The New Rules of Custom Publishing

Junta42 | The New Rules of Custom Publishing is especially true in business-to-business. They talk all day about the effectiveness of print or online advertising, but do they do it themselves? Well, that’s another story. Custom publishers have, in the past, been viewed as a bit more progressive – with most having a very firm grasp on customer wants and needs. Sadly, when it comes to walking the talk, it’s rarely done in most North American custom publishing companies. Like traditional media companies, custom publishers put most of the new business pressure directly on the shoulders of sales reps, with minimal “custom marketing” support. What that means is that custom publishers and content agencies that specialize in custom magazines, newsletters, microsites and blogs rarely produce their own as part of their overall marketing strategy. It’s true that marketing within organizations that sell marketing services is a challenge. Heck, you focus on your client’s marketing needs all day long. Sometimes it’s tough to take a look at how marketing can help you build your business. That said, it’s sad that custom publishers aren’t creating their own content vehicles. Custom publishers, the ultimate champions of the content marketing gospel, rarely use content marketing techniques. Instead, they rely on referrals, RFPs, pay-per-click and other traditional advertising. Take a look at your own marketing. Are you walking your talk? If not, get running. Your own well-executed e-newsletter, custom magazine, etc., may be your number-one selling tool and greatest example of your expertise. And the best part: you can stop making excuses for why you aren’t doing it yourself. streams, started launching custom publishing operations to provide custom content for their advertisers. This strategy, though perfectly sound, sometimes butted directly against advertising agencies, who felt that this bordered on their territory. The biggest challenge these publishers had was that their core expertise was grounded in content and publishing, not marketing. They didn’t have the complete package – and that’s why many custom divisions, such as Hearst, Time and others, struggled with seemingly annual reorganizations. At the same time, advertising agencies began to understand that the days of the big branding programs were over. Their customers were now looking for targeted content initiatives leveraged by new media channels. Agencies had the marketing savvy to deliver innovative content ideas, but didn’t have the experience or understanding of what it took to generate a consistent, ongoing editorial product. They had the marketing but not the publishing expertise. In order to be successful as a content marketing provider in today’s environment, you need to have both marketing and publishing expertise within your company’s culture. Whereas, in the past, you could get away with one or the other, today’s new rules have changed the buying landscape for good. Human resources will play a more critical role than ever in the future of your company. #6 Have a Clear Value Proposition Have you ever noticed that the majority of custom publishers look the same? Whether you are looking at pure custom publishers, traditional publishers with custom divisions, or even advertising or direct marketing agencies, the marketing “speak” coming from these companies about content services seemingly sounds the same. #5 Position Yourself as Both a Marketing and a Publishing Expert The early part of this century was an odd time. Traditional publishers, seeking out new revenue www.junta42.com/match 8 http://www.junta42.com/match

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The New Rules of Custom Publishing

The New Rules of Custom Publishing World-Class Custom Publishing... Is Possible #1 Understand the Changes... #2 Be Active in Social Media... #3 Acquire Expertise in All Forms of Content #4 Walk the Talk #5 Position Yourself... #6 Have a Clear Value Proposition #7 Price Your Services... #8 Value the Role of the Project Manager #9 Use Questions, Not Answers... About the Author

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