What Factors are Contributing to the Growth of Online Publishers?

The report showed that just 45% of users find news through news publishers' websites or apps. As a result, many publishers have expanded their presence on digital platforms.

on Jul 28, 2023

What Factors are Contributing to the Growth of Online Publishers? | Frontlist

The digital news landscape in India requires caution and continuous efforts from publishers. Although online news consumption has significantly increased, users do not consider publishing portals as their primary source of news. According to a recent report by Kantar, which Google commissioned, the average Indian language consumer uses more than five platforms to access news online. YouTube (93%), social media (88%), and chat apps (82%) are the most popular platforms for accessing news.

The report showed that just 45% of users find news through news publishers' websites or apps. As a result, many publishers have expanded their presence on digital platforms. What is contributing to the growth of publishers in the digital realm?

At the 4th edition of Digipub World hosted by afaqs!, Geet Lulla, the Vice President of Sales and Head of Asia Pacific at Comscore, provided a comprehensive overview of the online publishing market.

During his solo session, Lulla discussed the complex aspects of online publishing, emphasizing the opportunities that social media can provide. The session also explored the metrics determining a publisher's success in social media.

Lulla believes that actions taken by consumers are more significant than the impressions generated by content in the digital world. In the past, reach was considered the most important metric for success, but in the digital realm, engagement and action hold more weight. Thankfully, the platforms available to us make it feasible to track and measure these important metrics.

Social media platforms offer publishers a range of valuable tools and measurement inventory that can accurately atomise all data into definitive numbers. This is particularly crucial for brands that aim to drive action, rather than just impressions, as stated by Lulla.

Although social media has redirected traffic from news publisher domains and apps, Lulla sees it as a chance for growth rather than an unprecedented phenomenon. The session delved into social media as a means of delivery and explored the potential benefits, such as increased audience engagement, precise cross-platform measurements, competition analysis, and monetization.