Blog: Online publishing is community publishing

In a blog post on The Media Briefing earlier this month, Graham Ruddick argued that the traditional siloed split between commercial and editorial staff tended to discourage entrepreneurial thinking in publishing companies; referencing German war structures such as ‘auftragstaktik’ (ie what needs to be done to win the mission, rather than an over-reliance on rules or structure).

In a response to the post, I said I believed that the complexities of digital publishing forced publishers to work in flatter coordinated teams, because that was the only route to building effective solutions for clients.

Forums that hum and empty webinars

To elaborate, otherwise, the danger is that editors do their thing and so do the commercial guys; and never the twain shall meet.  Whereas in print, at least the publisher can ensure ads appear alongside articles; and the event organiser can force delegates to eat their lunch standing up surrounded by exhibitors.  This contrasts with online forum members, who can often go direct to their favourite forum, without ever having to engage with anything else.

My point is that given the multiplicity of both editorial and advertising formats in online publishing, everyone has to work together.  Here at Sift Media, we do this by having sales and editorial sit together as publishing teams; believing this to be the most important axis.  In addition, although the commercial guys are still incentivised to bring in new business, everyone’s on a common bonus structure based on the contribution of their individual publishing unit.

Content, editorial AND COMMUNITY

So far, community has been a missing element in the discussion.  I believe that unless the community is also brought in to become a full part of the team that’s taking forward a digital publishing initiative, it will fail to achieve its potential.

Some publishing titles really do have communal characteristics – for example, Haymarket’s car-enthusiasts at PistonHeads or Sift’s own small business community at UK Business Forums; both founded by an enthusiast, who later sold out to a bigger business.  In both cases the new owners have trod very very carefully when making changes.  Necessarily so, because these forums rely on significant amounts of volunteer input for community moderation; and virtually all the content is community-generated.  In effect, the community is so powerful it calls the shots – owners make changes at their peril.  There’s strong loyalty to the community brands, but not to the parent.  It’s also no coincidence that both communities still run on old software.

Contrast this with the traditional approach taken by publishers moving online; with their tendency to mandate changes: introducing paywalls, flipping business models or imposing rigid technical frameworks.  Invariably, most of the titles affected as yet only have weak (or more frequently) absent community elements.

I would argue that in a digital environment (with the possible exception of online recruitment activities), it’s difficult to think of many successful publishing initiatives that don’t start to take on a much more communal feel.  For example, the Economist, Management Today and Institutional Investor are now much more communal than their print ancestors.

Either you’ve got a vibrant community or you’ve not got a business

It depends on your frame of reference, but if you think the trend is towards online community hubs, publishers face a binary challenge: either they’ve got a vibrant community or they’ve not got a business.  It’s worth clarifying, I’m not saying that a successful community-based publishing business can’t have paid-for or subscription elements, but I do believe the foundation of the compact between publisher and community member won’t be based on subscription.

Publishers won’t own communities, they’ll host them

Actually, I think the relationship will be quite different.  Publishers need to think of themselves as hosts to the community.  And thinking about it, isn’t this pretty close to the relationship publishers already have with event or exhibition attendees?

And to reiterate, publishers will have to properly involve the community in all decisions; otherwise, they’ll risk losing its patronage!