12 Commandments from Contributed Content Gatekeepers
April 26, 2022
5:46 am
This month we studied guidelines from contributed content gatekeepers. Dozens and dozens of them.
>> deep-dive
Deep-Dive: Tim Keary, VentureBeat
April 13, 2022
2:02 pm
After becoming a VentureBeat freelancer last month, Tim Keary wrote 41 stories in 42 days. With rare exception, the articles focused either on a product announcement or a funding round. Dozens of companies saw their news covered thoroughly — in a context useful to buyers.
Deep-Dive: Jennifer Liu, CNBC Make It
March 23, 2022
7:35 am
CNBC Make It reporter Jennifer Liu isn’t just a reporter covering the workplace, hiring trends and professional success. That may be her job, but she’s also proficient in WordPress, Drupal, Google Analytics, SEO and Adobe Creative Suite.
Cracking ‘The Future of Work’ — The Tactical Path
August 10, 2021
10:21 am
When “no one knows anything” and chaos reigns, journalists go broad, not deep. Slack discussions heat up. Coverage planning intensifies. Editors are told, literally, to fan out and bring back the context that readers require.
Cracking ‘The Future of Work’ — The Strategic Path
August 9, 2021
10:27 am
“The Future of Work” affects every industry and every company. Top edit brands swarm for insights and scramble for an edge. So where are all the tech PR victories — the big hits?
Overview: the SWMS Deep-Dive on 2021 Sponsored Content
June 3, 2021
4:05 pm
A while back — OK, a long while back — a subscriber asked us to look into sponsored content. What were the trends? What was more common, one-offs or comprehensive packages? Are agencies increasingly “owning” sponsored content for their clients?
Sponsored Content: Two Data Models to Guide Decision-Making
June 3, 2021
4:01 pm
Sponsored content can be a very daunting investment (at least it was to me when I first learned about its cost) but offering target audiences a controlled message with a massive credibility boost presents a significant opportunity.
Deep Dive: Five Business Purposes for Sponsored Content
June 3, 2021
4:00 pm
Sponsored content is a tool in the toolbox. Considering the expense, it’s smart to know exactly what one hopes to accomplish with it, and that it’s the right tool for the job. To that end, our sponsored content deep-dive spotted five prominent themes/purposes in 2021.
SWMS Deep Dive: Privacy
January 7, 2021
1:26 pm
[SWMS contributor Rachel Odenweller writes:] Historically, few of us have thought much about data privacy, either from a personal perspective or the perspective of clients. But in 2020 privacy came into focus with several data breaches, fears of government surveillance and the continuing saga of Big Tech regulation challenges.
Where Privacy Meets Cybersecurity
January 7, 2021
1:07 pm
[SWMS contributor Rachel Odenweller writes:] As logic would suggest, the more we rely on data, the more at risk we are for cyber attacks. In addition to the myriad struggles 2020 presented us with, it was also the most active year for cybercrime. Reports suggest that cybercrime rates during COVID-19 — from ransomware to phishing — have spiked at rates between 40 and 400 percent.
YOUR ACCOUNT
FRIDGE NOTES
‘Hyperbolic’ Press Releases
October 9, 2024
Here’s a true story. An Oct. 8 Adweek headline says, ‘Press Releases Have Become Way Too Hyperbolic.’ The deck says, ‘Experts Warn the Loss of Credibility Could Lead to Catastrophe.”
TechCrunch Redesigns
October 2, 2024
TechCrunch redesigned this week. Still green, less clutter. Built for the phone. Events and newsletters rank higher in the home page scroll than startups, venture and AI. No enterprise section. Parent Yahoo invested this money to build engagement. More changes due in 2025, EIC Connie Loizos says.
Wired To Launch Awards Program
September 29, 2024
Adweek’s Mark Stenberg reports that Wired is getting into the awards business. The Wired 101 Awards will debut in October. Be on the lookout for the announcement.
BI’s AI-based Paywall Increased Conversions by 75 Percent
September 25, 2024
BI’s publishing software knows what you’ve clicked on before and where you came from. Through Google Analytics, BI also knows how all readers react to certain content. Once you visit, BI knows whether to ask you to subscribe, or to register, or just to let you see everything for just that one visit. Conversions rose 75 percent this year. Digiday got the scoop (subscription required).
A Forbes Within Forbes
September 22, 2024
Fascinating piece from Lars Lofgren about how a Forbes subsidiary — under the Forbes name — has managed to dominate Google search results…
…and now it turns out that Forbes — both iterations — are set to be purchased by the venture arm of Koch Industries. Nice scoop, Sara.
Prepare for Axel Springer to Acquire Publications
September 22, 2024
Now that it has sold off its classifieds business, the owner of Politico and Business Insider will go shopping for more titles. Don’t be surprised if News Corp. sells the WSJ to Axel Springer, especially if Lachlan Murdoch loses his grip on the media empire built by his politically conservative father.