In 2019, there are two modes of content operation!

All content production is the product of certain mature norms, dancing with hinges in a small range according to certain specific standards, providing two-way satisfaction to the entire product.

This is the inevitable result of the continuous evolution of Internet product forms, and it is also the pain of content operation transitioning from the traditional model to the innovative model. Many content operation colleagues who are unable to adapt begin to doubt their own value. There are even many front-line/middle-level managers who have transformed from traditional media to the Internet and have begun to complain about the market because they continue to follow the old ways.

There are two modes of content operation:

Today, let’s talk about the two modes of content operation and the two different Internet eras they correspond to. Let me explain to you why people are light assets in the best content operation stage.

Content operation means using content as a link to connect products and users and deliver product value to users. Based on the above logic, we will deduce the focus of the two operating models.

Part 1: Traditional model - heavy ties

The core of traditional content operation is that the content is officially produced, which can guarantee the quality of the content to a great extent, control the direction and timeliness of the content, and meet the tone of the product.

Case 1: Hupu

Hupu started out by translating the latest sports information from abroad. This content has always been one of Hupu's core competitive advantages, ensuring that fans can obtain overseas sports market trends in Chinese across the entire network. Therefore, Hupu has a group of content operators with strong English listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, who are dedicated to reviewing information from foreign websites. The human assets invested in this area are very heavy.

However, the disadvantages of this traditional model are also very obvious. If there is a separation from users, once official personnel have weak control over the content, or if there are changes in market trends, user sources, etc., the content operation may be done behind closed doors.

Secondly, it is difficult to differentiate the content, which is often concentrated in the same type of behavior or the core content display direction is consistent. The advantage is that users who like it will like it very much, but users who don’t like it will find it difficult to integrate. The intuitive product performance is that the user coverage is limited, especially for products in a certain niche field, it is difficult to break through.

Case 2: Wei Toutiao

It is not from Toutiao, but a product of a startup company. In its early days, it was a content information platform that hired a group of big names as content editors to continuously produce content. Later, when we were moving towards information aggregation, we found that the transformation was extremely difficult and we almost had to start all over again. Because the operation mode of content operation is completely different, users gathered through technology information began to be lost under the platform transformation mode, and this loss is also two-way.

The original official content of the platform could gain a lot of interaction in the product content. However, the later platform transformation was filled with various texts under immature recommendation algorithms, which resulted in many content operation texts being cold, unpleasant to use, and having a poor editing experience.

In addition, content that is not officially produced but officially intervened and screened is also a derivative manifestation of the traditional model.

Case 3: Get/Taobao

For example, for products like Luo Zhenyu's Get app, what is promoted in the banner position on the homepage, what the standards are, the update frequency, etc. are all controlled by the operations staff, and may even be the result of weighing the pros and cons of various departments. For this type of content that is manually screened and recommended, the direct control group can only be recommended. The classic example is Taobao.

The idea of ​​using intelligent algorithms to make customized banner recommendations for each individual was first proposed, and later on even the banners were made by robots. It has replaced manual intervention and has brought about a qualitative improvement in a series of subsequent behavioral quantitative values ​​such as content click-through rate. Although it has been questioned a lot before it was launched, the fact is that this type of manual content operation through a single point of individual is no longer the current trend of product development.

Part 2: Innovation Mode-Reconnection

The core of this model is that all content is customized. Abandon the model of people → information → people, and instead maximize the value of content operations through the approach of demand → information → people.

This innovative model is mainly implemented in three steps: scenario-based, personalized, and process-based.

1. Scenario-based applications

Describe the core user groups of the product, list all the scenarios in which users use the product, think about the real needs of users for these scenarios, and finally provide content points in the product content that can meet these needs.

Case 4: Tao Piao Piao

The core users of Tao Piaopiao are people who go to the cinema to watch movies. For this group of people, the user scenarios are: movie-watching decision (what to watch), ticket purchase, ticket collection, movie watching, and social interaction (posting to Moments, commenting, etc.). We select three of these scenarios to see what the requirements are in these scenarios.

• Movie-watching decisions: which movies are worth watching and which theater to go to
• Ticket purchase: movie price information, transportation to the cinema, and other activities nearby after watching the movie
• Ticket collection: Is there a need to queue and is the process simple?

Regarding the needs in these scenarios, think about what content is worthy of intervention? Movie ratings, popular topics, and high-quality movie reviews are all means to help users reduce decision-making costs. After users purchase movie tickets, they will be prompted with transportation options, nearby shopping districts, and movie countdown. The current queue progress for ticket collection at the cinema, how many idle ticket machines are there, etc.

The above-mentioned content forms are still a mapping of shallow common needs and content. It is said that Meituan may develop scenario-based social networking in the next few years. For example, if a young man and woman book the same flight to a foreign country, the same hotel, and the same scenic spot through Meituan, may have a psychological desire to get to know each other under such circumstances, and have expectations for the unknown in an unfamiliar environment? This kind of future social interaction with strangers in specific scenarios and customized content direction will definitely be a dimensionality reduction attack on traditional content intervention.

2. Personalized applications

This content operation model is currently the most mature one used in the e-commerce industry. Simply put, it clarifies the concept of who the users are. The specific method is to classify users based on their consumption behavior, active frequency, consumption amount, personal information, etc., and then provide differentiated personalized content for different user groups.

Case 5: Auntie/Beibei.com

Auntie is a case-level product that has successfully transformed from a tool to a community. It started out as a tool for calculating women's menstrual periods and accumulated a large amount of data samples. It later consolidated product stickiness through content communities. She pushes timely content based on women’s menstrual periods, instead of endlessly reusing “drink more hot water”.

There are also a series of maternal and infant content e-commerce platforms such as Beibei.com, which closely combine the mother's social behavior cycle and product purchasing behavior. For example: if you are preparing for pregnancy, we will recommend some pregnancy preparation books to you, and recommend some fetal health products during pregnancy. The baby's appearance will be completely different when he is 1 year old, 2 years old, and 3 years old. This kind of personalized content operation has been fully utilized by e-commerce platforms.

3. Process-based application

This kind of content intervention is more of an optimization of the application at the product experience level. When a user completes the main process in the product content, in order to retain these users and reduce their loss rate, content that meets their needs and processes is needed.

Case 6: Ele.me

Normally, once the user has ordered takeout, the core process is complete, and the only thing left is to wait for the service to be delivered. In order to increase the length and duration of the user process, Ele.me provides the production and delivery progress of takeout after the user places an order, and displays a GPS map, allowing users to track the progress of each link of the takeout in real time.

Case 7: JD.com

Similarly, after a successful purchase, recommendations for related products will be provided on the end page to drive additional user consumption conversion rates. This type of card is often recommended at the end of consumption, which results in a higher conversion rate. Those who are familiar with e-commerce operations know that the user profile at this stage is different from that of users who have just entered the product, and their willingness and ability to consume are stronger.

Through the comparison of the 7 cases mentioned above and the 2 content operation models, I believe you can begin to understand what the operation professor said: The best content operation stage: people are light assets. A truly good product will speak for itself. In the past, this meant word of mouth, but now it refers to the customization of product content.

Especially in this era where everyone is a "reporter" and self-media is rampant, do we really need people to speak for our products? Being "shocked" 100 times a day is not as good as one push that is thoughtful and meets your needs.

Source: Operations Professor