Photo credit: Antony Mayfield
Major online media outlets now turn to data analytics to help devise their editorial and marketing strategies. Journalists study readership metrics to help decide what articles to write, when to publish them, and how to promote them on social media. Communications professionals can also apply the analytics techniques of the media outlets to their corporate blogs.
Representatives from The Guardian and the Financial Times explained how analytics benefits their organization at a Sciences Po’s NPDJ conference covered by Journalism.co.uk.
Key lesson #1: Look beyond the basic, standard metrics like page views and unique visitors. The new buzzword among media organizations is “impact.” Unfortunately, its definition is nebulous. “It’s a word that nobody can quite agree on, but that everyone wants on their side,” said Chris Moran, audience editor at the Guardian.
Clues to impact can be found in the engagement data – likes, comments, etc. Time-on-page can also determine impact. Video watching to conclusion indicates interest and impact.
Volume of content – that is, output — is no longer the only definition of success. Now, media sources can judge if a piece of content attracted readership and made an impact. One element of the Guardian’s analytics platform actually encourages reporters to write fewer stories on the same topic. “It tells you how many different pieces you can share on a single topic during one day,” Moran explained.
Key Lesson #2: Be data-informed, not data-led. In other words, allow data to help reach decisions, rather than blindly following data. The Financial Times relies on its newsroom staff to select story topics, and uses data to optimize articles.
Data can help reveal what posts are better for different social media platforms. For instance, the Guardian found that simpler posts on Facebook refer more readers to the Guardian’s own pages.
When to Publish Posts?
Key Lesson #3: There is no universal best time to post or standard formula to decide when to publish. Analyze results after posting to learn optimal posting time for different types of content. The Guardian’s peak time is typically from noon to 2 p.m., but it avoids publishing too many posts during those hours. If it publishes multiple posts on the same topic nearly simultaneously, they cannot possibly attain top search results at the same time.
Key Lesson #4: Employ different definitions for success. Success depends on a story’s category, its audience, the news agenda for the day, and other factors, said Renée Kaplan, head of audience engagement at the Financial Times, another panelist.
Key Lesson #5: Consider social media a publishing platform. The Financial Times and other media outlets now treat social media networks as publishing platforms rather than mere promotional tools. The Times, which employs a pay wall, publishes on social media in hopes that readers will eventually pay for its content.
Data Analytics Myths
Sachin Kamdar, co-founder of Parse.ly, also offered advice for journalists using analytics. While addressed to journalists, the advice also applies to corporate blogs. Kamdar sought to dispel three myths:
Data is too complex. Data can – and should – be accessible to everyone. Because reporters and editors understand their content best, they are better able to spot important trends faster than analysts. The same observation can apply to corporate content producers.
Data can lower morale. Some fear morale will suffer when staff learns that page views are lower than thought. However, data can reveal favorable audience reactions, such as high engagement time or traffic trending higher over time. Analytics can reveal discouraging trends, but data can also shine light on underappreciated work if measured in concert with company or departmental goals.
Data reduces a site’s goals to one number. Quantitative measurements play an important role for organizations wanting to tell a long-term story of audience growth. Analytics can show multiple paths to success for both companies and nonprofit organizations.
Bottom Line: Large media outlets are increasingly taking advantage of data analytics to guide their marketing and editorial decisions. Corporate blogs can learn from their example.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
