One of the predominant themes for the development of news sites all over the internet will be an overall shift to social media, as news sites look to expand their presence and attract more traffic through social spaces predicts leading PR, Search and social media agency Punch Commmunications.
Many major publications have already begun to integrate their news into social platforms. The Guardian already shares a great deal of its news through its Facebook community, which provides the perfect platform for readers to offer their own comments and opinion, fostering discussion around stories as they come to light.
However, Punch has indicated that the real results will come from the integration of functionality such as Facebook Open Graph and other social media widgets into news sites that will have the most benefit for publications, proving pivotal in the growth and engagement of their online communities.
Alex Smith, Account Manager at PR agency Punch, said: “Further integration with social spaces will definitely be on the agenda for many online publications, developments in user behaviour when it comes to the consumption and sharing of media online through social media has dictated that this is a necessity when it comes to maintaining audience share.
“It will of course be interesting to see how publications like The Times use social media if they do at all. In an online world where much news is discovered through social networks, it’s possible that the publication’s pay wall will stunt any audience growth, despite its profitability.”
Punch Communications is a leading digital PR agency, working for clients in a variety of sectors from mobile communications to automotive technology. Having been founded in 2003, Punch has grown significantly to a team of 17 practitioners, recently opening a new office in London.
For more information, please call 01858 411 600, or visit www.punchcomms.com