Why Publishers Need Content Personalization
Almost a year ago, we told you why publishers need content personalization to increase user engagement, monetization and shareability.
A lot has changed in the digital publishing landscape since then, including advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), and publishers trusting it to enrich content.
Now that publishers are warming up to the intriguing technology, AI is set to take content personalization to another level.
When Tronc rebranded as “a content curation and monetization company” in 2016, it understood the need for personalization in the publishing industry.1
“Our transformation strategy … is focused on leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve the user experience and better monetize our world-class content in order to deliver personalized content to our 60 million monthly users and drive value for all of our stakeholders,” said Michael Ferro, chairman of the company.2
Still, content personalization isn’t only meant for editorial content. Companies like Prometheus Global Media (PrometheusGM) and Google are both utilizing AI technology to make relevant user recommendations across various content types.
For example, PrometheusGM — publishers of The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard — uses AI when tailoring video suggestions to readers.3
After integrating personalization plugins into its video players, PrometheusGM discovered that when video offerings were tailored specifically to users’ tastes, they were more likely to remain on the site beyond the initial video.4
Even content aggregators like Google have taken a similar approach to content personalization.
For instance, if a user searches for an article in The Economist related to finance, Google might then recommend them an episode of the NPR Planet Money podcast.5
Approaching content personalization in this way keeps users engaged with Google’s services longer.6
In an interview with Publishing Executive, Nick Edwards, CEO & co-founder of Boomtrain, a marketing platform built on AI tech, argues that AI is the most important technology impacting the digital publishing industry.
“I believe the single most important technology shaping the media business today is artificial intelligence. … AI provides contextual relevancy for any individual to connect people to relevant content at the right time and in the right context, it’s all about the experience you provide to consumers.”7
As AI continues to earn recognition for its advantages, both digital publishers and users alike should be excited about the technology’s current — and future — effects on content personalization.
1 Byers, Dylan. “Tribune Publishing rebrands as Tronc amid Gannett takeover bid.” CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 2 June 2016. Web. 17 Feb. 2017.
2 IBID
3 Byers, Dylan. “Tribune Publishing rebrands as Tronc amid Gannett takeover bid.” CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 2 June 2016. Web. 17 Feb. 2017.
4 IBID
5 Karolian, Matt. “AI improves publishing.” Nieman Lab. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2017.
6 IBID
7 Harvey, Ellen. “Artificial Intelligence Will Revolutionize the Media Business. Here’s How.” Publishing Executive. N.p., 01 Aug. 2016. Web. 17 Feb. 2017.