What is considered a good self-media background? Which one is better, Toutiao or Penguin?

A few days ago, at a "copycat press conference" of a technology media reporter group, I saw Youdao Cloud Notes promoting its newly launched "voice shorthand" function, which was welcomed by the reporter friends in the group. Some people say that there is no need for recorders anymore, some say that there will no longer be a need to type on the spot and disturb others, and some say that machines will be able to write quick drafts in the future. The fact that technology media reporters are enthusiastically praising this small feature shows that content creators still face many pain points right now. The creation tools are far from being numerous enough, good enough, or smart enough.

In the past two years, with the rise of content platforms such as Penguin Media Platform , Toutiao , and UC, creating content on the platforms has become the daily work of more and more writers and content producers. Take myself as an example. Since I tried to write a technology column in 2012, I have been dealing with different platforms. At first, I was the submission backend of a technology blog. Now I have settled in more than 10 self-media platforms. In addition to Toutiao , Penguin , NetEase, Sohu, Dayu , Baijia and other "accounts", there are also Zhihu columns, iResearch columns, etc. I have to spend an hour or so every day to synchronize the content. The backend of these platforms has become a workbench for content creators. An easy-to-use backend can not only make content publishing more efficient, but also provide good support to content creators.

How well do the backends of different content platforms perform? Recently, "Luo Chao Channel" made a cross-comparison based on long-term experience. On the one hand, we hope to provide improvement suggestions to different content platforms; on the other hand, we hope to gain insight into the strategies and business capabilities of the content platforms. Before I proceed with the formal review, let me first talk about my understanding and expectations of the content platform backend.

Self-cultivation in the background of self-media

First, let me talk about my current daily content production process.

I usually write in Pages on my MacBook because it provides a simple, easy-to-use and immersive writing experience. Before publishing, the pictures needed will be stored in a folder. When publishing, all self-media platforms will be opened with the Chrome browser , and they will be published one by one to achieve "one source of water for the world". The workflow of some self-media friends may be to write articles in the background of a certain platform and then synchronize them to other platforms. I occasionally do this too. In short, everyone’s usage scenarios and processes should be similar.

Secondly, let me talk about what I consider to be a qualified content platform backend.

1. Work normally. Ensure that the content can be published normally, and that there will not be frequent problems such as submission failure, submission freeze, disappearance after submission, and image upload failure - unless there are unpredictable occasional failures.

2. Simple and efficient. Content creators should spend as little time as possible on publishing content so that they can focus on creation itself. For example, there are fewer steps to publish content, no need to repeatedly fill in unnecessary information, support one-click import, and direct copying of online pictures.

3. Fault tolerance. For example, if the online editing process suddenly freezes and restarts, the content must be able to automatically save the draft, otherwise the creator will definitely want to jump out of the building; for example, if key information such as the title is not filled in during submission or the title exceeds the word limit, there must be a friendly prompt.

Finally, let me talk about what I consider to be the backend of an excellent content platform.

A normal content publishing platform can achieve the above three points. Not only the self-media backend, but also the posting backend and other form submission pages must have these basic capabilities. If you can’t do these three things, you cannot be considered a qualified backend. Feel free to check yourself. However, to become a good content platform backend, it is necessary to fully consider the operational needs of content creators and meet their needs in content management, fan interaction, data analysis , financial statistics and other work items.

Specifically, these points are critical:

1. Content management: Improve publishing efficiency through technical means, such as automatic format detection, editing box design, and plagiarism detection, original marking, plagiarism reporting and other functions that take into account the content rights protection claims of original self-media. There are also appropriate content maintenance (withdraw, edit, delete) permissions. In short, it is necessary to ensure that self-media publishes and manages content efficiently.

2. Fan interaction: On self-media platforms, content is the product, and products must operate users (not readers). Therefore, it is crucial to establish connections between self-media and fans and interact around content.

3. Data analysis: Using data to guide content production is something every self-media platform is talking about. In the traditional media era, media professionals relied on experience, while in the Internet era, self-media produce and operate content based on data.

4. Financial statistics: There is no gain without profit. Self-media platforms have different forms of profit-sharing mechanisms. It is also very important to allow content creators to clearly understand the details of their income and to conveniently reconcile and withdraw cash.

Which self-media background is the best?

Next, based on the “standards” I mentioned above, I will evaluate the backends of several self-media platforms that I think are most representative.

1. Toutiao: It has everything it should have, and some small innovations.

A key reason why Toutiao can stand out from many personalized information apps, in addition to the personalized features supported by algorithms, is that the app is simple and easy to use - instead of focusing on design or other things like its original competitors. In the background, Toutiao is also simple and easy to use, whether it is content management, fan interaction, data analysis or financial statistics.

