• by Joe Marchese , October 5, 2010

In two weeks I will be leading two discussions at The CTAM Summit in New Orleans. I will be joined by an amazing group of innovators and leaders in the content and content marketing space to dig into how "social media" is impacting the content landscape. In preparing for the discussion, it is daunting and exciting to consider the number of ways that social media is affecting every aspect of how content creators and distributors operate. When you think about the questions surrounding the viewer/consumer life cycle and touch points, you can see just how pervasive change is going to be. 

Viewer acquisition/marketing - Methods for reaching consumers with advertisements are changing for every marketer, from CPG to content producers. But while many CPG brands have been around for generations, content companies are looking for ways to create brands every day. This means that finding the required effective reach to launch new shows and drive tune-in, is paramount to content companies thriving in a new media landscape. How will content owners solve the challenges facing all marketers in a way that meets their unique needs? Content companies do actually have some advantages here.

Content creation/distribution - The changes in consumer content consumption habits, especially time- and screen-shifting, will forever change the way content creators produce programming and plan distribution. Should separate content be develop for mobile and Web? Should the programming be pre-released or delayed for digital viewers? Is there an effective strategy for building an audience through social media distribution and then scaling distribution through traditional channels? What about the other way around? Can social media be used to test content and adjust to audience preferences in real time? (Hint: the answer to the last one is a very big YES.)

Viewer engagement - Digital media in general, and social media specifically, offer an actual solution to the long-time promise of interactive programming. How should you create programming knowing that viewers will have at least two screens, and likely three (television, PC, phone), at their disposal while watching your content? How do you create digital engagement from broadcast content? What type of interaction will consumers accept or expect during content consumption going forward? What about creating community around viewing events?

Viewer monetization - Then there are the ROI questions, and of course the TiVo question. For content creators/programmers, should digital ROI be measured in viewer acquisition? How about in viewer engagement with content? How about in viewer advocacy? Is it possible for brand sponsors to accompany content as viewers engage and spread it through social media to provide new revenue streams for content creators? Will this scale?

And of course, in order to answer the questions above, we first have to ask: Who in the organization is responsible for managing the change to new media realities? Because, in the end, every department will be impacted, so those companies that do the best job of answering the questions and building an organization around operationalizing new media best practices will not just have the best social media plan today, but will have created the model for tomorrow's media companies.

What questions did I miss? What answers would you suggest? Drop me a line on Twitter at www.twitter.com/joemarchese or leave a comment. Will use the best on stage at CTAM, with the appropriate shout-out. ;-)