the media zones where people live and how to connect with them
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The Media Zones Where People Live And How To Connect With Them by Sara GooTRANSCRIPT
The Media Zones Where People LiveAnd How to Connect With Them
Sara Goo @sarakgooSenior Digital Editor, Pew Research Center
Knight Digital MediaCharlotte
Today’s Agenda• The 6 media-attention zones. Understand
where your online audience is by how they consume information
• Social media: The platforms; the networks; Echo chamber /Empty chamber.
• Political Polarization: Not talking to each other AT ALL
The 6 Media-Attention Zones*Q: Which zone is your audience in?
How can you reach them?
1) STACKS
How it works• Motive – learning, mastery, productivity • Content – actionable info, how-to
sensibility, links and other resources• Device – desktop / laptop • Engagement – full attention – vertical
reading• Influentials – trusted brands and known
experts (professional and amateur)• ~ Mindshare – quarter to a third of media
time
Implication for media and activists
• Engagement strategy– Search optimized / findable– Acting as information Sherpas– Problem solving mindset– Easy cut and paste – FAQs– How-to videos– Feedback friendly
2) SIGNALS
How it works• Motive – real-time awareness• Content – headlines, new information, first
impressions matter most• Device – smartphone, tablet• Engagement – glancing OR galvanized• Influentials – brands• ~ Mindshare – < 5% of media time
Implication for media and activists
• Engagement strategy– News, especially scoops– Deals– Location enabled– Insights from analytics
3) SNACKS
How it works• Motive – killing time, beating boredom• Content – gamified, bite-size headlines, link-
dense• Device – smartphone • Engagement – distracted, quick-twitch• Influentials – brands, quality of social network• ~ Mindshare – 5%-10% of media time
Implication for media and activists
• Engagement strategy – Apps– Immediate connection– Predictable and compelling home screen– Grabby copy / activity– Clear and consistent Return on My Attention
4) STREAMS
How it works• Motive – catching up / checking in / curiosity• Content – news (broad definition), social updates• Device – any / all• Engagement – continuous partial attention /
horizontal scans / sharing• Influentials – editors, social networks• ~ Mindshare – quarter to a third of media time
Implication for media and activists
• Engagement strategy– Apps– Smart curation– Customizable filters– Compelling ecosystem of content– Tagging and saving for future immersion– Social network mediated– Serendipity encounters
5) SOCIALS
How it works• Motive – friend grooming• Content – social, personal, entertaining • Device – all• Engagement – partial, browsing• Influentials – super-networkers / primary nodes
in the network• ~ Mindshare – 10% of media time
Implication for media and activists
• Engagement strategy– Social networks are gatekeepers– Spreadable content– Treat central network nodes like traditional media
influences– Enable participation and feedback
6) SYNTHESIZED SPACES
How it works• Motive – my permissions• Content – personalized, anticipatory • Device – my surroundings• Engagement – immersive, invisible• Influentials – my past behavior, analytics,
algorithms• ~ Mindshare – most waking hours
BODY
Implication for media and activists
• Engagement strategy– Selective product placement and messaging– Permission-based monitoring / interactions– Careful of privacy sensitivities– Careful of too much “monetization”
Source: Cisco
Internet of Things
Times have changed…for all of us
Pew Research Center’s outreach strategy in 2000
Pew Research’s outreach strategy in 2014
Your goal: Move people from one level of engagement to the next highest one
http://www.idealware.org/articles/engagement-pyramid-six-levels-connecting-people-and-social-change
Your optimum moments
• When you are making news• When you can add to news-driven
conversations• When your “close up” unexpectedly comes• When your evangelists work their networks• When you can recruit unexpected allies• When someone on the “other side” embraces
you
“Civic life is networked life with network information created and shared by
networked individuals and networked organizations”
--Lee Rainie, Dir. Pew Internet
Social Media & Civic Life
• Who’s on social & which platforms?• What people want/don’t want to
discuss• Echo chamber/Empty chamber
Social Networking Trend Over Time
Winter 2005 Fall 2008 Fall 2010 Fall 2012 Fall 20130%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
8%
37%
61%67% 73%
% of internet users who usesocial networking sites
Usage by older adults is growing fast, but younger users still lead the way
18-29 30-49 50-64 65+0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%90%
78%
65%
46%
Facebook is by far the dominant platform in overall numbers
% of … users who check in daily:
63% -- Facebook
57% -- Instagram
46% -- Twitter
23% -- Pinterest
13% -- LinkedIn
But other sites have comparable levels of user engagement
Facebook – Looks like the internet user population, just younger
Twitter – Young, ethnically diverse, mobile-centric, urban
Instagram – See Twitter
Pinterest – Women
LinkedIn – Middle-aged professionals; ages 30-64
reddit – Men 18-29
And each site has its own unique user mix
Two tales of media/social media and politics
Echo chamber Empty chamber
Echo chambers
www.pewinternet.org
Echo chamber in Twitter
Conservatives: Dominated by references to conservative
hashtags such as #tcot and #tlot …
and by commentators such
as @DailyCaller, @TheTeaParty_net
Liberals: Dominated by references to
liberal hashtags such as #ows and
#P2, … and by commentators
such as @NHLABOR_NEWS and @Politics_PR
www.pewinternet.org
Familiar?
