#APMillennials: Get social
The executive director of the American Press Institute says publishers are now watching conversations on social media and creating content that fits the discussion.
When you’re stuck in line at the store, or perhaps waiting in a doctor’s office, what do you do? For most of us, when we have a few spare minutes, we pull out our phones and check our social networks.
Social and mobile are deeply linked, says Tom Rosenstiel, executive director of the American Press Institute. So it’s no surprise that as digital traffic continues to transition from desktop to mobile, social is becoming ever-increasingly important.
“Social is a way not simply to place your content and market it,” Rosenstiel said. “It’s a powerful way to listen to and learn from your audience, both by watching what they do and by communicating with them.”
Each social network specializes, in effect, in certain topics, whether that’s recipes and fashion on Pinterest or politics and sports on Twitter. The most sophisticated use Rosenstiel has seen of publishers using social is monitoring topics online and then adding to the conversation with relevant content.
“The audience becomes an initiator of what’s relevant, and that’s what you create,” he said.
To see each panelist’s perspective, click here.
Jake Kreinberg
Jake is the text and multimedia product manager at The Associated Press and the former editor of Insights. He previously covered college sports as a reporter for AP and helped design its multi-year strategic plan.
