Photo: Skylar Kang

Is Google a publisher or a platform?

Google, Facebook, and Twitter are classic “platforms” — they distribute other peoples' content without as much editorial oversight. But these differences are largely cultural. It's not technologically difficult for publishers to add platform-like elements, and vice versa.

hbr.org - Don't Try to Be a Publisher and a Platform at the Same Time

What does 😎 ❤ mean on Snapchat?

What does 😎 💕 mean on Snapchat? The 💕 Pink Hearts emoji is a Snapchat emoji used for your best friends. The 😎 Face With Sunglasses emoji is an...

Last updated Oct 28, 2022

What is a day like as a social media manager?

On any given day, a social media manager might be responsible for setting the strategy for an upcoming product launch, creating a video, analyzing...

Last updated Aug 2, 2018

Promotion

In the wake of digital disruption, new media companies are seeking scale and legitimacy, while old media companies explore new business models.

The “platform” is a new media company model that has been perfected by the tech industry. Platforms can easily scale to serve gigantic audiences, and their lucrative possibilities beckon to established players that are often called “publishers.” Meanwhile, many publishers have solid brand identities that are alluring to platforms. So publishers and platforms are experimenting with new combinations — but is it really possible to combine a publisher with a platform over the long term?

Typically, publishers are considered to have editorial judgment, while platforms lack it. From this perspective, the Harvard Business Review, The Atlantic, and The New York Times are classic “publishers” — they present highly-curated content, and their editors invest a lot of time in its creation. Google, Facebook, and Twitter are classic “platforms” — they distribute other peoples’ content without as much editorial oversight. But these differences are largely cultural. It’s not technologically difficult for publishers to add platform-like elements, and vice versa. Publishers seeking new business models are often tempted to become more platform-like by enabling their audience to post user-generated content; they hope to increase revenue by selling ads on this “extra” content. Sometimes, they also hope to develop a content management system that other publishers can license and use to distribute their content. On the other hand, the technologists looking to differentiate their platforms are drawn by the voice and influence of publishing. Plus, platform-builders can capture more value if they own content on their platform, and not just the platform itself. So in early 2014, Jonathan Glick coined the ungainly word “platisher” to describe hybrids of digital media platforms and publishers. When a media company attempts to be both a destination for edited, themed content and a tool others can use to create content, it’s a platisher. Making these hybrids work over the long term is difficult, because their incentives work against each other. Toward the end of last year, one of the first platishers, Say Media, announced it was selling off its publishing properties to focus on its technological platform. CEO Matt Sanchez explained the decision to jettison its publisher properties as an inability to do both tech and content at the same time: The conclusion we’ve come to, and one lots of media companies wrestle with is, do you build brands or do you build platforms? Those two are just completely different world views. It’s hard to create clarity for an organization. As more platishers mature, they may find themselves facing similar conundrums. Platform and publisher incentives are better aligned when a platform is new. A new platform that’s intended to host user-generated content has one overriding goal: Attract users and convince them to create content. High-quality, carefully-edited content is great for pulling in an audience. Well-thought-out content can also “seed” the platform for new users, shaping their understanding of how they use the tool.

What exactly does a social media manager do?

What Do Social Media Managers Do? Social Media Managers create and maintain brand promotions, company information, and marketing campaigns for...

Last updated May 21, 2022

What is illegal activity on Instagram?

Illegal Content - We don't allow support or praise of terrorism, organized crime or hate groups on Instagram. Offering sexual services and selling...

