Perhaps to the chagrin of traditionalists, digital news content is not a flash in the pan. On the contrary, trusted research institutions like Pew and Nielsen have come out with reports proving readers are trading in their paper subscriptions and embracing the convenience of on-demand digital news. To throw another log on the news content fire, Google just launched the Newsstand mobile application, a platform that’s poised to make media delivery smarter, personal and seamless.
This development speaks to the demand for timely – and free – custom news that’s crafted around readers’ preferences. There is a huge potential value for brands because it could point internet users in the direction of blogs or websites that regularly publish relevant content around a specific industry.
“[The Google Play] Newsstand puts the news you care about most front and center and presents stories that interest you based on your tastes. The more you read the better it will get,” wrote Google Play Newsstand Manager Mussie Shore in a post for the Official Android blog.
Intended to be a one-stop shop for digital publications of print media, the Newsstand app has the potential to become much more than an online hub for magazine and newspaper articles. It can also pull in the latest updates of users’ favorite blogs and stories from sites they visit most. More, Google promises to make suggestions for new content sources based on users’ reading behaviors.
There seem to be two benefits for brands:
1. Google’s approach to tailored content might provide another prospect touchpoint. In addition to organic search and social forums, news and blog content could be surfaced on readers’ Newsstand feeds.
2. Google’s Newsstand will format articles for mobile screens, optimizing them for smartphone or tablet screens according to readers’ device choices. (This takes a little bit of the pressure off of companies that don’t have full-fledged mobile sites yet.)
However, this doesn’t mean marketers should force newsy angles into their brand content. There’s a time and a place for promotional content, and search strategies need to match audience expectations to work. Content creation must be organic and keep user experience at the core to earn exposure in Google’s Newsfeed app, or in search results at all.
For more insights about creating content that’s right for your brand and its readers:
