How publishers can thrive in the AI era

Last week was the PPA Festival — highly recommended, also for non-British publishers. The program was packed with insights into the future of publishing. Ahead of the event, the Professional Publishers Association also published a report on how publishers can continue to thrive in the AI era.

The main conclusions from the report

• AI makes trusted editorial brands even more important in a world with unlimited content
• Human connection is one of publishers' most valuable assets
• Search engines are no longer a reliable growth engine
• Community is the strongest defense against platform dependency
• Events and memberships are becoming increasingly important
• Apps and product experience matter more than ever

Based on both the data and our experience working with more than 100 publishers, I can largely agree with these conclusions.

1. A strong brand becomes even more important

In an era of unlimited information, it is becoming increasingly difficult to determine which information is trustworthy. That is exactly where the strength of a strong media brand lies: trust, context, and consistency. Those qualities have always mattered, but in the AI era they become a true differentiator.

2. AI will not simply replace journalism

AI does not — at least for now — conduct interviews, build relationships, or report from the scene itself. In addition, strong media brands are often still ahead of AI systems when it comes to information and reporting, simply because those systems depend on existing content.

3. Becoming less dependent on Google

Search engines such as Google are sending less traffic than they did a year ago. For publishers, it is therefore becoming increasingly important to build a direct relationship with readers. In my view, email remains the most effective way to do that. A strong newsletter is not only a distribution channel, but also a direct line to your audience and a key driver of pageviews to your website.

4. Community is becoming strategically more important

This ties directly into the previous point. By building an email list, you are effectively building a community. The same applies to events: they strengthen the relationship with your audience.

5. Memberships and events reinforce each other

For media brands, memberships can provide a stable and predictable source of revenue. Events are a valuable complement to that, for example through exclusive gatherings for members. They not only strengthen the community, but also increase engagement by allowing members to bring guests and expand the network.

6. Product experience becomes a competitive advantage

And my personal favorite: product experience. Consumers — professional or otherwise — are becoming increasingly critical of user experience. Think of fast loading times, an intuitive interface, and an onboarding process that is as seamless as possible. The easier it is to become a subscriber, invite a colleague, or purchase a ticket for an event, the more likely people are to convert.

An app can further improve that experience. Because everything is already on the user's phone, an app often feels faster and more convenient than a website. Moreover, like a newsletter, an app is a powerful way to build a direct relationship with your audience — you are literally on the user's home screen, just like Google, LinkedIn or Instagram.

In my view, an app will also not replace the website. If only because search engines can index a website, whereas they cannot index an app.