AUDIENCE TARGETING: How crowdsourcing can be a business model for traditional media

The annual announcement of the World Press Trends of 20151 obviously shows that audience is getting a determinant part in the revenues, as far as traditional media is concerned2.

Is this the (re)rise of a business model for media organizations, especially for those who are now struggling to balance between profits and losses?

What are the keys for the right audience targeting and how crowdsourcing can overthrow the ominous reports for time spent reading newspapers across the world?

1The survey released on Monday June 1st by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)2The revenues from the print and digital circulation were 92 billion $ in 2014 and the revenues from ads were 87 billion $.

The average amount of time spent reading newspapers

fell more than 25% globally from 2010 to 2014.

Time Spent 2010-2014 Time by 201713

13.5

14

14.5

15

15.5

16

16.5

Minutes per reader

Minutes per reader

By ZenithOptiMedia

It’s true that the distance between media orgs and its audience is getting smaller and even new media have the advantage to analyze and understand faster their audience behavior, traditional media have not this opportunity.

The majority of them still are addressed to mass audience. In the next pages we can see how the better utilization of the technology can develop a crowdsourcing business model for traditional media and especially newspapers.

THE DISTANCE IS GETTING SMALLER

Now audience’s opinion concerning about an article appears in comments (less in letters) on the website or in social media.

Newspapers and traditional media generally have to get a bigger feedback from their audience.

The key is to motivate your followers!

Ask their opinion and develop the public discussion in social media or in the appropriate discussion platforms about the headlines of the day, about the stories of the evening’s newscast.

Put the audience in the game!

The special Newsroom can give you the solutions

The right question is “how shall I put the audience in the game and why?” Of course the audience cannot shape your way and modify your style of making, presenting and distributing news, but you can make all these happen having it stand by you.

It is very difficult –and pointless- trying to satisfy everyone of your audience, but you’re capable to give the chance to your audience of taking part to the management of your business and feel it can take part to the daily life of the business.

This can be done through the activation of a special newsroom which will operate from the one side in the management of audience and from the other side in the distributing the content and the news to the audience.

VIVA CSR!

Making the right audience targeting is not the discovery of penicillin.

It requires simple solutions via rational thought.

So, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the second (and not least) solution for getting a better audience feedback.

The right CSR strategy which will be adjusted on the data metrics from the audience behavior can give the effective feedback from your audience.

CONCLUSIONSGradually increase of the brand recognition

The Content Engagement

The circulation

increase of the revenues (from print -digital circulation or from the ads)