COVID-19 has changed everything. What does that mean for the media, publishers and readers?

You must have noticed that the coronavirus has changed everything – from the way people behave in their private lives and the sudden changes in their habits and priorities, to a completely new business environment, new work processes and technologies, and the way we consume media.

Published on 27.04.2020.

COVID-19 has changed everything. What does that mean for the media, publishers and readers?
You are a media company creating content? You are a brand manager and want your brand to be successful? To make the right decisions, we need to understand the changes around us. In times like these, the old and rigid ways of doing things are a thing of the past – flexibility and agility are recipes for success and can even bring about an evolution to stronger and better forms of doing business. 

You may have considered suspending your business activities. No one can hold that against you. We are all questioning every step we take now. Suspending your activities or reducing your business capacities is not the answer because users are still here, they crave for content, products and services, only in a different form and context.

With the coronavirus outbreak, online media traffic has increased significantly with some relevant changes in the way users consume media content. Traffic on Linker grew very quickly, and an above-average number of visits, page loads and media content clicks was recorded.

Readers are now living in a different world, and they have developed new habits

The coronavirus pandemic brought about some changes to the way people read, and the key factors behind such changes are working from home and stricter quarantine measures. Up until recently, users consumed content only when they had time for it – during their coffee or lunch break, or at the end of the day, once they had completed all other tasks. Today, the boundaries within our schedules are somewhat blurred. The content consumption cycle is expanding. Users are searching for the latest news and symptoms, information on protection against coronavirus, the steps that their governments are taking, as well as changes in the economy. Globally, 40% of readers visit portals and read the news more often than before. The number of visitors has increased by 16.8%, whereas the average visit duration has increased by 22.1%.

Readers also stay awake longer, increasing the time frame for content consumption. If readers/potential consumers are working from home, the boundaries between their professional and private lives are often flexible, which increases the opportunity for content consumption.

Media companies are recording growth

Premium websites and publishers with many years of experience in the business have seen the largest increase because they always manage to win the trust of their readers with high-quality content. At times like these, one negative post can easily shake this trust, but a constant stream of quality content strengthens the leading positions of top content creators. All that users want is the latest and reliable information, and in most cases they know how and where to find it.

A recent survey conducted by GlobalWebIndex with 4500 participants has shown that in search for information users now more frequently check portals (up to 44%), and the increase for social networks is somewhat lower, 30%. Another surprising fact is that Gen Z-ers, who were previously the most faithful users of social networks, now choose portals more often as a source of information (40%). 

The digital world is an oasis of peace, and digitisation has led to increased demand

E-business has increased considerably, as evidenced by an explosion in web stores at every (digital) turn. Well-established web stores are performing even better, and every day a large number of physical stores decide to take a shot at doing business online. 

We are witnessing an unprecedented growth in certain categories. The largest increase is recorded for ads leading to the offer of various web stores (more than 50%), and there is also an increase in interest for consuming content related to home and household items, business and finance, entertainment, and especially health and fitness. If you recently tried to purchase a yoga mat or kettlebells online, you may have concluded yourself that the interest in fitness equipment is greater than ever. Some industries are flourishing, and publishing is one of them. 

The above data clearly show that there are new business opportunities ahead, some of which have not been possible before. It would be a shame not to capitalize on their potential.

Linker can help you reach relevant users interested in your content and services. It provides visibility on premium portals, with native advertising producing top results and different formats for a more creative expression of your marketing strategies.

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