You’re thinking about social wrong(The reason why will shock you)

May, 2015

All info off the recordPleeeeeeeease.

I will be including some proprietary stats that are not to be shared. Thanks!

We want to grow audienceMore people = better

DUH?

Not exactly

More people today

≠People who come back tomorrow

Think anyone cares which one they’re clicking?

What is audience growth?People who see your information

(unique visitors, social media “likes”)

What is audience growth?People who see your information

People who consume your information

People who form a lasting part of your community

What is audience growth?People who see your information

People who consume your information

People who form a lasting part of your community

Wait, is this about social?Yupppp. It’s ALL about social.

Social is no longer a side project. It is the primary way people get to our stuff.

Live traffic on washingtonpost.com at 1:45pm Sunday

washingtonpost.com’s top article last week

washingtonpost.com’s top article last week

So yeah, it’s about socialPeople who see your information

People who consume your information

People who form a lasting part of your community

Let’s go through each stepFor each, we’ll discuss:- The things to think about right now- Innovations happening in the industry- What the future could look like (nerd out

time!)

1.Growing the pie

More people = more opportunity

Much is out of our control

Optimize every story for social shares

vs.

Create for the long tail

Create what people want for where they’ll find it

This story was published Aug. 2014. Here’s what traffic has looked like since Sept.

Create content that speaks to specific audiences

Innovation: NativeEven advertising-based orgs are experimenting with stories meant to be seen only on social.

“They don’t have to click off; there’s no barrier to engage.” - Chris Thorman, Vox Media

PopSugar and Facebook video

washingtonpost on Snapchat (Nigeria elections)

The future of nativeEven more on more platforms.Snapchat Discover is hereFacebook “Instant Articles” is comingKik, WhatsApp, Viber, Periscope, etc.

Imagine if...

Imagine if...

Effective native mobile content has yet to be solved by any news org.

Imagine if we could deliver information and let users consume and interact straight from smartphone notifications/cards?

2.Viewers → consumers

Getting engagement from clicks

Meet the expectationWhen someone clicks your story from social or encounters native content, it needs to match what they expect to see/what they want to consume.

Blergh so much text

Talking head video on Facebook???

When expectations differDesktop visitors read more and are more likely to click around.

Innovation: Big dataA/B testing of on-page elements and personalization, using data to refine our understanding of what people respond to on our pages.

Which gets more clicks?

?

Which gets more shares?

The future of big dataThere is tremendous room for growth in our understanding of what audiences want and how to serve them.We’re still tied to the inverted pyramid article as our main storytelling tool. But why?

Imagine if...

Imagine if you could understand how the preferences and expectations of different audiences (or even different people … at different times of day!) differ and tailor their experience accordingly?

3.Lasting growthLong-term, committed community

It’s about conversionDumb marketing term, but accurate.

People see your stuff, read it, like it. Then what?

Opportunities to subscribeDelivery subscriptions keep people connected to youNewsletters | Apps | SMS | Social | Podcasts | Alerts

Opportunities to engageOn your site and natively on social, create opportunities to form relationships with you and your personalities.

And integrate with the places where this is already happening.

Reaching out on Facebook

Opportunities to engage

Reader responses on Snapchat

Live conversation on Periscope

Innovation: 1-1 socialAs social activity moves to messaging apps, news orgs have to find ways to integrate in that more personal space.

WaPo trivia in your Kik message box

Group text message during SOTU

The future of 1-1People are only getting savvier at sniffing out inauthentic attempts to connect. The reporters who cultivate an authentic voice and place within the communities they report on will be the ones who have the most loyal audiences, get the best scoops and deliver the most relevant information.

Imagine if...

Imagine if we knew who everyone in our core audience was, across all platforms. We’d have a network to amplify our distribution, a core community to help when we need their eyes or input, and a set of people who will support us no matter what we need from them!

So back to this...People who see your information

People who consume your information

People who form a lasting part of your community

It really boils down to...

The content people want, optimized for the platforms where they’ll find it

A consumption experience matching their expectations

Pathways to connect with the people and topics that resonate

That’s enough of me jabbering.Questions?