Five unmissable multichannel publishing benefits (for traditional and enterprise publishers)

We’ll share the five key advantages of multichannel publishing. But first a quick recap of what we mean by multichannel publishing, as well as the parallel concept of channel-neutral content creation.

What is multichannel publishing?

Multichannel publishing simply means publishing content on more than one channel. As digital channels started to emerge, it initially meant adding digital channels to a print offer. But today – as print’s mainstream popularity wanes – it can mean increasing the channels in your digital portfolio.
Multichannel publishing is a strategy for increasing the visibility of your content as well as your monetization options. For example, by adding a digital subscription to your traditional print offer, selling digital advertising space in your app content, or syndicating content to a third party.

What is channel-neutral content creation?

Channel-neutral content is a transformative concept in multichannel publishing. It’s concerned with achieving maximum multichannel efficiency, by creating content that is suitable for any distribution channel. Instead of having different workstreams creating content for print, website, app, et cetera, you have a single workflow that creates content ready for any channel – in a process we call content orchestration.

A single central team of creatives produces content, which can then flow into any distribution channel thanks to channel-neutral formatting and coding. This ensures content is optimized for different channels, eliminates the need for separate workflows, and maximizes content availability for experimentation and innovation.

How do they combine to create serious business benefits?

By taking a channel-neutral approach to content creation – and applying it to a multichannel publishing strategy – publishers and brands can unlock significant benefits. The most obvious advantage of multichannel publishing is the ability to reach more diverse audiences, which can lead to growth and additional monetization opportunities. For example, adding a digital subscription to your print offer, or selling digital advertising space on more platforms.

On top of that, it is also more efficient behind the scenes. The channel-neutral approach delivers editorial and production workflow efficiencies and improves resource utilization – our case study for Der Spiegel provides a cool real-life demonstration thereof. All in all, this means you can extend your reach and revenue without a commensurate increase in headcount. It’s a win-win.

Read our complete guide to multichannel publishing to learn more about what it is and why you should consider it as a strategy.

Five key advantages of multichannel publishing

Now you know what multichannel publishing is, here are five things multichannel publishing makes possible for your business. Which is the top strategic priority for your organization right now?

1. Extend your reach and visibility

Thanks to the explosion of digital channels and devices, modern consumers engage with content through an array of channels and devices – from traditional print to websites and apps viewed on desktop, laptop, tablet, mobile, and more. Their choice of channel and device might change depending on a range of factors:

• Location – Are they at home, work, or on the bus?
• Time – Are they stealing five minutes to relax or settling down for a long read?
• Content type – Scrolling through social media or watching a full documentary?
• Demographics – Are they a Millennial, Gen X, Gen Z…?

Multichannel publishing extends your content reach, so it is visible in more places, to more audiences and available in the formats people prefer. And this means a bigger audience base to engage and monetize. Plus, by creating a consistent presence on multiple channels, multichannel publishing enhances brand visibility and recognition. And, by introducing digital channels and content, you increase your organic discoverability through SEO, which may help drive down customer acquisition costs over time.

2. Engage audiences more effectively

It isn’t just the catering to audiences’ diverse channel preferences that improves engagement (though it does). The digital channels typically associated with multichannel publishing provide a wealth of data that you can use to understand and improve user engagement. For example, tracking content engagement, spotting trends, and serving up similar content. Not only in terms of the overall content you commission and produce, but also in creating personalized content recommendations.

By understanding what individual users have enjoyed in the past, you can serve up curated content designed to increase their future engagement. This sort of personalization-at-scale is made possible through data automation and AI, which spot trends and automatically recommend content to readers.

Why is engagement so important? Engaged readers are more likely to value what you bring to their lives. This can translate into higher loyalty, return visits, willingness to pay for content, likelihood to recommend you to friends, et cetera. Plus, being able to show high engagement and traffic makes you more attractive to advertisers.

3. Diversify your revenue streams

Multichannel publishing not only broadens reach and readership but also diversifies revenue streams. This safeguards you against overreliance on any single income source – especially shrinking sources (for example, print revenue in the newspaper industry). By offering a range of subscription options – ranging from print-only or online-exclusive access to print + digital packages — publishers cater to diverse audience preferences. This has been shown over and again to drive growth (for example, at The New York Times).

Plus – as we mentioned above – digital platforms also allow publishers to sell advertising space. Digital platforms can prove engagement and traffic – and provide data for precise segmentation and ad targeting – making them an attractive option for advertisers. Syndication, sponsored content, and affiliate marketing programs are also revenue-diversification opportunities for traditional publishers moving to a multichannel strategy.

4. Reduce your risk exposure

Multichannel publishing also mitigates the risk associated with single platform dependency, by diversifying content distribution across multiple channels. Single-platform dependency is a risk for publishers for several reasons:

• Wholesale shifts in consumer preferences (like the move to digital content consumption)
• Potential algorithm changes reducing visibility on third-party platforms
• Platform outages and technological disruption
• Material or supply chain costs
• Policy changes

Publishers with a diversified presence are better positioned to adapt and thrive. Reducing dependence on any single platform increases resilience, safeguards against disruption, and ensures sustained engagement and revenue generation – regardless of external factors.

5. Experimenteer, innoveer, en mobiliseer sneller

A multichannel strategy – supported by channel-neutral content – equips your organization to experiment and innovate more. The data and analytics associated with digital platforms let organizations test and iterate on new ideas quickly, gather valuable feedback from diverse audience segments, and refine their strategies based on data-driven insights. But that’s not all.

The coding behind channel-neutral content means that your content isn’t just ready for your current channel mix. It’s also ready for future channels and platforms – perhaps some that are still being dreamt up in the garages of California.

Channel-agnostic content significantly reduces the time and cost associated with preparing content for channel experimentation. With channel-neutral content, your content requires minimal conversion to fit new formats. This means you’re more able to experiment with new channels, see what works, and get to market fast. By embracing innovation and experimentation – and moving fast when opportunities arise – organizations can explore emerging trends and maintain a competitive edge in the dynamic digital landscape.

Software for multichannel publishing: what do you need?

Realizing the benefits of multichannel publishing requires tools and technologies capable of orchestrating content seamlessly across channels. A Multichannel publishing system is the backbone of an effective multichannel strategy. It provides organizations with the capabilities to manage content creation, distribution, and performance analytics across multiple platforms.

Your multichannel publishing software stack may comprise the following:

• Content creation tools
• Digital asset management (DAM) software
• Multichannel publishing software
• Content Management Systems (CMS)
• Data automation and analytics tools