How we find, use and share stories, now
At Storythings, we’re spotting signals that changes to audience behaviours during the pandemic are not only hanging about, but fundamentally changing assumptions we have about audience attention. Take radio for example, where the breakfast show has always been the most listened to show on any broadcast station. The most recent listening figures from Rajar suggest audiences have been switching on later because they’re no longer commuting as much. Listening for some mid-morning shows (BBC Radio 2 and LBC) has now actually overtaken breakfast.
As a company obsessed with audiences, we’ve been tracking how attention and behaviours have changed since the early days of the Pandemic. Some of these changes are obvious, like how radio listening is changing as we work from home. But others more subtle and specific. We want to find out how hybrid working has changed the way we find, consume and share media. If your work also involves trying to get people’s attention, you’re probably asking the same questions.
What are we doing?
Storythings is starting a new research project that will find out how people discover, use, and share content in our hybrid world. We want to find the pain points of hybrid working, and find out what new behaviours are temporary, and what ones will be around for a long time.
Our project will have three elements – analysing the latest reports from industry bodies; deep dive research interviews to find out more about our new daily content consumption habits; and roundtable discussions with industry experts to find out how their content strategies are changing.
We’ll find out how remote technologies are changing audiences behaviours, what types of content they are finding easier to consume, use and share in their work, and uncover new pain points and barriers in their hybrid work lives.
This research will give people working in communications the confidence to develop content strategies more closely aligned to the habits of how people find, use and share stories now.
The research begins in March and the findings will be published in early Summer.
We will deliver usable insights and recommendations for both commercial organisations and non-profits, helping them develop a clear understanding of how their content fits into the new habits of their audience. These will include:
How has hybrid working affected our daily attention patterns?
What new behaviours have emerged, and what is driving these changes?
What affects our decision to give content our attention, or to ignore it?
What value propositions affect our willingness to subscribe to content?
What are the barriers that stop people giving your content their attention?
How has sharing content with work colleagues changed now we’re not in the office as much?
What do people need to discuss and share your content in these new networks?
How can you get involved?
Storythings’ clients have always included commercial and non-profit organisations. We’ve seen the value of sharing knowledge and insight between the two, so we want to make sure that this research project is a collaboration with leaders in both sectors.
We’re looking for four partners; two from the commercial sector and two non-profits. In return for co-funding the research, partners will get the chance to:
- Collaborate with us on setting the scope and research methods
- Identify specific pain points or barriers they want us to explore
- See live research results as they are developed
- Attend the roundtable sessions with industry experts
If you would like to discuss partnering with us on this project, get in touch.