Convergence of UGC & Editorial, Before & After Google Search

Welcome to this week's issue of the Niche Media Publishing Newsletter.

Before getting started, my sponsor this week is…. me!

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In case you missed it last week… I’ve launched my Reddit Leverage course on Teachable.

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Ok, let’s get started with this week’s topics.

What is UGC, Really?

I’ve been thinking more deeply about the idea of “user generated content”. At first blush, it doesn’t seem to nest well with the traditional publisher model.

Isn’t user generated content all about random people sharing opinions for free?

Initially, I saw Reddit and other UGC channels as “the enemy” of our old indie editorial publishing model.

Why does some uncredentialed, anonymous user get more benefit than an experienced writer on our team with demonstrated first hand experience?

It’s a legitimate question. And it’s also kind of pointless.

After all, weren’t we all “users” generating content all along?

As much as I liked to think of myself as a “Publisher” (with a capital “P”), were were effectively Google’s most prolific “free” content generators.

Prolific users generating content for Google, Facebook, Pinterest, etc..

The only real difference was that we scaled production differently, often with more standards and a higher bar to “prove” expertise, authority, and trust.

The Convergence of UGC + Publishing

With the rise of Reddit, this may be a semantic distinction without a difference.

As we start to share more of our content in subreddits, forums, YouTube, etc… we’ve seen a conversation develop in a way that wasn’t really possible in the “old web".

All of a sudden, the comments section is adding context, countervailing viewpoints, and nuance to an otherwise rigid editorial process.

Most publishers long ago turned off the “comments section” on their websites. It wasn’t worth the hassle of moderating the spam.

But in the age of AI, genuine human connection, dialogue and bidirectional information sharing may very well be the antidote.

So rather than thinking of a clearly delineated line between Editorial content and UGC content, I’d encourage a more agnostic view.

I’m still wrestling with the practical implications of this myself, but starting to imagine the headline and the “post” as merely the STARTING point for dynamic content.

It’s a subtle difference in thinking but can make ALL the difference in tone, style, and process.

In this way, the old forum model may also be misleading. Yes, some great topics bubble up organically, but the value of a structured (re: intentional) prompt by a knowledgeable community curator seems to be melding with the decentralized free for all. Comments are a core feature, not an afterthought.

So too may collating opinions and seemingly disparate threads (maybe with the help of AI) into useful narratives be the future of “publishing” (with a small “p”).

Welcome to the NEW Google Search

I found this share from Lily Ray incredible useful as a “before” and “after” contrast for Google search:

In particular, note the massive visibility increase for UGC / Social in particular.

Reddit Leverage Course Updates

My current big project is updating and growing our learning resources around UGC and this emerging “community” trend in publishing.

As such, my course is a fluid, evolving project. I’m adding new modules weekly!

Course Updates I’ve Added:

• How to Claim Unmoderated “lost” Subreddits (I’ve found some with 27,000+ members!)

• Added more Reddit alternatives for UGC traffic to our Notion spreadsheet (included in course).

As a reminder, NMP readers (that’s you) are eligible for a limited time 40% off lifetime discount, including all future updates and price increases.

Other Things I Read Recently

These are some articles I enjoyed, but don’t really have anything to add to!

Other Newsletters Worth Following

Here are some other publications I subscribe to, author, or co-sign.

If you are operating a newsletter (or even just interested), this next one is one of my “must opens” every week:

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Daily News for Curious Minds

“I stopped watching the news, so sick of the bias. Was searching for an alternative that would just tell me WHAT happened, with NO editorializing. I found it. It’s called 1440. It assumes you are smart enough to form your own opinions.”

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OK, that's it for this week...

Please do reply to this email with any feedback or suggestions.

Ewen