A new state of the media report released in October 2016 indicates that newsrooms should invest significantly in data analysis, social media engagement, and email distribution.
“The State of the Media Industry 2017”, compiled and published by media intelligence firm The Media Briefing, walks us through both current and upcoming trends in media publishing, laying out those areas deserving of increased attention.
Data for digital marketing strategies
The report states that data is set to be the biggest area of investment from media publishers in 2017. And when they put it like this, it’s not hard to see why: “Data has become a realizable asset, almost the cost of entry for successful digital strategies.”
Media publishing companies have recognized the value — nay, the necessity — of collecting and interpreting data in order to drive their business. The fact is that, in the vastness of the internet, publishers need data to be able to better and more effectively engage with an audience.
It is no secret that companies like Facebook use algorithms to identify characteristics and behaviors in the platform’s users. Both news feeds and advertising can then be tailored towards these users.
The report says publishers that engage in similar practices will reap more from their digital strategies. Data can help those in the media industry develop new products, better place their advertising, and gain an audience that will appreciate and value their offerings.
But it’s not easy to master. As the report admits, “Data is not easy to do right.” Finding, collecting, and understanding data is not an easy task. It’s a challenge, but it’s a challenge that can and should be met.
But if the prospect of it all sends you running for the hills, companies like Agility PR Solutions that provide data collection and analysis services can do it for you.
Social media isn’t just about likes
In case you don’t already know, social media is an important tool in media publishing. Case in point: social media is responsible for driving more traffic to publisher websites than search engines, and that’s only likely to increase.
But like data analysis, social media can often pose a challenge for publishers. One issue is the disconnect between revenue generation and apparently free content distribution.
For this reason, publishers realize they can no longer rely on content likes and shares alone. Instead, they’re beginning to view these networks as recruitment platforms, employing social media to achieve and build brand loyalty and subscriptions.
It might sound strange, but 2017 is primed to be the year of email. A major indicator? Mobile phone users, especially those between the ages of 18 and 34, are spending more and more time on email thanks to new tools that help eliminate noise and unwanted messages. Indeed, according to the report, email is making a comeback.
The report maintains that email newsletters are hot again simply because, through them, media publishers can gain back some of the control they’ve lost on social media: they can see who receives the emails, if and when they open them, and who forwards or links to their content.
According to the report, in 2017 companies involved in media publishing should expect to make investments in data analytics, social media, and email distribution tools. These services will be even more crucial in engaging audiences and increasing return on investment in our ever-more digital environment.