Last updated Dec 4, 2020

Promotion

For an example, look at Medium, a platisher that raised $25 million in 2014. The company commissions strongly edited articles on well-defined themes while simultaneously allowing anyone in the world to post their writing on Medium. Founded by Evan Williams of Twitter, the company established itself by paying talented writers and editors to develop individually branded “collections” of articles. In its early days, Medium also created a veneer of gatekeeping by forcing new users to apply for accounts. These behaviors tend more toward the publisher end of the spectrum. But as a platform attracts users, it will be tempted to exercise little oversight so that users can post quickly and freely. If the platform has not previously exercised much oversight, then this won’t be a problem — but if it has taken a publishing role, then conflicts can emerge. With Medium, problems surfaced when the company scaled its open-to-all-platform and allowed anyone to post. Several writers and editors working for Medium (many of whom came from publishing) expressed public dissatisfaction. Editor Arikia Millikan wrote about how hard it was to clean up her workflow after Medium threw open the floodgates and any user could submit content to her collection. When she joined Medium, she was able to put plenty of attention into every article she curated, but when Medium made it easier for users to submit content, she was suddenly drinking from a firehose. Kickstarter is another example of a platform that began with publisher-like editorial oversight. The early campaigns on Kickstarter ran a long gauntlet — creators had to budget days into their campaign to cover the Kickstarter approval process. One reason Kickstarter outstripped its competitors was its well-curated selection of genuinely cool projects. But Kickstarter’s income comes from a percentage of successful campaigns — one major business goal is to host as many successful campaigns as possible. So perhaps it was inevitable that, in 2014, Kickstarter quietly softened its guidelines. As they lower their safeguards to attract more users, platishers enter a legal and ethical gray area. Are they responsible for the content they host, or not? The need to resolve this question may nudge maturing platishers to become either more like platforms, or more like publishers. For instance, a “seduction guide” on Kickstarter raised $15,000 and caused massive backlash in 2013, leading the company to ban that whole category of guides. But after softening the guidelines in 2014, the company now allows previously banned projects back on the platform, and has created an automated launching process so campaigns can start without human approval. Consider, too, the practice of sponsored content. Would you blame Google for allowing the Church of Scientology to display a sponsored link on top of “scientology” results in Google Search? Or would you get angry at Facebook if a sponsored post for the Church of Scientology popped up in your feed? Probably not — but in 2013, plenty of people blamed The Atlantic for running an article sponsored by the Church of Scientology, even though it was clearly labeled as such. (Full disclosure: I have written for The Atlantic.)

What is the most difficult part of recruitment?

The most common recruiting challenges and how to overcome them Attracting the right candidates. Engaging qualified candidates. Hiring fast. Using...

Last updated Nov 12, 2021

How do app owners make money?

The app owner is just required to showcase the commercials within their mobile app and thus, they can be easily paid from the third-party and...

Last updated Nov 1, 2022

Promotion

If The Atlantic had possessed a reputation as more of a platform than a publisher, then its audience may not have been so dismayed by the sponsored article. The reaction ended up pushing The Atlantic, one of the most digitally innovative legacy media companies, back toward its traditional publishing roots, as it pulled the piece and “sheepishly” acknowledged that “we got ahead of ourselves.” In the end, the dichotomy between publisher and platform is actually a difference in goals. The question is not: “Are you a platform or a publisher?” The question is: “Do you care more about scale, or about editorial voice?”

Does your company want to change the world by making the tool everyone uses — or would you prefer to change the world by being the voice that everyone trusts?

It is tempting to think you can do both — and maybe a rare few will succeed. But most of us navigating the storm of modern media have big choices ahead. There’s an emerging set of best practices for platishers, but it’s not clear that any of these hybrids will survive their strained incentives without tilting permanently towards one goal or the other.

hbr.org - Don't Try to Be a Publisher and a Platform at the Same Time

How do I become a smart social media user?

Follow these simple strategies and avoid problems later! DON'T POST OR SEND ANYTHING YOU WOULD BE EMBARRASSED FOR CERTAIN OTHERS TO SEE. ... DO...

Last updated Jan 1, 2020

Is posting 3 times a day on TikTok too much?

How often you post can also affect how your content is distributed on the platform (TikTok recommends posting 1-4 times per day). To find a posting...

Last updated May 4, 2021

Promotion

How to earn money at home?

How to make money online Pick up freelance work online. ... Test websites and apps. ... Pick up tasks on Amazon's Mechanical Turk. ... Take surveys...

Last updated Oct 13, 2018

Promotion

How can I earn 5k per day in stock market?

Best Tips to Earn Easily 5000 in Intraday Trading Select Liquid Shares. Always Put a Stop Loss. Book Profits. Find the Entry and Exit Point....

Last updated Jul 12, 2021