ReadPeak gets your content where it wants to go

People reaching for their smartphones from the comfort of their beds every morning aren’t wondering what today’s adverts are going to be. They’re keen to see today’s content. That’s why – says ReadPeak founder and CEO Tomas Forsbäck – it has become valuable for brands to become part of the content, not only the adverts.

“It’s not about what is advertised, it’s about what’s being talked about,” he notes.

ReadPeak takes content created by companies, such as blog posts, explainer videos and expert articles, and adds them to the news feeds of established media companies it has partnered with. In practical terms, this can mean that a technology company writes an article about a groundbreaking innovation and, through ReadPeak’s platform, it can promote its content on dozens of media sites visited frequently by technology aficionados.

“It’s an effective way to get your message across,” Forsbäck explains. “There are many companies that have excellent content but don’t know how to spread it. That’s what we help them to do.”

Paying for clicks

ReadPeak enables its clients to choose which media outlets they want to utilise and decide the length of the campaign. The client only pays for concrete clicks that bring visitors to the site.

ReadPeak’s business model means that the content must be interesting and well packaged; otherwise there’d be no clicks and its revenue stream would slow to a trickle. Anyone who has seen content by companies knows that the quality varies wildly, but according to Forsbäck this has never been a problem for ReadPeak.

“The companies that use our platform and are willing to spend money on distribution tend to understand the value of high-quality content. The media outlets have a final say on what they accept on their sites, so there’s an approval system in place, but it’s very uncommon for them to ask for changes or ban a campaign entirely.”

Catching clients early

ReadPeak was founded in 2014, when Forsbäck was creating content campaigns for print. He began to contemplate an option that would enable the same kind of reach digitally, whilst also being effective for the advertiser, useful for the reader and profitable for both the company and its media partners.

The platform was launched commercially in early 2016. Currently, users gain access to thousands of publishers, of which they can choose the ones that most suit their needs. ReadPeak operates in Finland, Sweden, Norway, the Baltics and the UK, with offices in Helsinki and Stockholm. Forsbäck tells that the team keeps a keen eye on all possible markets that could open up, and, although the focus has so far been on Europe, the scope is likely to be expanded in the future.

After all, content marketing is taking over traditional advertising all over the globe. Forsbäck notes that consumers are tired of being told what to buy, but rather want to find out things and research them on their own and make informed decisions. Forsbäck believes that quality content is a great way to spread a company’s story and values.

He also believes that in the online era people make purchase decisions much earlier in the process – even before they actually need the product.

“I’m a great example myself. I’ve considered buying a new speaker system, so I’ve done plenty of research, read articles and seen YouTube videos. Long before I have the money, I’ve already decided the brand and the model I want,” Forsbäck tells.

“Hence, if you can grasp the consumer’s attention before the need to buy occurs, you can find your potential clients at an early stage.”