As niche magazine brands make the shift to multi-channel publishers, the editorial staff often has to realign. In these days of leaner content staffs, that means print writers may find themselves working on digital content as well.
Is this a problem? Or do editorial teams find ways to adapt? Kristi Dougherty of Niche Media HQ wanted to get some answers, so she interviewed Don Harkey of People Centric Consulting Group.
Harkey believes solid editorial leadership can change the “either-or” mentality that may exist.
“It’s not about what you can do with digital. It is now about telling stories that reach your audience and being able to use the right mediums to get there. Good content can happen on the pages of a magazine or through a digital platform, or both,” Harkey explains in this article in Niche Publishing Network.
He has some specific advice for publishers leading a team that has to generate great content on multiple channels. First, he says you have to engage your editors, and make sure the connection to the mission remains the primary focus.
“Editors can easily struggle when their focus becomes filling pages and they lose connection with the audience and your mission as an organization,” he explains. “You can address this by allowing them to take a step back together to discuss what kind of impact they would like to have on their audience. Let them get back to why they got into the business in the first place.”
Once you’ve got your team centered on that, the creativity as they decide how the messages can be delivered.
“How can you leverage ALL of the ways that your magazine reaches its audience to tell a story? Publishers today can link together magazine stories, social media, links to more information, videos, and even events,” Harkey continues. Finding ways to leverage these tools will ease the work of your editors, allowing them to tell a better story in the first place.”
No matter if you’re writing 280 characters or 2800 words, the most basic part of good writing is still, Harkey believes, telling good stories.
“And the good news is that if your focus is on telling great stories, the best editors will want to play.”
Multi-channel doesn’t have to mean siloed content creation and mixed messages. A well-led editorial team will rise to the occasion, on any channel.