Six Metrics to Use to Track Your Newsletter Performance after Apple Shuts Off Open Rates via @WNIP PLUS Insta Inspiration from Nat Geo

August 16, 2021

Apple continues to increase privacy options for users, which is a good thing, but for publishers, this also means that they will empower users to opt out of newsletter open tracking. If you look at how many people are opening your newsletter with iOS or Mac Mail (much less on the latter than the former), you will get a sense of the potential impact on your metrics. What's New In Publishing has six metrics that you should think about tracking with this change that might give you a better sense of how your newsletter is performing.

A good piece in Digital Content Next about National Geographic's Instagram strategy. They have some really sophisticated thinking and execution.

PLUS how to use future scenario planning to guide your innovation and changes to Google podcasts that you'll want to be aware of. MailChimp is shopping itself around, and the New York Times covers one of the biggest digital media players that you might never have heard of.

National Geographic is an Instagram powerhouse. It tops 175 million followers, which makes it the platform's 12th most followed account.

A "nuanced conversation" and an interesting internal curation strategy to make sure their posts retain the authenticity of the voices of the photographers that took the pictures.

Future continues buying spree with purchase of 12 titles including The Week and Computer Active

More consolidation in the UK's magazine industry as Future gobbles up Dennis, publisher of The Week.

6 metrics measuring your email performance (that might be even better than open rate) Email is an increasingly important channel for publishers. Newsletters are an integral part of brand-building, helping build personal connections with digital audiences. Perhaps more importantly, newsletters have huge potential as newsrooms’ biggest revenue driver. They are at the top of the subscriptions funnel: Newsletters …

Keep this handy as Apple's Mail privacy settings make open rates a less reliable metric for tracking your open rates.

Scenario-based innovation takes mega trends and industry-specific trends and translates them into future scenarios. These scenarios drive long-term ideas.

A good look at scenario planning, which projects trends into the future products and opportunities for companies.

Red Ventures has turned very specific advice into very big business.

I have to admit that I hadn't heard of this company, even though they have been hoovering up some big digital brands such as tech news site CNET.

Mailchimp In Play: Firm Reportedly Explores Sale Options, With $10 Billion-Plus Valuation - 08/12/2021

This is an interesting development. It makes sense that during this email newsletter boom that the company shops itself around. The company has probably made the determination that it won't get a better price, but it also hints that the company might have doubts about its ability to scale from where it's at.

From 21 September, Google will start enforcing new requirements for podcast RSS feeds.The announcement:To best help listeners discover new podcasts on Google, Google will start enforcing new requirements for podcast RSS feeds to be eligible to appear in recommendations on Google Podcasts and other Google surfaces. These requirements will go into place on September 21st. […]

From India to Brazil, Substack is awarding grants and lending journalists editorial resources. How far will that support really go?

The gameplay acts like a vaccine, so the next time people encounter such manipulation in the real world, they’ll recognize it for what it is.