Here are a few points that impressed me:

1. High publishing efficiency. For example, if you copy an online picture, it will be automatically saved to the cloud. Another example is that the last draft will be automatically loaded every time it is opened. Generally, you do not need to fill in any information to declare the originality. The edit box has several key formatting options such as title, quote, bold, and project, no more and no less.

2. Strong data analysis skills. You can easily see the key data in the article list. In addition, it also provides detailed analysis services such as article analysis, video analysis, fan analysis, headline index, etc., where you can see fine-grained data and support Excel table export for more detailed analysis.

3. Multiple innovative functions. Double titles support AB testing of different titles (indirectly indicating the importance of titles on Toutiao), fans’ must-see and top content give self-media greater operating authority, and the extra-title service supports paid promotion of content.

Here are some things I think are bad:

1. Poor interaction skills. Toutiao has a high level of user comment activity, but it is difficult to manage, especially when the number of comments increases. It is difficult to operate and the design is not thorough enough. For example, if you reply to a comment and then leave, it is difficult to sort out the relationship with fans.

2. The picture description function is not easy to use. A new feature has been added to the headline editing box, which requires you to fill in a description of the picture after adding it. It is difficult to cancel, but many times pictures do not require descriptions, which reduces editing efficiency.

Overall, the backend of Toutiao is already of a superior level. Many self-media partners have expressed their recognition of the backend of Toutiao. While the overall functions are similar, the details are where the effort of the content platform can be reflected. Toutiao recently added a batch video upload function to its backend, reflecting its focus on strengthening short videos . We have also added an original rights protection and compensation function to increase the protection of originality. The five-dimensional model of Toutiao Index represents the content quality and thus determines the distribution effect. Supporting high-quality content and cleaning up low-quality content has become a trend - this is a problem that must be solved, otherwise bad money will drive out good money.

2. Penguin Media Platform: one-click distribution, giving full play to Tencent's advantages.

Although Toutiao has become famous and recently reported to have received US$1 billion in financing , it is well known that Tencent is the No. 1 in mobile information. Data from both Analysys and Questmobile show that Tencent News is the largest mobile information app, and Tiantian Kuaibao is the second largest personalized information client after Toutiao. In addition, Tencent also has distribution channels such as WeChat and QQ.

Tencent’s unified window for content creators is the Penguin Media Platform. This year, it launched the Grain in Ear Plan 2.0, investing 1.2 billion to subsidize content creators. Such basic support in the background will naturally not be absent, reflecting Tencent’s product strength (of course, it still depends on the specific team. For example, for the same WeChat, the Mac version is far worse than the mobile version).

Here are a few points that impressed me:

1. High publishing efficiency. Like Toutiao, the function design focuses on publishing efficiency, with automatic saving of pictures, drafts and original statements, and submission failures rarely occur. Recently, a new feature has been added that supports automatic generation of labels, so you can fill in fewer or no labels.

2. Strong interactive ability. Tencent has a social gene, and the Penguin Media Platform is also focusing on interaction. It can select comments and manage them from the comment dimension and article dimension respectively.

3. One-click distribution capability. This is Tencent's advantage. Unlike Toutiao, which only has one App, Tencent has a distribution channel matrix and many attention entrances. WeChat and QQ are of course, while Tencent News and Tiantian Kuaibao rank 1st and 3rd respectively in mobile information. There are also vertical Apps such as QQ Browser , Tencent Mobile, Tencent Video, and Tencent Sports. The Penguin Content Platform has been (and will be) connected with these platforms. In the background, you can choose to synchronize content sources and connect to WeChat; you can also export content to platforms such as QQ. At least in the Tencent system, the backend of Tencent media platform has achieved one-click distribution, reducing the time cost of obtaining unit reading numbers.

4. Strong data analysis skills. Like Toutiao, it provides detailed analysis services such as article analysis, video analysis, fan analysis, and Toutiao account index. You can see fine-grained data and support Excel table export for more detailed analysis. It also provides popular articles to allow self-media to conduct targeted topic optimization. However, the data on the article list page is not as detailed as the headlines.

Here are some things I think are bad:

1. The editing box needs to be improved. Penguin's editing box lacks the three major formatting brushes of title, quote and list that are basically available in the background of other media platforms, which often feels awkward.

2. Lack of functions such as double titles. Features like pinning articles, double titles and must-see for fans are not yet supported, but I believe they will be available soon.

