Association of Online Publishers

The evolution of audio and video: How publishers are growing their brand through new content formats

Date: 29 Sept 2022 , 9:00 - 12:00
The Apartment, The Hoxton, Holborn, WC1V 7BD

Our CRUNCH series continues to be supported by our TAB partner Google

As publishers look to develop new touchpoints to engage with their audience, to diversify their revenue, and to authentically grow their brand voice in new platforms, mastering video and audio content is more important than ever. The AOP CRUNCH discovered how you can evolve your video and audio strategies to take your publishing brand to the next level.

Topics discussed included:

Putting brand at the heart of your strategy to ensure content is on brand and authentic across a variety of formats and platforms
What’s the key to creating a cost and resource-effective approach to diversifying your content formats?
Repurposing existing content across a variety of formats to create a longer-tail to your story
Smarter ways to monetise a variety of editorial formats while creating a seamless / non-intrusive advertising experience
Prioritising accessibility through a diverse range of content formats to reach a broader audience

Bitesize

Be intentional. Don’t start on this journey because everyone else is – make sure that you know what you want to achieve and set clear goals to help you track it.
Think about 360 Commissioning with your content. Repurposing your existing content can be a resource-effective way to enter the video and audio space, but if those formats are key considerations from the initial pitching stage, it’s far more effective.
Embedding video and audio into your strategy doesn’t need to cost the world and you don’t need an in-house studio with all the latest tech. A microphone and a quiet room can create a high-quality podcast, and filming videos from the house can be more authentic. Instead, invest in your team to make sure they have the skills they need and encourage people to try new approaches and roles to see what works.
Authenticity is like chocolate. You can’t describe it, but you know what it tastes like. You can always tell when something is fake. So put your ego aside and experiment, talk to your audience, and genuinely aim to improve. It will deliver far greater returns than putting more effort in to creating something more polished.
It’s not about jumping on trends; it’s about building a brand and having a longer-term focus. Yes, you’re trying to sell a product, but how you can you do that authentically in a way that adds value to your consumer? You need to invest in the individuals that you want to buy in to your product and your brand to see the returns.