Program

Audience Community of Practice: Referral traffic trends

June 26, 2024

The Audience Community of Practice hosted a session on July 18 with FT Strategies, a consultancy which works with news and media organizations globally to help them address strategic challenges, drive sustainable growth, and innovate using technology, data, and AI.

Nehmat Kaur and George Adelman from FT Strategies presented insights around news consumption trends and strategies that publishers are exploring to adapt to changing audience behaviors and platform dynamics.

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Audience trends

Nehmat highlighted the increasing fragmentation of news consumption across platforms. While Facebook remains influential, platforms like YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, and TikTok are gaining prominence. Nehmat stressed the importance for publishers to develop tailored strategies for each platform based on unique audience behaviors and identified four key behaviors among next-generation news consumers: 

• Digital simultasking
• Filtering news through trusted networks
• Engaging in digital discourse
• Sophisticated searching to manage information overload

How publishers are adapting 

In response to these trends, publishers are adapting to maintain relevance in the digital landscape. Nehmat outlined three strategic shifts that publishers are making: forging personal connections with audiences by adopting a more informal, personal voice in content promotion; exploring new platforms where engaged audiences are migrating; and redesigning news products to align with audience preferences. She highlighted the Financial Times’ innovative approach to seamlessly integrating social media into their website.

Where to find engagement

WhatsApp emerged as a pivotal platform for engagement, particularly outside the US. Publishers are experimenting with strategies such as broadcast channels and live events to build communities and diversify revenue streams. Nehmat recommended that publishers should leverage social media and website content to promote WhatsApp channels and increase subscriptions through notifications, stories, and clear calls-to-action. That said, she acknowledged challenges in obtaining comprehensive data directly from WhatsApp, suggesting the strategic use of tracking codes and internal data analysis to complement platform-provided metrics.

Video formats are popular with younger consumers

Publishers are increasingly leveraging video formats on platforms like YouTube to reach younger demographics. Publishers are innovating by repurposing content for different media, such as transforming radio broadcasts into YouTube shows or podcasts. This not only expands reach but also caters to diverse audience preferences across digital platforms. Additionally, AI tools like generative AI Chatbots are being integrated to personalize news interactions. Website redesign initiatives are also underway to enhance user experience, engagement, and reader loyalty by federating content and seamlessly integrating social media updates.

Mixed bag for aggregators

In discussion, attendees shared their experiences using Apple News, News Break, Smart News, and Microsoft Start, noting their role in providing user-centric platforms for publishers to connect effectively with targeted audiences. While these services offer substantial user bases and in some cases contribute to publishers’ revenue streams, attendees noted challenges around platform-specific quirks, technical integrations, and audience engagement dynamics. Apple News, for instance, has introduced local news hubs in cities like Boise, Austin, and New York, but plans for other cities are unclear. Other challenges discussed include maintaining relationships with Apple News editors and navigating technical complexities in CMS integration. Finally, attendees also discussed their mixed experiences with News Break and Smart News, highlighting concerns over revenue sharing, traffic fluctuations, and a lack of moderation in some comment sections, while Microsoft Start received praise for its traffic contributions despite modest revenue shares.

Links to sources cited below:

• Overview and key findings of the 2024 Digital News Report
• Next Gen News
• How 13 news publishers are using WhatsApp Channels
• How coffee breaks with users brought reality checks and culture change to Sweden’s public broadcaster
• Morning Brew earns thousands of newsletter subscribers with organic creatives and strategic targeting
• The fediverse, explained
• Threads has entered the fediverse
• As clicks dry up for news sites, could Apple’s news app be a lifeline?
• Video brand TLDR finds way to make money providing news for the young
• The Verge’s Dramatic Redesign Boosts Loyalty Even as Readership Dwindles
• What The Verge’s website redesign tells us about the future of media
• Apple News expands local news offerings