Lucy Hatton’s Post

“We have to grow our audiences.” Karen Rundlet’s first answer to the first question at the first discussion of #INNDays2024 hit the nail on the head. You could feel the transition in the nonprofit journalism movement in San Diego this year. The rapid growth of journalists flocking to the nonprofit banner is still strong – but you can’t grow a 450-plus member organization’s size by high-double digits forever. In addition to growing the field overall, then, how do we make the organizations we have bigger, bolder, better? To get where we’re going, we’re going to need some new tools in the toolbox. Here are a few ideas from INN Days about just what that will be: 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. “Marketing, if it’s on anybody’s budget, it’s very small,” said Lorie Hearn of inewsource, pointing out that we’re all going to get better at promoting our work in an era of declining search and social traffic. Amen. Generally speaking, we encourage publishers to target marketing spend of roughly 2-3 percent of revenue, in line with marketing’s long-term percentage of US GDP. 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐫. Primetime TV news has lost 65% of its audience while video consumption is at an all-time high, as our Blue Engine colleague Chris Peña pointed out. Those viewers are going somewhere, and our opportunity is to meet them where they are in the storytelling formats (video, particularly short-form video) dominating our audiences’ attention. 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞. Growing to fill the voids left by declining institutions is not going to happen overnight, just like the nonprofit news movement wasn’t built overnight. Luckily, philanthropy is great at getting “people at the table and [keeping] them at the table long enough to solve the problem,” as Press Forward’s Dale Anglin sagely put it. We’re going to need time to keep building the movement to even greater heights – but we’ve never seen a stronger foundation from which to build. It’s an exciting time for the entire nonprofit news world, and we were thrilled to soak up the energy and generate some new ideas with our friends in San Diego.

It is absolutely exciting times to be at The Guardian. With the leadership of CEO Anna Bateson, The Guardian is really thriving. As this AdWeek piece shows, few publishers are quite so distinct as The Guardian with readers deeply engaged with the content and actively supporting the vital journalism through significant voluntary donations. All this while advertising partners are attracted to the strong audience growth and the deep reader engagement. The Guardian harnessed this phenomenal growth to fuel its expansion in the U.S. where it generated $333 million in revenue in 2023 and grew its U.S. head count by 35%, adding more than 50 staffers for a total of 159. I'm thrilled to be one of them! #advertising #advertisingandmarketing #marketingandadvertising #marketing #journalism #displayadvertising #programmaticadvertising #democracy #womeninbusiness #womeninpublishing #advertisingagency #advertisingstrategies #publishing #publishingindustry

Can marketing actually support community well-being? 🌼 Can it move beyond its narrow focus on leads, customers and shareholders to help foster connection, dialogue and value creation for the wider ecosystem? We believe so! And in many spaces, it’s already doing just that. ✨ To support this shift, here are some questions we find useful. ⬇ Curious to hear your thoughts. 👉🏼 Do we understand and respect all the communities in our ecosystem? 👉🏼 Are we using the community insights we've gathered to co-create positive change and advance social and climate justice? (Or for extraction and more profit?) 👉🏼 Are we staying curious, open and mindful as we interact with the communities in our ecosystem? 👉🏼 Are we ready to confront our biases and blind spots, reflect on them, and make the necessary changes? 👉🏼 Are we building diverse teams that reflect our communities and beyond? 👉🏼 Do we provide real value in our interactions – do we help our communities thrive through the initiatives and products we put out there? (Or are we fabricating needs to sell more stuff?) 👉🏼 Are our promises grounded in reality and being kept along the way? 👉🏼 Do we talk too much about ourselves, falling into the 'company as hero' trap? 👉🏼 Are mistakes openly shared, owned up to and used to learn from them? 👉🏼 Are we handling our communities’ data in a transparent, responsible, secure and permission-based way? Read more and discover some inspiring examples on our blog ➡ https://lnkd.in/gc-pUGNY What other questions would you ask? ---- 🙏🏼 Image credit : Here For Each Other (https://lnkd.in/gTyMNBhw) by Syme de Leon (Instagram: @s_disenyo) via Fine Acts & The Greats 💛 Facebook: @fineacts.co Instagram: @fineacts Twitter: @fine_acts #regenerativemarketing #communitymarketing #impactmarketing #communitywellbeing

