The Weekly Bulletin | July 18, 2023

Hi SODP community,

Let’s recap on what’s been happening last week, the new content, industry updates, tips, and more.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Today I held one of our panelist sessions in the lead-up to the WordPress Publishers Performance Summit (WPPS) summit in a few weeks, which is today’s editorial note inspiration.

Publishers are always under pressure to find any incremental cost-cutting that makes a wide impact organization-wide. Andrew has gone to great lengths into generative AI in previous editions, however, with WordPress also taking a step to extend JetPack with its writing assistant, it lends to questioning where the WordPress ecosystem is next heading to support publishers.

Three key systems have emerged to transform how we manage and collaborate editorially in WordPress: Gutenberg, Editorial Collaboration Software add-ons, and Headless CMS. Each solution offers unique features and benefits, catering to different needs and workflows. Let's delve into each briefly and understand their respective strengths.

Gutenberg, the block-based editor introduced by WordPress, has changed content creation, its user-friendly interface and extensive block library allow users to create rich and engaging layouts without coding knowledge.

On the other hand, Editorial Collaboration Software is designed to streamline the collaborative process of content creation, which is beneficial for large-scale content production, where multiple stakeholders are involved in the editing and review process. Features like real-time editing, version control, and commenting facilitate seamless communication and enhance productivity.

Headless CMS, a recent innovation, provides the flexibility to decouple the front-end presentation layer from the back-end content management system. By separating the two components, Headless CMS empowers developers to create highly customizable or integrated applications with the website. This architecture enables content delivery to multiple channels, such as websites, mobile apps, and other software applications, i.e., Airtable, providing a consistent user experience across platforms while benefiting the technical features of WordPress’ backend. Headless CMS is ideal for organizations that require a scalable and future-proof content infrastructure.

While each platform offers unique advantages, it is crucial to evaluate individual requirements before making a decision. Gutenberg excels in simplicity and accessibility, making it an excellent choice for individuals and small teams with basic content management needs. Editorial Collaboration Software streamlines teamwork and ensures smooth collaboration in larger content production environments. Meanwhile, Headless CMS caters to organizations seeking advanced customization, multi-channel content delivery, and scalability.

Ultimately, the choice between Gutenberg, Editorial Collaboration Software, and Headless CMS depends on factors such as the size of your team, the complexity of your content production workflow, and the level of customization required. Evaluating these aspects will help you determine the most suitable solution.

As technology continues to evolve, the landscape of content creation will undoubtedly witness further advancements, but Gutenberg’s roadmap of advancements to 5.0, as described by Mullenweg, has made it clear of its intentions to become a platform-agnostic, multilingual collaboration tool.

Whether it's Gutenberg, Editorial Collaboration Software, Headless CMS, or the next groundbreaking innovation, staying informed and adapting to new collaboration tools for content creation, publishing, and distribution will be crucial for publishers and content creators to thrive in this new era.

SODP POSTS

— — — SPONSORED POST — — —

JOOMAG REVIEW FOR 2023

The publishing industry has, rightly or wrongly, earned a reputation for being slow to innovate. Despite the digital space’s boundless design opportunities, the sector has struggled to break free from its print design roots.

Many digital publishers’ design language continues to emulate either that of their print counterparts or the blogging sphere. Times are changing, however, with each new year seeing the release of tools that open up creative possibilities.

Among a rather broad field of digital publishing platforms, Joomag has distinguished itself by innovating within the publishing medium itself. The platform provides integrated solutions for publishers to create mixed-media publications, combining audio, video and interactive elements to craft interactive and engaging experiences.

And it does this while removing technical barriers to entry, leaving room for publishers of all skill levels to benefit.

Read on to discover what we experienced during our hands-on time with Joomag and see out what it brings to the table, the problems it solves and its limits.

SEE MORE

JOB BOARD

➡️ Bloomberg Digital is looking for a Managing Editor to oversee the EMEA region (London). SEE MORE

➡️ Morning Brew’s newsletter-based publication Tech Brew is looking for a reporter (remote US-based). SEE MORE

➡️ The Boston Globe is looking for an Assistant Digital Editor (Boston). SEE MORE

NEWSLETTERS WE RECOMMEND

➡️ Every Friday, Tim Stoddart – CEO of Stodzy Inc, owner of Sober Nation, and partner in Copyblogger – will send you the week’s 10 best resources to help you generate more income. SEE MORE

➡️ Niche Media Publishing’s weekly newsletter shows you how to produce the best content for your audience, grow with the best paid and organic traffic tips, monetize your content & get paid, and lots more… From a successful niche site and online magazine publisher. SEE MORE

COMMUNITY BUZZ

THE FUTURE OF PUBLISHING

➡️ Check out this piece by Autentica’s Joanna Kocik. She interviewed me on the future of digital publishing. We discuss the role of generative AI, the untapped potential of video content, the impact of generative AI experience on SEO, the tools that publishers can utilize to adapt to the changing circumstances brought about by AI-generated content, and more. READ MORE

INDUSTRY NEWS

➡️ OpenAI partners with the American Journalism Project to access content to train its AI model in exchange for $5M in funding and $5M in developer credits. READ MORE

➡️ New study finds ChatGPT increases productivity 40% for professionals doing common writing tasks but broader economic impacts remain unpredictable. READ MORE

SOCIAL MEDIA DISCUSSIONS

➡️ Mahendra Choudhary on LinkedIn:

Google has ~16,000 quality raters around the world. 💡 Here is the simplest way to know if a Google quality rater has visited your site in GA4.

📈 Here are the main factors that quality raters consider:

1. Purpose of the Page

2. Potential Harm of the Page

3. Page Quality Rating

4. Main Content (MC) Quality

5. Information about the Website and its Creator

6. Reputation of the Website and Creator

7. E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust)

SEE THE FULL POST

These are the highlights for last week.

Until next!

Vahe Arabian and the editorial team at SODP