Test, learn, take risks, and keep a close eye on that looming AI horizon. The buzzword of the day was “experiment” – especially when it comes to AI. Speakers shared insights and thought leadership from global powerhouses like TikTok, Mail Online, Condé Nast, and LadBible, through to experts at William Reed and Fully Charged. But no matter how big or small the organisation, the clear conclusion was, we must continue to innovate and learn from our digital audiences. Our other top takeaways from the day were….

AI is here and it’s real. It’s also quite scary – no, this is not just a new ‘metaverse’ thing. There were calls for industry-wide ‘blue tick’ kitemarking from trusted ‘human’ sources and a desire not to repeat mistakes of the past by acting independently. There was recognition that engagement with tech giants needs to happen now to create appropriate boundaries. Sobering stuff.

…now lean into machine learning – balancing outthe AI concerns were fascinating insights and tips on how to leverage large language AI tools to improve the basics of copy, headlines, SEO, etc whilst exploring the infinite and exciting possibilities offered up by some tools for as little as £16/month.

Gen Z – ignore them at your peril – because they are consuming differently, and we need to learn from them if we want to remain relevant and connected. Younger consumers are using platforms we may not even know about (Discord anyone?) and they are spending money on things that baffle us (virtual sneakers?). Double down on finding and working with native Gen Z voices in an authentic way for your brand.

Video is (still) King – but it’s also expensive. To make matters worse, optimal durations change weekly – but there’s no denying that both audiences and brands love it. The key takeaways from video experts at Fully Charged and LadBible were: know your audience; rinse and repeat when it works; recognise that video is part of a wider revenue generation strategy; understand why brands want video and what their success metrics look like, before committing to any deal.

Learn from BookTok – it’s the Covid sensation that has grown into a post-pandemic money-spinner for book publishers. There is a lot for print publishers to learn and gain from TikTok – and they really want to engage with the industry. Bookazines anyone? Buddy up with authentic influencers to optimise your profile and don’t assume TikTok is solely for Gen Z.

Take risks with immersive gaming behaviours to engage where audiences really are – just because your kids use Roblox don’t dismiss it (or Fortnite or Minecraft) as a vehicle to reach new audiences. Re-consider engagement metrics, use gaming experts to help develop authentic publishing within immersive worlds to get audiences to consider your brand differently.

Search – it’s part of the furniture for every digital business, so surely, we must have cracked it? Think again, then think of AI – were the wise words on SEO and discovery from global megabrands like MailOnline and Conde Nast, as well as the specialist B2B perspective at William Reed. It’s nice to know that no matter how big or small you are, we all share the same conundrums and tech outages… could harnessing AI for SEO be a game changer for our industry?