Vox Media's The Verge Reorganizes Audience Team
The Verge is shifting its focus to turning casual visitors into loyal readers, according to Digiday. This change is part of its preparation for a future with less reliance on search traffic.
Original reporting · digiday.com
Original: “The Verge switches up its audience team to prepare for Google Zero”
Read “The Verge switches up its audience team to prepare for Google Zero” at Digiday →
How this was written. Content Catalyst wrote this article with a language model from Digiday’s reporting (model: @cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast); it describes that reporting rather than adding to it. The original, linked above, is the full story.
Key points from Digiday’s report
- The Verge is reorganizing its audience team to focus on creating loyal readers, according to Digiday.
- The company is shifting its approach to audience development, with a focus on specialized roles and high-value audiences.
- The Verge is working to reduce its reliance on referral traffic and build a more direct relationship with its readers.
- The company is experimenting with new ways to distribute its content, including paid media and performance marketing.
- The Verge's efforts to build a more loyal reader base appear to be paying off, with success in subscriber acquisition and personalized audience development.
The Verge, a tech publisher owned by Vox Media, is reorganizing its audience team to focus on creating loyal readers. This move comes as the company prepares for a future where search traffic may play a smaller role. The Verge's goal is to build a more direct relationship with its readers.
Digiday reported that The Verge has been changing its approach to audience development over time. The company has moved away from having a team with general responsibilities and is now focusing on specialized roles. These roles include working on newsletters, platform engagement, and audience analytics.
The Verge's audience team is now structured around understanding and acquiring high-value audiences. The team is also working on offering content to these audiences on different platforms. This approach is part of the company's effort to reduce its reliance on referral traffic and build a more loyal reader base.
Esther Cohen, director of audience and subscriptions at The Verge, discussed the company's new approach at the Digiday Publishing Summit. She explained that the team is now made up of specialists who focus on specific areas of audience development. This includes a newsletter specialist and analysts who work with the editorial team to understand what content is resonating with readers.
The Verge is not alone in its efforts to adapt to a changing search environment. Other publishers, such as USA Today, are also reorganizing their teams to focus on building more direct relationships with readers. This shift is part of a larger trend in the publishing industry, as companies work to reduce their reliance on search traffic and build more loyal reader bases.
The Verge's approach to audience development is focused on three segments: anonymous visitors, registered users, and paying subscribers. The company is working to create a more personalized experience for each of these groups, with the goal of encouraging repeat visits and building a more loyal reader base. This approach is part of the company's effort to create a more sustainable business model.
The Verge is also experimenting with new ways to distribute its content, including paid media and performance marketing. However, the company is approaching these efforts with caution, as it works to understand the return on investment for each approach. The Verge is also focusing on traditional organic social marketing, including ads on its site and podcasts.
The company's efforts to build a more loyal reader base appear to be paying off, with more than half of its subscriber acquisition coming from readers who go straight to the publisher's subscription sign-up page. The Verge is also seeing success with its personalized approach to audience development, with readers responding to tailored content and experiences.
Questions and answers
What is The Verge's goal with its new audience team structure?
The Verge's goal is to build a more direct relationship with its readers and create a more loyal reader base.
How is The Verge approaching audience development?
The Verge is focusing on specialized roles and high-value audiences, with a personalized approach to creating content and experiences for each segment of its reader base.
What is the significance of The Verge's shift in approach to audience development?
The Verge's shift in approach is part of a larger trend in the publishing industry, as companies work to reduce their reliance on search traffic and build more loyal reader bases.
