The models that fueled publisher growth for 20 years are changing.

Social, once a reliable and significant source of referrals, has become a competitor.

TikTok, Instagram and others aren’t interested in sending audiences to publishers –– they’re trying to keep audiences on their own platforms.

Search is likely to change rapidly because of generative AI. Search Generative Experiences and AI-driven chatbots will offer a faster way to access information.

Cookie depreciation is reducing the value of a pageview.

Amid that volatility, news organizations recognize the urgent need to own their audiences. That means building more direct and habitual relationships with readers instead of transactional ones that come via search and social platforms.

It’s not an easy endeavor. This graph from Chartbeat illustrates how little direct traffic most publishers receive, highlighting the challenge ahead:

A graph of a graph showing the number of webpages Description automatically generated with medium confidence

So what should we do? Josh Awtry, senior vice president of audience development with Newsweek, delved into the business case for engagement and how to build a healthy funnel with first-party data when he recently spoke to the Local Media Association’s Family and Independent Media Sustainability Lab.

Awtry joined Newsweek last May after leading audience development at The Hill, a nonpartisan news outlet focused on politics and policy. Before that, he led content strategy for Gannett/The USA TODAY Network.

Traffic and audience are not the same thing

Do you have traffic or audience?

There’s a difference, Awtry explained. Traffic can pay the bills, but the bucket is infinitely leaky. Engaging and connecting with an audience ensures your site becomes a place people actively go to — not just a place where they wind up.

“A site may say ‘we have a great audience,’ when what they really mean is that they have a lot of traffic,” Awtry said. “Audience is intentional. This is … talking about building an audience.”

Algorithm changes can tank traffic, Awtry said, which shows what can happen when you don’t own your audience.

“Chasing search algorithms works until it doesn’t,” he said.

Why building owned audience is good for business

Awtry offered four reasons why building a direct pipeline to your audience is so important:

  • It increases page views per visit. Good engagement increases discoverability. “Search readers are generally one-and-done,” he said. “They searched for a thing, found that thing and left.”
  • It increases return frequency. If you can address them, you can call them in. “We need to bring our readers back more regularly,” Awtry said.
  • It creates a strong subscriber pipeline. The subscriber gold rush is over. Where is your next batch of subscribers coming from? “Anyone who is signing a deal to subscribe, it is not their first visit with you,” he said.
  • It builds robust first-party data. As cookies soften, this will let you better serve targeted ads. “This is going to be so important to our future, knowing about who you are,” Awtry said.

The value of a “community member” can be five times that of a user, Awtry said. He also offered this look at the audience funnel and what to think about at each stage:

A diagram of a diagram Description automatically generated with medium confidence

Practical advice for cultivating your audience

Awtry offered some pragmatic advice – including his assertions that comments are back, texting communities can build loyalty, and a surprising number of readers love quizzes and polls. His takes:

  • Open conversation, but close the feedback loop: Site comments have fallen out of vogue over the years. But as social media wobbles, comments offer a way to reclaim some platform time. People don’t just want to shout into the void — they want to be heard.
  • It’s past time to be bullish on newsletters: Newsletters are one of the richest sources of first party data available. Mobile users do not visit homepages. The newsletter is the new proxy. Hosted newsletters offer a way to connect with your readers in ways that highlight personalities and offer opportunities for connection.
  • Engage through quizzes and polls: With the need for first party data growing, online interactives are making a return. Find a tool and approach that provides incentives for registration to see full results or get more detail.
  • Converse where your digital readers are: You likely have a local Subreddit. If not, consider NextDoor or even Facebook Groups. Examine your goals before diving in (page views or brand building).
  • Connect your stars via premium texts: If you have the right personalities, you’d be shocked at reader willingness to subscribe to a “group text” experience with sports columnists or public faces.

TL/DR version: Final takeaways

Awtry recommended that publishers start with a few easy wins.

For instance, he said:

  • Enable commenting and engage with readers.
  • Start a personal hosted newsletter from one of your experts and ensure you’re asking readers to sign up.
  • Host an “in-real-life” event to get to know your readers.

And if you remember one thing, he said, make it this: “Don’t let a pageview be an end goal. Each view is an opportunity to connect with readers. What action do you want them to take next?”

Amalie Nash is a coach for the Local Media Association’s Family Independent Media Sustainability Lab, where her work has focused on digital subscriptions.