Conservatives: Dominated by references to conservative
hashtags such as #tcot and #tlot …
and by commentators such
as @DailyCaller, @TheTeaParty_net
Liberals: Dominated by references to
liberal hashtags such as #ows and
#P2, … and by commentators
such as @NHLABOR_NEWS and @Politics_PR
6 types of Twitter convos
Emptier chambers in Social Media
2012 election – Political content posted by social networking site users
What user posts
What users' friends post
2
6
4
13
15
37
29
31
50
11
All / almost all Most Some Just a littleNone at all
79%
42%
What do they do when disagreement occurs?
• 71% usually ignore the material
• 23% say they usually respond
• 4% say it depends on the circumstances
It can be a source of frustration and annoyance when things turns political
Case Study: Snowden/NSA
Spiral of Silence? Survey: Americans are divided• 86% of Americans willing to
have in-person conversation about Snowden revelations
• Just 42% of Americans who are on Facebook or Twitter were willing to discuss it there
• People overall more willing to discuss views if they think people agree
Social media as a platform for political engagement
More social media users are engaging in political activities there
-20%
0%
20%
40%
60%
11% 12% 13%
28%20% 21%
2008 2012
43% of SNS users have decided to learn more about a political or social issue because of something they read on social media
18% of SNS users have decided to take action involving a political or social issue because of something they read on social media
SNS discussions can spur more info seeking or involvement
At the same time, most “calls to action” occur outside of social media
Case Study: John Oliver• Pew Research data analysis of
450,000 public comments to the FCC on Net Neutrality found huge spike in comments in week following John Oliver’s segment on HBO
• During same period, found few stories of net neutrality on three major cable networks.
• Found few stories in 25 largest US newspapers
• Heavy promotion of YouTube clip on advocacy web sites urging public to send comments to the FCC
• 83% of comments to FCC were form letters from advocacy groups
#ALSIceBucketChallenge
$109.9 MILLION• Who hasn’t done
it?
#1: People want to “live” with likeminded people on social media
#2: People on the “edges” are more likely to be politically active on social media
Conservative Rep
Mod/Lib Rep Mod/Cons Dem
Liberal Dem0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
73%
60%56%
82%
% of SNS users who are politically active on social media
#3: They’re also more likely to say that convos on social media have inspired action
Conservative Rep
Mod/Lib Rep Mod/Cons Dem
Liberal Dem
-20%
0%
20%
40%
60%
21%
11% 10%
27%
% of Social Media users who have taken action on a political issue based on what they read
#4: Social media activism and real-world activism often overlap
So what can we take away from all this?
They like you and/or your cause (or possibly hate you and think you’re destroying America)
They are probably already talking about you (and if they aren’t already, they’d probably like to)
Social media offers a way to find, identify, and reach your “super fans”
They want to be part of the team and convert their friends—if you let them
#1: Are you trying to activate the “poles”?
Don’t engage consistently with politics
They probably don’t really know or care very much about your particular issue
Their tolerance threshold is probably fairly low…
But they can be encouraged to learn/act/change!
Sometimes that happens because of big events that grab their attention—but many times it’s at the behest of someone from the previous group
#2: Or are you trying to rouse the middle?
People use digital platforms for two reasons:
1) Their friends are there
2) The content they like is there
When planning an outreach strategy, consider:
1) Where does my audience “live”?
2) Is my content relevant for this platform?
#3: Think about your audience/community
Sara GooPew Research Center’s Internet Project
@sarakgoo@pewresearch@facttank
Polarization is the dominant story of political and media life in this era
Democrats and Republicans have been growing apart in their beliefs and attitudes
And also growing apart in their personal opinions and preferences
People want to live with others who share their political views
And even see the other side as a threat to the very future of America as we know it
Sara GooPew Research Center’s Internet Project
@sarakgoo@pewresearch@facttank