Content Management Tip: Share stories about your community organization's impact—a behind-the-scenes look at a recent event, a spotlight on a dedicated volunteer, or a success story from someone your organization has helped. This content resonates deeply, turning your followers into invested supporters who feel part of your mission. Encourage engagement by asking your audience to share their experiences or memories with your organization. This builds a sense of belonging and helps your organization stand out as a community hub and active community participant. Need support? jdscribes.com/contact-us #MakeYourMessageMatter #storytelling

𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐔𝐊 𝐏𝐋𝐂 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲. "I have been Chair of X for 12 months – X was already a Trustee when I joined. I have sat on a great many boards – both commercial and not-for-profit, and have seen a lot of board members in action. X is one of the best: They are a great asset to our Board because of their skills and expertise in a wide range of areas relevant to us – particularly in their awareness of innovation in media and communications, but more generally in their thoughtfulness about what modern audiences need. They are also a very clear strategic thinker and expresses ideas succinctly. Their comments and questions in board meetings – always constructive but usually thought-provoking – and so is highly respected by colleagues. A real pleasure to have as a colleague". Powerful stuff. Wouldn't it be great to have someone like this advising your company? I'd say so. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥, 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢-𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭. Their approach is based on peer-reviewed research in science communication, a thorough understanding of technology for audience insights, and a dedication to creating media that captivates and holds audience attention. One of their current engagements is advising on the investment in and adoption of new media platforms and technologies, both creative and digital, and to support companies as they lead the charge on emerging platforms, digital innovation, and media formats. This extends to advising on the incubation of new projects, cross-industry trends, technologies, and market changes. As they further extend their client's outreach beyond traditional formats, they will be building cross-sector collaborations to deliver high-quality programming in new spaces to serve wider audiences. This candidate currently has several days per week available to work with an new organisation. Yours perhaps? Please reach out if you you'd like to learn more about this individual or arrange to interview them. [email protected] 07917353363

From a memorable campaign name to engaging digital storytelling, here’s how to plan for #GivingTuesday if you're running low on time.

The Heartbeat of Event Content As professionals with ambitious goals, we understand the heartbeat of impactful content. Engage your audience while making a difference in your community. Discover the magic of crafting event content that uplifts, educates, and resonates with your audience. Explore the path to content that speaks volumes. Tip: Craft content that highlights community impact stories, showcasing your business's efforts to support local causes. Explore content that resonates, uplifts, and contributes to your community. Let's make a difference together! ▸ Watch now: https://lnkd.in/e26bqWdv #BusinessImpact #SupportLocal #Marathon #BusinessCommunity #LocalEvents

Stories are emotional bridges that connect your organization with your audience! Highlighting the experiences of the individuals and groups you're working with and/or trying to help goes a long way in showcasing your mission and raising awareness. https://lnkd.in/e3ZsCtCx

If arts organizations want to change how audiences engage with them, they must first be open to changing themselves.This is a key takeaway from new research on efforts to build arts audiences and their relationship to financial health. Researchers followed 25 large nonprofit performing arts organizations over several years to see what worked and what didn’t as these organizations sought to build new audiences for their work, with an eye on improving financial sustainability. Did it work? It’s complicated. Read on…https://bit.ly/3SHWw5D

If arts organizations want to change how audiences engage with them, they must first be open to changing themselves.This is a key takeaway from new research on efforts to build arts audiences and their relationship to financial health. Researchers followed 25 large nonprofit performing arts organizations over several years to see what worked and what didn’t as these organizations sought to build new audiences for their work, with an eye on improving financial sustainability. Did it work? It’s complicated. Read on…https://bit.ly/3SHWw5D