Mobile is a hot topic in content publishing and journalism in 2014. Not only is it critical for publishers to have mobile-always strategies in place, but you need to get your content mobile-friendly as soon as possible.The shift from desktop content consumption to mobile content consumption grows every day, but before you make any sweeping changes to accommodate that growing mobile audience, there are several critical issues in mobile-content publishing that you need to consider as you "go mobile".

1. Accurate Measurement

It's not enough to collect demographic data about your audience. You also need to gather and accurately analyze behavioral data about your audience. For example, are more people accessing your content via smartphones or tablets? Does the answer to that question depend on the time of day or the demographic profile of the audience member? Accurate measurement requires more in-depth analysis than ever to identify the best ways to develop mobile content that engages audiences at the right time and in the right place.

2. Integration of Content Creation, Content Design, and Content Distribution

Storytelling is increasingly important in content publishing, but a huge part of storytelling success online is the effective use of words, images, and videos as well as distribution to the right audiences. When these elements are seamlessly integrated, content thrives. Not only does mobile consumption affect how stories are put together and what images or multimedia components are included, but it also affects how audiences receive that content through different distribution channels. What works through one mobile distribution channel might not work on another (e.g., videos won't play or images won't render accurately). Success requires internal and external team collaboration at all times, which is a significant shift from the more departmentalized structure of traditional media and publishing organizations.

3. Adaptive Content

To achieve economies of scale, publishers must find ways to develop adaptive content---content which not only "works" on multiple devices (i.e., desktop, smartphones, and tablets) but also provides the best experience for audiences. Adjusting text, modifying headlines, and even completely retooling a piece of content to adapt it for other devices must become a part of the daily content creation and publishing process. In other words, in addition to the integration of employees and tasks to produce and deliver the best content to each audience, the modification of content to adapt to experiences demanded by those audiences is equally critical.What issues are you finding to be most critical as you develop a mobile-always strategy for your content? Leave a comment and share your experiences.Image: Karlis Dambrans