The years 2014-15 have brought in a revolution in the news & media industry. Even though prior challenges remain persistent but with a barrage of opportunities rising in this era, a new found vigor is palpitating strongly in the veins of the industry.
Digital players are rising by the second, revenue channels have opened up in areas where one couldn't even begin to envisage. An American survey suggested that 82% of readers receive their news online on portals and a whopping 54% receive their news on tablets and mobiles. Those are strong numbers and indeed strong enough to direct your news business towards a new avenue.
Buzzfeed, a company started in 2006 as viral content testers, is now a Digital Media Mammoth with an Alexa rank of 97. Buzzfeed provides global news in a myriad of areas and enjoys a lion's share of the online News & Media market.
Reddit, an online news and networking platform, was formed by a team of two in 2005 and now has a thriving community of 174 million users. Mashable, Huffington Post, examples are numerous and through the right step in the right direction these examples turn to epitomes and from epitomes to paragons of a new revolution in news & media.
Digital storytelling is the new trend. Tell your story online and the world will listen, share, comment and even propagandize for you if the story is good enough. Freedom of expression is the new found democracy and if it was ever the right time to tap the online market… it is now!
Working closely around this arena of mass opportunities, I have faced many clients, written many success stories and through the expertise of Daffodil Software in this area here are a few things to keep in mind as a news agency:
# Social Media
Facebook, Twitter, and suchlike are raging bulls of the internet. An average user receives more information from these platforms than any other in the world. Social media sprouts up information in your news feed like weeds. It is a viral madness out there, a madness that is ripe for every manner of online marketing.
As a News company, it is crucial to exist on these platforms. It is quintessential to link your News & Media with a social media account primarily for:
Brand Building: Social media presence enables transparency and a platform to communicate at your heart's will. Speak up, speak out, rev up things and beat the drums. Let your brand be known to all those who may listen.
Traffic Generation: Organic & Inorganic traffic on your social media page/profile is the penultimate stage of Leads to your news website. Dress up your social media page like it is prom night every night. Target the right audience; gather your news offerings and traffic will flow like a streamline.
Social Cues: Social media can make you understand the present trends of the market, what the user reads and most importantly what the user doesn't read. Trending topics, news, and mood of the reader can help you place the right content on your website.
Social media integration is a norm followed by flourishing news & media agencies of today. It is not simply a step up in the ladder but an elevator ride to the top floor. Media Giants have started their journeys through social media and have reached the paramount position of success.
# Performance
There are firms like Big Drop Inc, dotcomweavers etc who have made a fortune in web development and designing so you can imagine how their clients are faring.
A web page experience is purely through its performance, an ideal load time for a web page is anything less than 3 seconds. Now ask yourself 'Is your page taking more than that?' If you say 'Yes' then your customers have already found your competitors to be a much more suitable source of news & media.
Even my personal experience with burgeoning new companies seconds the above. Daffodil Software has faced countless clients with the grieving issue of slow loading time and upon solving the issue their success speaks for itself.
# Media integration
Let us just admit it; the present news reader is not traditionally a reader. He/she wants a user experience worth recalling; news reading is not simply 'reading' nowadays rather it must be a feast for the eyes and ears. An ocular and audible panorama is what the user demands.
It is time to shake things up, integrate your web pages with photos and videos. Dive into the magical world of online media extravaganza, it is only then when you will realize that attracting the online audience is like plucking the low hanging fruit.
# Mobility
2 billion people are predicted to own smart phones by the end of 2016. A herculean 80% of young adults use smart phones in the present era. If you are not on mobile then you are plainly nonexistent. How to go mobile? It's simple.
Responsive Web Design: or RWD is an approach that aims at providing the ultimate user experience, be it on web or mobile. It offers easy reading, navigation, panning, resizing, scrolling etc across a wide range of devices (smart phones, tablets and computers).
Mobile App: Tap into the multitudes of people who spend majority of their time snuggling their noses into a smart phone or tablet. With the mobile industry booming as it is right now, it is the perfect time for any business to get their App in the market.
If tapping into a large market segment doesn't cut it for you then here is something that will certainly make the cookie crumble.
Supercell, a Finnish mobile game development company, generates 2.4 million USD everyday purely through its mobile apps.
NewsHunt, an Indian News & Media company, has a turnover of 1million USD quarterly through excellent services on their mobile app.
News & Media is expanding and going global every second as we speak so if you are a News & Media company and exploring new avenues for a success drive then the above points can be your mantra for success.
I hope you enjoyed your time reading the blog. Share your comments through the social media link on the right and stay tuned for more.
