F.Y.I.

Broadsheet Media experiences highest traffic in ten years

Broadsheet Media has experienced its highest traffic in ten years, even as the cities is covers enter coronavirus (COVID-19) lockdowns.

The announcement:

Broadsheet Media Experiences Highest Traffic Week in 10-Year History, Even As The Cities It Covers Go Into Lockdown

Photo: James Geer

Independent city-guide publisher Broadsheet has seen a 43% increase in session traffic (Nielsen) from the previous week, despite Australian cities closing their restaurants, cafes, bars, galleries, concert halls and many retail spaces. These closures are only set to increase or become more stringent in the coming weeks.

While traffic is up across many news publishers, the city-guide category broadly saw steep declines. Other publishers in Broadsheet’s competitive set saw their session traffic decline by 6% to 23% for the same period.

For Broadsheet, social-media traffic increased by 140%, direct traffic increased by 115% and organic search traffic increased by 7%. The week also saw some of Broadsheet’s highest- performing Facebook posts of all time – with one post reaching over 1.29 million users without any paid support.

Broadsheet exists to enrich the lives of its readers by sharing the best cultural experiences Australian cities have to offer. That hasn’t changed, even if the world looks different right now. Spearheading the editorial strategy is Broadsheet’s editorial director Katya Wachtel, who is adamant that culture and shared experiences are more important than ever: “Broadsheet’s mission is to enrich the lives of readers and drive cultural conversation through unparalleled storytelling and experiences – that doesn’t change now. In fact, it’s more important than ever. Our feeling is – how can we help people have the most fulfilling cultural experiences no matter their circumstances?

For the moment those experiences may not involve dining at their favourite restaurant or going to the theatre or swimming at their local pool. But they might involve takeaway from those same diners, live-streaming performances by world-class orchestras or turning their living room into an at-home yoga studio. We’re pivoting fast to make sure we’re telling stories and producing content that is relevant for our readers in a constantly – and radically changing – environment.

“As always, we’re chatting with some of the country’s most thought-provoking, inspiring and influential figures to tell these stories. We’re speaking to top chefs about the pantry staples they’ve got at home right now and the recipes they’re making with them.

“We’re talking to Mat Pember, the bestselling author and founder of Little Veggie Patch Co, about using the extra time at home to finally start that veggie garden. We’re asking experts to tell us about “mindfulness in the time of coronavirus”. And we’re speaking to Australia’s biggest names about the podcasts, books and shows they’re loading up on right now.”

“For Broadsheet founder and publisher Nick Shelton the traffic shows that readers are more engaged with their cities than ever before: “In a landscape defined by uncertainty, Broadsheet has been able to provide its readers with some clarity and positivity.

“The rules and norms about how we live and interact with our cities is changing rapidly – even shifting on a daily basis. Broadsheet has been focused on deciphering what that means for our readers in their daily lives. Culture is important to people – What they eat, drink, read and watch. How they exercise, how they communicate.

“Broadsheet is committed to continuing to provide our readers with insight and information about making the most of it – because culture never stops.”

Shelton also sees this as a unique opportunity for brands to play a meaningful role in the cultural conversation: “Culture is more important than ever. It’s the thing that binds our communities together.

“While people are being flooded with bad news and uncertainty, the dialogue around culture can be a positive one. There are countless inspiring stories to be told, there are avenues to meaningfully support small businesses doing it really tough. People are innovating and being creative in wonderful ways.

The cultural conversation can be focused on how best to navigate this new reality. We can all be adding value to people’s lives when they need it most.”

Source: Broadsheet media release

ADVERTISEMENT

Get the latest media and marketing industry news (and views) direct to your inbox.

Sign up to the free Mumbrella newsletter now.

 

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up to our free daily update to get the latest in media and marketing.