No point creating content if it is not served on right platform: Ran Buck of Taboola

Imagine a situation where the right content has been crafted and is present on the platform but there is nobody to consume it. Discoverability of content by users has become a challenge for platforms and as the content space gets more crowded, the industry would have to look for unique solutions, said Ran Buck, SVP, Global Revenue, Taboola, a leading content discovery platform.

In a conversation with BuzzInContent.com, he discussed how the content discovery platforms help users to unearth the right content at the right time and at the right place. He also mentioned why it is necessary to fine-tune and optimise the content before its distribution.

Emphasising on creating the suitable content for the platforms, he said, “When you're running content, you need to understand how it impacts the behaviour or the brain of the user. And that's really crucial. Brands need to create content understanding the user behaviour and optimising, fine-tuning it before the distribution.”

He said if brands don't know how to reach the right audience, they will never understand what content means to the audience. “That's the reason why you see much better performance with right content and distribution; the CTR dramatically changes — more significantly than any other ads.”

Calling the Indian market a dynamic one, Buck predicted that vernacular content and mobile screens are the two trends that are going to pay off well, in the future.  

Discussing the content marketing space in India, he said the mobile screen and videos will pay off in the market in future.

“If I am not a big brand, how do you read my content? The only way you are going to discover it is when someone is going to tell that this piece of content might interest or engage you. That is the reason we are content discovery platforms, which help to discover the moment of next for users. I want content that discovers me,” he added.

Unlike other applications and content discovery platforms like Facebook and Twitter, Taboola as a platform is working as the open web. It is powered by Deep Learning, AI, and a large dataset.

The platform works with 20,000 publishers, including CNBC, NBC News, USA Today, BILD, Sankei, Huffington Post, Microsoft, Business Insider, The Independent, and NDTV.

Taboola takes its content and puts it before the users in a personalised way depending on user interest. The platform analyses the users’ behaviours to discover the right content for them. The company has now expanded its reach across India with new publisher partnerships, including Indian Express, The Hindu, Zee Media, NDTV, India Today Group, Times Now, MSN, India TV, ABP and Dinamalar. It has also opened up its new India office in Gurugram with a team of 80.