If you are too busy or not a big fan of watching recordings, here is an AI edited transcript made to easily skim through so you can browse at your convenience:
Francesca:
Hi Johannes, thanks for joining me.
Johannes:
Great to be here!
Francesca:
You have a unique background – newsroom experience combined with a strong data focus. Can you tell me about your career path?
Johannes:
I started as a reporter and news editor at a business news agency (7 years). Then I moved into business development at a smaller publisher, launching their paywall and other web projects. After an acquisition by a larger publisher (Keskisuomalainen Group), I specialized in data, currently leading a team of five as a data manager.
Francesca:
That acquisition must have been a significant change. How did it go?
Johannes:
Merging corporate cultures was challenging initially. However, recognizing the financial pressures facing smaller publishers made the consolidation easier to accept. Later acquisitions went more smoothly due to increased empathy and the need for specialization within a larger structure. The hardest part was finding my new role within the larger company.
Francesca:
Is that how you transitioned to the data side?
Johannes:
Partly. Before a parental leave, my boss asked me to write my new job description. Seeing a lack of data operations, I proposed focusing on that area. The acquisition solidified this path.
Francesca:
What does audience engagement mean to you?
Johannes:
It’s a huge topic. Currently, my focus is on reaching local, engaged audiences directly, overcoming the challenges of competing with larger social media platforms.
Francesca:
How has this changed in the last few years?
Johannes:
Initially, everyone focused on large overall reach numbers. Now, with better data, we analyze the composition of those numbers, realizing that big numbers don’t always tell the whole story. Understanding the “why” behind the data is crucial.
Francesca:
Can you give an example of this changed understanding?
Johannes:
We launched personalized content newsletters aimed at working-age people. Data showed the highest engagement was with retired people—not our target audience. This highlighted the importance of understanding the data’s implications beyond initial assumptions.
Francesca:
What are the aims of your audience engagement strategy?
Johannes:
Building local, engaged audiences across our 100+ brands. This involves significant brand development to foster strong brand affiliation among local readers and move away from reliance on external traffic sources like Google Discover.
Francesca:
How are you achieving this brand building?
Johannes:
We experiment with many tactics, including using local influencers (YouTubers, athletes, musicians) in native advertising campaigns to build affinity with younger audiences.
Francesca:
How do you measure successful engagement?
Johannes:
We track traffic sources (direct vs. referral), and monitor the number of users accessing the site multiple times weekly, even without subscriptions. However, this metric requires deeper analysis to understand the varying levels of engagement (e.g., someone reading cartoon strips versus in-depth articles).
Francesca:
Do you tailor the experience based on user behavior?
Johannes:
Currently, the experience is fairly similar for all users, but we plan to personalize it more in the future.
Francesca:
What are the biggest challenges in audience engagement?
Johannes:
Competition for users’ time from social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. While we have a strong share of direct traffic in the Nordics, younger audiences are harder to reach and engaging them on those platforms doesn’t directly benefit us.
Francesca:
What are you doing to reach younger audiences?
Johannes:
We focus on creating stories featuring younger protagonists, using visuals that appeal to them. We also engage directly on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, fostering direct relationships between reporters and younger users.
Francesca:
What are your most effective engagement strategies?
Johannes:
We excel at engaging our core (older) audience. Reaching new, younger audiences requires constant experimentation and iterative improvement.
Francesca:
How do you foster innovation within your large group?
Johannes:
We hold weekly data and digital development clinics, sharing work from our centralized digital development unit. We encourage open idea sharing, recording sessions for those who can’t attend. We also actively adapt successful ideas from other publishers. (Example: the “article horn” alert system for viral paywalled content)
Francesca:
Who participates in these weekly sessions?
Johannes:
Anyone is welcome—editorial, tech, sales, etc.—promoting cross-functional collaboration and idea sharing.
Francesca:
How do you get audience feedback beyond data analysis?
Johannes: We conduct surveys periodically (e.g., after website updates or new product launches) to gather direct feedback.
Francesca:
What role does technology (AI, data analytics) play in audience engagement?
Johannes: Technology increases efficiency but doesn’t replace the core need for creating valuable, relevant content that resonates with the local community and building a strong brand. The focus should be on providing value, not just technology.
Francesca:
What are the biggest challenges to sustainable local news publishing?
Johannes:
Financial sustainability. Local digital ad revenue often isn’t sufficient; relying on customer revenue (subscriptions) is essential.
Francesca:
What increases subscriptions most effectively?
Johannes:
Consistent production of relevant, high-quality content coupled with continuous analysis, improvement, and experimentation.
Francesca:
What are the most crucial skills for media professionals today?
Johannes:
Empathy for the local audience. Understanding their lives, emotions, and needs is vital for relevance, even more so in the future. This skill is harder to measure and teach but is essential for successful engagement.
Francesca:
Final advice for hyperlocal brands?
Johannes:
Experiment widely! Use podcasts, newsletters, social media, and different tones of voice (e.g., playful vs. serious) to reach a wider range of audiences, building relationships through diverse content formats.
Francesca:
I love that. Get more audiences by giving it more voices! Thank you so much, Johannes, for your time. I really appreciate it. And hopefully we’ll be talking again soon.
Johannes:
Yeah, it was a pleasure. Thank you!