In the rapidly evolving digital landscape of readers, it has become imperative for publishers to develop content strategies through partnerships that result in an increase in traffic, a loyal readership base, and boost sales & revenue. The partnerships enable publishers to not only increase content engagement, but also helps them stay relevant by adapting to the evolving habits of their readers.

To understand the importance of the relationship between publishers and content recommendation platforms for driving relevant content strategies, Taboola India hosted a webinar discussion on “The Importance of 3Rs: Relationship, Relevance, and Reliability in the Publishing World,” featuring insights from: Bhoomi Wadhwa, Senior Publisher Sales Manager and Bharat Arora, Country Manager of Taboola India, Indranil Roy, Chief Executive Officer of Outlook Group, one of India’s leading publishing houses, Masood Hussain, Digital Sales Manager of Telangana Publications, one of the leading English dailies in the Southern region, and Hemant Chandiramani, Business Head, Marketing and Partnerships of SheThePeople, Asia’s largest Women Channel.

Here’s what they had to say about the importance of content recommendation with the right partnerships to stay relevant and successful in the publisher world through enhanced audience engagement.

Build Bonds with Readers

There are a variety of websites in digital publishing based on their periodicity, niche, or subjects that they cater to. However, what remains constant for all publications is their readers and their target audience. Therefore, all publications must develop strong relationships with their readers to grow their business.

Stressing the importance of the publisher’s partnership with Taboola for devising a strong content strategy, Bharat Arora, Country Manager, Taboola India quoted former Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni as “It’s important to build a good partnership rather than scoring centuries. It is even more important to make sure that we can do collaborations and partnerships together to grow our businesses.”

Invest in Technology and Content for Reader Engagement

“Content is the most important play in the magazine and digital,” – Indranil Roy, Chief Executive Officer, Outlook Group

Reliable and authentic content can help publishers gain loyal readership and act as a trusted source of information for their audiences. Taboola Newsroom helps publishers to identify topics of interest for their readers and helps them build a robust content strategy. The Taboola Feed helps readers discover other content from the publisher they may find interesting, therefore increasing time spent on the publication’s platform.

Echoing the other panelists, Hemant Chandiramani, Business Head, Marketing and Partnerships, SheThePeople, said, “Investing in technology and developing quality content can amplify reader engagement and enhance the reach of a publication.”

Strike a Balance with your Media Mix

While creating content is the most crucial part of any publication’s business, creating the right media strategy helps them to reach their audiences.

“A successful social media strategy will help your audience to discover your publication, build audience trust and also help in acquiring a new audience,” said Hemant.

“Distribution of the content by publishers happens online. Therefore, building a digital narrative for the publishers is an ongoing process to drive the right engagement,” adds Indranil.

Choose a Content Recommendation Platform

While it is crucial for publishers to continue scaling their business, it is also vital for them to pick the right content recommendation partner, who will provide them with good quality content, consistent support and good performance. These factors will help them in increasing their engagement, recirculation of their own articles and revenue.

“User experience is the utmost priority for us to choose a content recommendation partner. We also look at which platforms the other publishers are using and what their use case scenarios are.”, said Hemant.

“Dedicated account management and step-by-step guidance and support to operate the platform are the key areas for us, along with recirculation of our own content and good quality ad content,” adds Masood.

Taboola has long-standing partnerships with prominent Indian publications including NDTV, The Hindu, Zee Media, Hindustan Times, Jagran etc., and will continue to empower publisher partners and digital properties with powerful and insightful recommendations.

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