The online media environment is more complex than simply posting a story and linking it to Facebook. Although you might be pretty chuffed about that selfie, your online audience may not be as interested. However you can relax, there's countless different elements which go into creating online content and most importantly, engaging with an online audience. Your selfie may save you yet.
First, let's talk media. The news media needs an audience, it's the simple truth. Last week Brisbane Times political editor, Amy Remeikis, discussed the different ways to engage an online audience during a lecture and touched on the different ways online journalists can connect with readers.
The obvious answer to engaging with an audience is using social media. Almost everyone uses social media According to the Pew Research Centre, as of January 2014, 74% of adults were found to use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.
Social media is an ever-growing means of communication and makes it easier for journalists to share news. In addition to simply sharing stories through social media, journalists can use it as a tool for instant updates. Using multiple platforms and posting everywhere can diversify readership and engage with different people.
An interesting point was that the optimal time to post news is around meal times to work around readers free-time. Amy Remeikis explained that when viewing reader statistics people tended to browse news during these breaks and some news media have adapted this schedule and post at times of peak audience numbers. So engaging with an online audience can be as simple as planning around their coffee breaks.
The final point I want to discuss from the lecture was thinking about what the audience wants. It's easy to simply report hard news however that's not necessarily what people want to read or hear about all the time. More specifically in smaller communities people want to know what's happening around them. Remeikis said often it was the small stories with a community focus that showed the highest engagement. And honestly, who wouldn't click on that story about a new community pool after reading story after story about escalating violence overseas?
Overall, engaging an audience online is the job of the journalist. With a high population now having access to the internet and using platforms such as social media, the opportunity to engage with an audience is readily available. Knowing your audience and connecting with them on relevant platforms is the most effective way to engage with an online audience.
Overall, engaging an audience online is the job of the journalist. With a high population now having access to the internet and using platforms such as social media, the opportunity to engage with an audience is readily available. Knowing your audience and connecting with them on relevant platforms is the most effective way to engage with an online audience.
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