Developing and Executing Audience Growth Strategies PLUS Six Ideas on Using Live Audio for Reporting, Engagement and Subscriptions

June 04, 2021

Some really solid stories about audience growth strategies and new models for media. We've got a piece looking at the audience growth strategies for new audio services such as Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces. NPR*, the public radio broadcaster, has been doing some interesting things. Journalism.co.uk has a quartet of interviews about how publishers from The Star to The Economist in the UK and the South China Morning Post are identifying target audiences and developing products and approaches to reach them.

There is also a good look at the local newsletters in the UK that are receiving grants from Substack. A great look at the local newsletters that are popping up in the UK and how they are trying to differentiate themselves from big beasts in their markets.

* I'm the director of digital products and platforms at a regional public radio and TV group in the US that has an NPR station in our group.

Building Audience Using Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces

We keep an eye out for the most interesting stories about Labby subjects: digital media, startups, the web, journalism, strategy, and more. Here’s some of what we’ve seen lately.

Great ideas including a live news quiz but also in making the case to people for getting a subscription. 

UK and HK: Developing Audience Growth Strategies

For most legacy brands, reaching younger and more diverse audiences is essential for survival. That means not only identifying what readers they are not reaching yet but also creating strategies to get their brands seen in those spaces.

The Star, The Times and The Economist and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong all discuss their audience growth strategies. A really excellent look at how publishers identify audiences that they want to grow and how they go about reaching and developing those audiences.

Outside CEO Talks about 10x Subscriber Growth Goal

Press Gazette has been reporting on British journalism without fear or favour since 1965. Our mission is to provide a news and information service which helps the UK journalism.

The growth strategy includes a package of services, Outside+, that will be offered to subscribers including magazine subscriptions and "the usage of the Gaia GPS software that Outside owns, access to OutsideTV and virtual health and fitness courses".

Digiday Reviews Social Media Policy

The Washington Post’s guidelines, which are posted online, do not appear to have been updated since 2016 (The Post declined to comment for this story). CNN’s policies haven’t changed “in some time,” according to a spokesperson.

In the wake of a young reporter losing her role at the AP due to social media posts she made as a university student, Digiday reviews social media policies at major news outlets.

Stratechery's Thompson Launches Service for Creators

Announcing Passport, the new infrastructure supporting Stratechery.

UK and EU Investigate Facebook over Use of Data

Joint inquiry to consider if Facebook stifles competition on Marketplace and Dating platform

Facebook faces more anti-competition investigations, this time with respect to data use for the Marketing and Dating platform.

UK: Substack Invests in Local Outlets

Press Gazette has been reporting on British journalism without fear or favour since 1965. Our mission is to provide a news and information service which helps the UK journalism.

Apart from the news of the Substack grants, some interesting profiles of these newsletter publications, their strategies (offering distinctive, in-depth local coverage) and their early success.