Navigating a mobile world: Ten trends in news & what they mean for marketers
After half a lifetime in journalism – much of it in the heart of digital transformation – I’m now working with brands. It's a whole new world for me. The language, the business models and, of course, the goals are all quite different. But more surprising is what news publishers and brands have in common.
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At the top of the list: how to navigate a mobile world to reach and engage audiences. Marketers and communications professionals can learn a lot from studying how consumers interact with news across platforms, as well as from both the successes and the missteps that news publishers have made in trying to reach them.
The last few months have brought on a raft of relevant data – not just about news organizations but to any brands that have stories to tell and to share. Three important recent sets of findings – the Reuters Institute Digital News Report, Pew State of the Media and Columbia University Tow Center for Digital Journalism – offer valuable data on consumer behavior, shifting business models and news organizations’ efforts to adapt to change. The Reuters report also includes separate sections for each of 26 countries.
In aggregate, the trends that follow represent a continuation of the shift we’ve seen over several years – though this last year has brought several “tipping points.” It all adds up to ongoing challenges for all content creators as the means of distribution move into the hands of dominant platforms. On the other hand, more platforms mean more creative outlets and more way to tell stories.
Here’s a very high level and subjective look at the most important findings:
1. Facebook is the dominant network for news, as averaged across the globe.
Facebook is nearly double second-place YouTube on a global basis - but some markets buck that trend. Most notably YouTube is #1 in Japan and Kakao Talk is almost neck and neck with Facebook in Korea.
What does this mean? Ignore Facebook at your peril. But don’t rely on it as your savior either. The algorithm is constantly shifting but one constant seems to be an emphasis on content that your friends are liking and sharing. That means It’s not enough to collect likes on your brand page. Unless users are liking and sharing your posts, your organic content won’t breakthrough.
2. Smartphones are now a source for news for more than half of global media consumers.
Fifty-three percent of global survey respondents in the Reuters study say they use a smartphone to access news each week. Smartphone users access news more frequently and are the main driver towards social channels for new consumption.
What does this mean? There’s officially no excuse not to have a mobile-first strategy. And saying it is not enough – marketers need to create experiences that are “digital native” by designing around the unique attributes of mobile devices and mobile behavior.
3. Social media rises dramatically for discovery and consumption of news.
According to the Reuters report, 46% of all global respondents use social media for news each week, a significant spike in the last year, almost doubling since 2013. Nearly a quarter of millennials say social media is their MAIN source of news. And equal number say they share news via social media.
What does this mean? We are moving away from the homepage/landing page era of the Internet and moving toward being fully immersed “in the stream.” Content lives on its own within each individual social stream (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc). Stand-alone content created for mobile channels first is essential in effectively reaching and engaging consumers. If you want a website to archive your creative or show off your content goods to partners, great. Just don’t expect anyone to find it on their own.
4. Older generations continue to rely more on TV for news, but that’s shifting fast.
This is not surprising, of course, but what I found interesting is that more than a quarter of the 55+ demographic considers digital to be their primary source of news. TV continues to sink and sink and sink.
What does this mean? A surprising number of brands still rely heavily on television buys – increasingly ineffective and inefficient means to reach the most desirable demos, especially if that TV content is not part of a bigger, multi-platform strategy.
5. Video news is growing more slowly than expected.
The large majority of people still mostly rely on text for news (78%) and news video consumption is highest in the United States (33%). The dominant reasons for that preference are efficiency of reading and annoyance with pre-rolls.
What does this mean? The takeaway here is to think about the best way to convey your message. Sometimes text with an image of a graphic is best. Don’t jump on the video bandwagon simply because you think your target audience prefers video.
6. Ad blocking is getting ready to explode.
While ad-blocking adoption among consumers/users currently ranges from 10% (Japan) to 38% (Poland), one-third of respondents in the Reuters study expect to employ an ad blocker on their smart phone in the next year. In the U.S., that’s 24%. The UK is 21% – both are expected to rise.
What does this mean? Mobile ads – at least as we know them today – won’t survive. What will? Rich immersive experiences that inform or entertain. And great stories that consumers find interesting or useful – but that don’t pander or deceive. But you already knew that.
7. More people prefer an algorithm to an editor for news.
Thirty-six percent of respondents in the Reuters study would prefer to be delivered stories based on their own personal reading history via an algorithm, than selected for them based on the judgment of an editor (30%).
What does this mean? Consumers increasingly want more control over what shows up in their feeds, based on past behavior and preferences. This could have implications for paid insertions, putting more pressure on the platforms to fine-tune targeting on behalf of brands or risk alienating users.
8. Recognition of news brands inside social media feeds is declining.
In English speaking markets where competition is greater, only a third of people are aware what news organization is behind the news they discover in their feeds.
What does this mean? Certainly this is a devastating trend for news publishers, but it has implications for brands as well. The very nature of the “feed” means loss of control over the environment in which brands’ messages show up. That means more pressure to make sure that individual pieces of content demand positive attention and engagement.
9. There’s a mixed comfort level with labeling of sponsored content on news sites.
Across the board less than half of people feel sponsored content on news sites are clearly labeled. The highest acceptance rate is in the U.S. and Canada, least accepted in Korea and Germany.
What does this mean? Simply put, trust and disclosure are paramount.
10. Mobile advertising spend now tops desktop in the US, up 65%.
Mobile ad spending now stands at $32 billion, but according to Pew State of the Media, almost two-thirds of this goes to Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Microsoft and Twitter. Only 5% of local television stations’ advertising revenue is from digital, newspapers’ digital ad revenue is 25% of the total…but falling in absolute terms.
What does it mean: While mobile advertising spend is finally starting to catch up to usage, money is largely not going into display advertising. You can thank ad blocking, viewabilty, ad fraud and poor creative for that. The best bet for brands is content that drives engagement.
Vivian Schiller is editor in chief and head of Mediaco in North America at global communications and engagement firm Weber Shandwick. She is also an independent consultant, advising a variety of companies on how to navigate the changing media landscape. Schiller previously held executive roles at Twitter, NPR, NBC News and The New York Times. She tweets @vivian