If 2021 has been an interesting year for media publishers, 2022 will bring with it much more news and opportunities.
Even if both journalists and audiences have been ‘burnt out’ by the intensity of the news, caused by the persistent Covid-19 crisis, Media Publishers have had the opportunity to attract the attention of all these people that usually don’t read newspapers or news websites.
So this year, they have the perfect opportunity to maintain and grow this new audience.
Will these new trends help them with this purpose? Let’s see!
Media publishers: trends for 2022
Voice search and AI assistants
Some time ago we analyzed the enormous influence that AI has on the Media Publisher world. If you wanna know more, you can read our article here.
AI is one of the main trends of 2022 and it’s likely to influence the paywall model more than we think. The Wall Street Journal, for instance, built an AI paywall able to decide how many free articles a reader can have access to.
The question now is: How will other media publishers leverage this technology?
Daily passes
According to many media publishers, there is a strong demand for having an equivalent of purchasing a paper without buying a yearly subscription. This option will definitely make life easier for news lovers and help attract new readers.
Web3
The coming rise of Web3 will predictably decentralize the Internet. According to Daniel Eilemberg from NiemanLab, one of the top thinkers in the news media industry:
The good outweighs the bad, and 2022 will be an extraordinary year for those who learn how to harbor the power of the upcoming revolution.
Will Web3 be one of these revolutionary changes?
Probably yes. Because it will offer new ways of monetizing archives and IPs, as well as impulse patronage and rewards for readers.
Subscription models
Also in 2022, subscriptions are considered the top priority, ahead of display advertising.
Covid-19 crisis gave publishers the opportunity to grow their subscriptions.
Now, the real challenge is to maintain them.
Flexible subscription models, fresh and unique content can be a way to attract and retain readers.
Connecting writers pay to subscriptions
Offering special articles, written by writers or by famous bloggers is a strategic way to engage with your actual readers and with new audiences. In fact, many publishers are already putting that into practice.
What is the main goal of publishers in 2022?
The most important goal of publishers for this new year is to maintain and grow the audience that they have gained during the pandemic.
What will define the publishing trends in 2022?
The rise of Web3 and AI technology are topics that will be interesting to explore this year. Regarding subscriptions, new models are going to be created and become popular, like daily passes.