts, which dovetails with the rise in podcasting we’re seeing throughout the content material advertising and marketing panorama. And infographics are holding their very own at simply over 37%.
Surprisingly, two comparatively new contenders are edging their method into the diversification recreation: Twitter and Slack chats. Virtually 12% of editors stated they want to add this rising sort of content material to their portfolio lineups.
What does this imply for you? You’re not locked into the identical outdated pitches as earlier than. So long as you’re contributing content material that’s related, you don’t essentially need to be strict about your info supply technique. When you have one thing to say, contemplate saying it in a special format than simply the written phrase — so long as the publication’s particular pointers enable for it.
3. TL;DR: Quick Virtually At all times Will get The Job Completed.
A part of The State of Contributed Content material 2023 concerned exploring content material by the numbers. Particularly, we dug into the information to search out out the place the candy spots are by way of content material size, headline size, and associated statistics.
It seems that being pithy pays off. The typical headline size hovers across the 10-word mark. And a normal profitable article size is roughly 800 phrases, give or take a couple of sentences. Given customers’ penchant for skimming, these takeaways aren’t significantly stunning.
The times of rambling on and on are out. After you write your first draft or create a video, return in. Do some modifying. Reduce out pointless ideas or redundancies. Your content material could have a crisper, tighter stream, and editors shall be relieved that you just’ve finished a number of the heavy lifting for them.
4. Utilizing AI Isn’t Forbidden, However It’s Not A Substitute For Human Experience
Gini Dietrich, the founder and CEO of Spin Sucks, made some insightful feedback in regards to the growth of AI applications reminiscent of ChatGPT. Dietrich admits that AI can’t assist however have an effect on the digital media world.
Whereas we’re not on the lookout for AI to publish completed items, we actually will use it for first drafts.
Gini Dietrich, the founder and CEO of Spin Sucks
Her admission reveals a serious shift from reluctance about AI to incorporating it. Nevertheless, it additionally reveals that AI nonetheless can’t exchange the human thoughts.
There’s completely nothing mistaken with utilizing an AI-driven program to get began in your subsequent content material piece. Editors gained’t penalize you for conducting a key phrase search and even utilizing AI to assemble outlines. However even the very best AI isn’t going to have the ability to give you content material primarily based on firsthand experiences or tales.
5. Now Is The Time To Begin Visitor Posting
Has your public relations technique hit considerably of a plateau? Now’s exactly the time so that you can add visitor posting to your advertising and marketing combine or increase the guest-contributed content material you’ve been providing. With editors nonetheless desirous to publish, true specialists across the globe are going to have extra alternatives than ever to increase their attain.
Do not forget that writing doesn’t need to be in your wheelhouse so that you can grow to be a visitor writer. There are a great deal of assets that will help you stand out as a thought chief in your business. Availing your self of this assistance will make sure that you just’re capable of begin getting your foot within the proverbial door.
When your items start to succeed with publications’ audiences, editors may begin asking you for extra pitches. Consequently, you’ll be capable to get traction on your guest-contributed content material work and obtain your digital advertising and marketing targets.
The insights that we gained from The State of Contributed Content material 2023 aren’t absolute as a result of they’re primarily based on self-reported responses from only a portion of the business’s specialists. However they’re nonetheless extremely illuminating, significantly in case you’re hoping to do extra along with your content material advertising and marketing this yr. By studying about what editors say they need, you’ll be higher positioned to benefit from the aggressive edge you need along with your on-line advertising and marketing and public relations efforts.
Obtain the 2023 State of Contributed Content material Report
