What do we know about audience behaviour in the digital world?
The use of granular data can provide valuable insights for media planners and advertisers hoping to build upon pre-existing notions of digital media consumption.
Dr Kaye Chan, senior lecturer at University of Technology Sydney explains the findings of a recent publication with Professor Mark Uncles from UNSW Sydney, published in the Journal of Advertising Research.
Many in advertising and media believe there are rules. And, where there are rules, invariably there are those who suggest we should break the rules. Recently, at an MFA session, Sophie Price and her EssenceMediacom team called for rule breaking. But what are the rules and what do they mean in the digital world?
When we think about audience reach and viewing patterns, we might typically assume that those who go to the trouble and expense of subscribing will view subscription titles often. Even that they’ll view every issue and scan a majority of the content sections (news, reviews, etc). However, for a weekly digital magazine, we found that whilst subscribers viewed the title at least once, only one-third read the title week to week. Over a three-month period, only 1% viewed every issue. This says something about actual engagement, and for media planners the insight is to adjust expectations on audience reach and viewing frequency well below circulation figures.
Granular Data Analysis should be used by media aggregators to propose audience consumption to media planners and potential advertisers (or, put another way, planners and advertisers should be asking for this analysis). Our analysis of the detailed data shows the importance of using precise metrics to understand audience behaviour. Granular data allows for more accurate measurement of the way digital titles and content sections are viewed. For media planners these insights yet again shift away from traditional circulation and focus on audience exposure to campaigns.
Dr Kaye Chan
For advertisers the implications are the provision of guidance on where to place ads to achieve specific media objectives. For instance, ads aimed at maximizing reach should be placed in widely read content sections, while content sections with higher repeat-viewing should be the focus for frequency objectives. Additionally, the study also highlights that average repeat-viewing rates do not vary significantly across different content sections, which can inform contextual advertising strategies.
Another practical use is these findings can serve as benchmarks for media aggregators, planners, and advertisers when analysing fresh data for other digital magazines or titles within a publisher’s portfolio. This approach can also help in making informed decisions about content placement and advertising strategies to better meet audience engagement goals.
In conclusion, on the one hand, media proliferation means viewers have abundant choice – but, with so much competition for attention, it is often hard for advertisers to cut through to their specific target audiences. The paper underscores the mixed outlook for advertisers using digital subscription services. While the digital landscape presents challenges, it also offers opportunities for improved audience measurement and targeted advertising. By leveraging granular data analysis, media planners and advertisers can gain a more precise – and realistic – understanding of audience behaviour, leading to more effective media strategies.
Technical Footnote: Conclusions reported here are drawn from a case study. For a general interest digital magazine, subscriber viewing behaviour was analysed. The paper is available here.
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