• by Roman Karachinsky , Op-Ed Contributor, March 31, 2016

Publishers are generally good at one thing: creating good content. That used to be the main challenge. Sure, you had to worry about distribution and revenue, but for the best publishers, those that understood their audience, that wasn’t the hard part.

Things are different today – modern publishers are challenged with mastering many skill sets, like SEO and social media strategy, while monetizing effectively across print, digital and mobile.

As if that wasn’t enough of a burden, ad blockers are increasingly eating into their digital revenue. Native platforms, from Facebook to Snapchat, are taking over the consumption process, replacing the publisher’s own properties as the front door into content, and owning the relationship with the reader.

In such a complex landscape, how can modern publishers keep all of these variables in check while still holding true to meaningful content? By putting reader experience at the top of their priority list. Simple? Not exactly.

Years of neglect have created a weird status quo, in which readers expect publisher sites and apps to load slowly, have bad design, too many banners and tracking tags, lack personalization and social context.

They have been conditioned to the poor experience, and it will take significant effort to break that conditioning.

Thankfully, it is not too late. A commitment to user experience will help publishers find that coveted balance between content and monetization moving forward, and get their business back on track. Let’s explore some “reader-first” strategies to consider:

• Focus on convenience. Think about this: the music industry was practically toast in the early 2000s, due to the accessibility of free MP3 downloads across the Web and diving CD sales. It wasn’t until the industry figured out how to create personalized, equally convenient experiences on the devices consumers used most—through platforms like iTunes, Pandora, Spotify—that things started to shape up.

Think of ad blockers and native platforms as the Napster of the media industry. Publishers need to embrace convenience and stop the flow of fleeing users that can find their content elsewhere. Good UI, speed, availability everywhere – all are key.

• Invest in native ads. People hate banners and display advertising. The only ads that work are the ads that have inherent value, and fit into the format of what they’re consuming. Quality native advertising is the only thing that works at scale and doesn’t annoy readers.

The ads need to be clearly identified as ads, but everything else should feel exactly the same as other stories. Users should be able to comment on sponsored content, share, and do whatever they can with any other article.

• Experiment with personalized content. Personalization is the glue for engaging content, whether it’s sponsored or owned. Even among niche audiences, if you’re showing the same content to everyone, you’re missing out on both engagement and editorial insight.

Important things to ask when shaping editorial strategy: What is the reader interested in? What type of content, length, or tone resonates the best?In advertising, when you have a poor connection between an ad (native or not) and the reader, the reader just gets annoyed with the brand and publisher—and it’s a lose-lose situation for all.

• Don’t put all your eggs in one (closed) basket. It’s certainly a good idea to take advantage of Instant Articles, which opens up to all publishers on April 12—especially since your readers are likely already on Facebook.

However, approach native platforms with caution, for the sake of your business and reader base. Publishers have little control over Facebook’s algorithms or how content gets ranked or distributed on the network. Less control means less influence on reader experience.

Restoring the right associations and trust in your readers is not a simple task, and every publisher is unique, but the sooner publishers begin repairing the damage with better reader experiences, the sooner they can take back over the reins of their business.

The good news is that like any crisis, the current dilemma is sparking creativity – this is the time to abandon fear and complacency and experiment!