SODP Dispatch - 17 February 2023

Happy Friday!

Today, let’s discuss a topic that’s been on everyone’s radar lately – generative AI.

• What are the limitations of this technology?

• How do you set up editorial workflows around it?

• Is it worth spending the time to experiment with generative AI until you get it right?

Our managing editor, Andrew Kemp, shares his thoughts on the technology in his weekly Editor’s Note column:

I can’t help but roll my eyes at some recent takes on the impact of ChatGPT.

There’s a deluge of content being created on the subject, with so many outlets and commentators rushing to cover the subject. Yes, I’m also guilty of visiting this trough more than once.

I’ve returned to the subject as the general coverage seems to be missing the point of generative AI. It’s either a doomsday device or it’s a dangerous gimmick.

You’ll either read about how the tech will steal your job, produce factually inaccurate data or how it can be used for ‘productivity hacks’. Yes, those are shudder quotes because, frankly, if you need a chatbot to help you draft an email then you have bigger problems to worry about.

Simply using the tool should reveal that, while it is a marvel of technology, it has clear limitations. It’s regurgitation without the capacity for analysis.

Continue reading

FROM STATE OF DIGITAL PUBLISHING

TOP TOOLS

11 BEST PAYWALL SERVICES FOR PUBLISHERS

Paywalls have become an increasingly important component of digital publishers’ efforts to monetize content.

In 2015-2018, the use of paywalls on average doubled every single year, until 2019 which saw their use quadruple. Ad revenue dipped in 2020 before surging back the next year, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the revenue model. As such, paywalls provide a valuable alternative stream of revenue for publishers.

For those who don’t have the time or resources for internal development, however, paywall services are a convenient way to add this feature with minimal effort.

Here, we take a closer look at exactly what publishers need to consider before picking a service + top solutions on the market.

Read more

CONTENT STRATEGY

A GUIDE TO OPTIMIZING YOUR CONTENT FOR MAXIMUM IMPACT

Creating great content that drives traffic and engagement is the goal of every content marketer, digital publisher or SEO agency. Developing a process to optimize your content for maximum impact, on the other hand, can be a major challenge for some.

In this guide, we’ll share a variety of tips and tricks on how to get the most out of your content marketing efforts. From understanding your audience to choosing the right keywords, we’ve covered proven practices that improve results.

Read more

TECHNOLOGY

PLAGIASHIELD REVIEW FOR 2023

Plagiarism is a rarely discussed reality within the digital publishing industry. A quick search online will turn up any number of academic discussions about the hidden cost of plagiarism in higher education, both to academic institutions and the wider economy.

For digital publishers, however, plagiarism is often pitched in terms of safeguarding against writers passing off another publisher’s material as their own. Indeed, there are several programs on the market that can check individual articles for plagiarism.

Where these programs miss the mark is that they fail to provide content owners with a) the means to ensure their content hasn’t been stolen, and b) a simplified means of addressing any IP breaches that are discovered.

These are problems that PlagiaShield was created to address. In addition to a traditional document scanner, the software also promises not only to help publishers find any stolen content but also simplify the process of having it taken down.

Read more

TOOLS AND RESOURCES

TIP

How to identify lower performing content for refreshes. Learn more

TOOL

If you struggle to set up formulas in Google Sheets to automate processes or simply can’t be bothered, using this tool, you can just ask your AI assistant to do it. Learn more

TIP

A simple tip for those who are annoyed about the Google Analytics 4 "feature" to deprecate item-scoped dimension and event-scoped metric combinations. Learn more

BITE-SIZED INDUSTRY NEWS

MONETIZATIONTime plans to launch a new commerce website next quarter powered by content created by a team of editors and writers at Taboola. Read more

SEOGoogle is testing a "trending" label in the people also ask box in the mobile search results. Read more

SOCIAL MEDIAInstagram launches a new broadcast chat feature called ‘Channels’. Read more

AINeevaAI, the ad-free and tracker-free AI-powered search tool, is now available to users worldwide. Read more

FUTURE OF DIGITAL PUBLISHINGMicrosoft’s new search interface can serve up key information from articles, removing the need to click—and potentially undermining publisher business models. Read more

ANALYTICSGoogle Analytics introduces new features for a better reporting experience, including improved data quality identification and enhanced sampling controls. Read more

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