With news brand content being featured less on certain online platforms as algorithms change, where can news brands pivot to get some of that crucial online cut-through? Newsworks communications manager Lewis Boulton explores one new solution in the first of a new audio series explaining the latest news brand trends and talking points
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With some social platforms hiding content like news to avoid shelling out for featuring it, news brands are constantly innovating to reach audiences where they consume content.
Ironically, perhaps, it’s new features from Facebook stablemate WhatsApp allowing publishers to get some of that crucial cut-through, with two new tools sending stories directly to readers’ inboxes.
Firstly, Channels — a simple one-way broadcasting tool with no interaction.
Hundreds of thousands are already following UK news publishers this way, with channels on everything from news, sport, soaps, even Christmas!
There are also smaller groups called Communities for more niche interests like specific football teams. Unlike Channels, this is a two-way service, allowing members to interact with each other or with the publisher.
Reach told Press Gazette in October its 80 WhatsApp Communities had around 100,000 subscribers, delivering several million pages views per month. It also had additional YouTube video views inside WhatsApp itself — that integration means publishers receive ad revenue from videos played.
Reach reports the open rate for messages shared via Communities hits around 90%. And the clincher? No pesky social media algorithm.
