The Media Zones Where People Live And How To Connect With Them

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

sgoo@pewresearch.org

@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

sgoo@pewresearch.org

@sarakgoo@pewresearch@facttank