3. There are only 5 articles published. A self-media person can only publish 5 pieces of content a day, which can meet my output, but may not meet the production capacity demands of some team-operated institutional self-media. I think Tencent's move is out of consideration for controlling content quality, but this cannot be achieved by limiting the number of updates, but a more systematic approach is required. Of course, Tencent is also practicing it.

The backend of the Penguin Media Platform fully considers the daily production and operation demands of self-media people, providing a full set of tools rather than a simple publishing backend. It is similar to the backend of Toutiao, but it fully leverages Tencent's advantages in social interaction and multi-channel distribution, providing better interaction management and one-click distribution capabilities. The recent launch of the full-network rights protection function on the Penguin Media Platform shows that it is strengthening the protection of originality; the Penguin Media Platform also supports content forms such as text and picture live broadcasts , forming a differentiated content layout.

The backend functions of other self-media platforms are similar, but they all have their own strengths and weaknesses. A brief review is as follows:

1. Baijiahao started late, and there is still much room for improvement in content publishing, data analysis, interactive management, original rights protection, one-click distribution, etc. For example, it currently does not even support marking original content and scheduled publishing. Under the "Discover" menu, one innovation is to provide content creation references to creators through big data analysis of current hot topics and scarce words.

2. Yidian Zixun is basically as easy to use as Penguin Media Platform and Toutiao. The one-click import function also supports the import of article links from different sources. However, there is still much room for improvement in data analysis, interactive management, original protection and other dimensions.

3. UC Toutiao (DaYuhao) has made content publishing simple enough. Its highlight is the function of reading public opinion digitally, which can conduct more professional public opinion analysis and is the most comprehensive among all platforms. However, there is still room for improvement in interaction management, data analysis and other dimensions.

Overall, the backend of Toutiao and Penguin Media Platform is relatively more complete and easier to use. This is also related to the time when the companies entered the market. These two companies started early and are currently the two largest self-media platforms. It seems natural that their backend is easy to use.

The second half of the self-media background

Thanks to Wang Xing, everything is entering the second half. The backend of self-media is also entering the second half. I think the following aspects are the most important:

1. The entire network realizes one water source to supply the world.

Now it takes me about an hour to update each article on more than 10 mainstream self-media platforms, and non-mainstream ones will not be updated actively. Although the self-media backend continues to improve publishing efficiency, it still takes time. Is it possible to publish to the entire network with one click? Just like the Penguin Media Platform has opened up nine major distribution channels including Tencent News and Tiantian Express, if different companies form an agreement to achieve one-click distribution, it can save content creators about an hour per article. This is very valuable. In this way, content creators can focus more on the creation itself and reduce the operating time per unit reading number.

I think this possibility still exists. After all, the competition among self-media platforms should not be to raise the threshold for publishing, because even if the self-media is not connected, it will be manually updated to different platforms. Self-media platforms should focus on dimensions such as content ecology, user operations , and commercial monetization, rather than details such as content publishing. The future will depend on who takes the lead in doing this. This also contains entrepreneurial opportunities for third-party automatic publishing platforms. The most appropriate strategy for content creators at the moment is to hire intern assistants to carry out updates.

2. Application of artificial intelligence technology.

Artificial intelligence is changing all walks of life. It is still closely integrated with the information industry, but it is more focused on the personalized distribution of content. In addition to personalized apps such as Toutiao and Tiantian Kuaibao, news apps such as Tencent News and NetEase News are also introducing personalized algorithms. However, in the future, artificial intelligence technology will be used more in the background, such as realizing intelligent voice writing, automatic recognition of typos, intelligent recognition of plagiarism and content, big data analysis to guide creation, and generating 100 titles for creators to choose from... In short, use AI to help creators improve efficiency.

3. Mobile support enables creation anytime and anywhere.

Nowadays, for most self-media, when talking about the background, the first thing they think of is the computer background. It is often inconvenient. For example, when you are outside and are in a hurry to publish content, update content, delete content, add to the whitelist, or select comments, they are not easy to use. Self-media often have the embarrassment of finding a place to use a computer. The mobile app launched by WeChat public account background has been very popular. I think the app of the background of self-media platform will become standard, allowing self-media to manage the background anytime and anywhere, and at least complete some tasks.

In short, the backend is a display window for the platform's capabilities, an interactive window between the platform and self-media, and a production platform for self-media. Therefore, self-media platforms must have a good background, not set up any obstacles, and provide innovative value-added services. At the same time, they can also embrace AI, openness and mobility to solve the current problems of self-media, allowing them to focus on creation itself.

Mobile application product promotion service: APP promotion service Qinggua Media advertising

This article was compiled and published by @罗超由 (Qinggua Media). Please indicate the author information and source when reprinting! Site Map