Losing readers after one page? It really hurts.
You’ve played the virtual dating game, you’ve put all your effort into wooing that new reader, only to lose them almost immediately. What went wrong? Why have you been ghosted? At least you can’t blame bad breath or a questionable cologne. But, you do need to think like a dater and plan further ahead than just a ‘hello.’
That’s where a good recirculation strategy can become the best investment you make. Think of it as your swipe right for success. You lead with something interesting, but create intrigue with a peek at something else. Give your readers a reason to stick around, and you might just gain that all important payoff; loyalty.
A loyal audience is a powerful one. According to Smartocto, loyal readers consume five times more content than occasional readers. They also read much further into articles, and return more often as well. So, loyalty means regular traffic, more engagement, and of course, more ad revenue too.
So, how do you gain a loyal reader? It all starts with quality content, plenty of it, and the awesome power of recirculation.
There are many conventional methods for recirculating content. Most website or content management systems will offer some form of widget to display ‘recent posts’ or ‘related articles’, often at the bottom of a page. They’re simple and effective, and can be set to display articles related to keywords or tags, among other things.
Similarly, responsive, carousel-style plug-ins can be an eye-catching way to showcase other content. But, as with widgets, a standard, ‘one size fits all’ approach like this can be limiting if you also want to keep users on your page for longer, or improve overall engagement.
That’s where the key to good recirculation is through interactivity, and engaging visitors in a positive way. Encourage them to consume more of your content through logical and relevant next steps that offer more than just a click-through. These should feel personal and unobtrusive, while catering to a reader’s interests as well.
Running simple polls like this is a great way to start. Yes, it’s polarizing content, but it spurs readers to get involved. You pique their curiosity, they’re keen to see what others think, and as a result they stay on the page for longer. You’re driving engagement, and also supplying a simple next step; and that’s recirculation.
Of course, it might not be obvious what a reader will want to do next, so there’s always the option to ask them instead. Using an interactive article finder is a great way to do this. Through personalized results that a reader uncovers, you’re able to validate their decisions, helping them to feel a part of your community. It’s mutually beneficial, and a great way to build brand loyalty.
But, not all readers have the patience to scroll down your page. With waning attention spans, and smaller device screens, ensuring you capture the reader’s attention in the first place is perhaps the most important thing to consider.
That’s where video recirculation can be a smart solution. Social Media Week suggests that internet users spend 88% more time browsing on websites that have videos. In fact, more than half of users also demand more video content than they already consume.
So if you have a breadth of editorial content to share, showcasing it in an eye-catching video feed becomes a premium way of recirculating your content. Better still, you can make it sticky, with a player that shrinks or expands as a reader scrolls down the page.
The added advantage comes from monetization. You’re already enhancing the reader’s on-site experience, so why not maximize revenue opportunities with smart ad optimization technology too?
HuffPost Spain used a combination of these methods to boost their revenue and increase average dwell time to 2 minutes and 22 seconds, proving that recirculation is effective, lucrative, and an option you should try.
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This blog post was written for EX.CO. The original article, with fully functional experiences can be found here.
