This presentation was given by Atlantic Media Strategies at ComNet15, The Communications Network annual conference. The presentation was part of the pre-conference workshop, The Art of the Social Blockbuster: Building Audience on Today’s Web. The workshop was led by Jean Ellen Cowgill, President, Atlantic Media Strategies.

1. 1
The Art of the
Social Blockbuster
L E S S O N S O N B U I L D I N G A U D I E N C E
O N T O D A Y ’ S S O C I A L W E B
Jean Ellen Cowgill
jcowgill@atlanticmedia.com
@JECowgill

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Overview: Key tips
from ComNet15
Thank you for joining us at ComNet15! We’ve compiled
a selection of slides from our pre-conference workshop
that we hope will be useful to your thinking on your
own digital strategy in the year ahead.
Keep up with our latest thinking on media trends
and insights:
Twitter: @AMStrategy
Digital Trends Index newsletter: eepurl.com/WodVT
Medium publication: medium.com/digital-trends-index
Contact for an in-person workshop: jcowgill@atlanticmedia.com

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Today’s web is
social and mobile
TheAtlantic.com Traffic Sources,
2011 to Date
Global Web Traffic,
2007 to Date
SEARCH
SOCIAL
REFERRAL
DIRECT
MOBILE
DESKTOP
Source: Adobe Analytics, Internal Atlantic Media Source: Morgan Stanley research, via comScore
@JECowgill / @AMStrategy

4. 4
We can consume within
the “micro-moments” of
our daily lives.
RESULT:
BRANDS MUST FIT INTO
THE TIME GIVEN
This social and mobile
technology has transformed
audience expectations
We expect content to
meet us where, when and
how we want it.
We connect what we read
to our needs and our
networks.
AccessiblePersonalized Useful
RESULT:
BRANDS MUST KNOW
WHERE TO FIND ME
RESULT:
BRANDS MUST PLUG INTO
MULTIPLE ASPECTS OF LIFE
@JECowgill / @AMStrategy

5. 5
Today: Lessons building
audience in a social ecosystem
Source: xkcd.com
@JECowgill / @AMStrategy

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To be useful, drill down
to the “social thing”
Topics of General Interest or
Emerging Importance
Breaking News,
Traditional Article
Social
Things
1 @JECowgill / @AMStrategy

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Social things can take
predictable forms
Charts
Techniques Facts Objects
Lists Red Herrings
Source: The Atlantic, Quartz
@JECowgill / @AMStrategy

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Social things in practice
Doing it right Needs help
• “How Paid Leave Policies Can Help Break
the Cycle of Inequality”
– Ford Foundation
• “For Americans Seeking Good Jobs, Four
Values are Key”
– Rockefeller Foundation
• “Want to Change the World This Year? Start
By Changing Yourself”
– Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation
• “84% of Millennials Made a Charitable
Donation in 2014”
– Case Foundation
• “Four solutions we believe in”
– Gates Foundation
• “Lessons from Paper Airplanes”
– Carnegie Foundation
• “College Readiness of Arizona High
School Juniors”
– Helios Education Foundation
• “Substance Use Prevention Infographic”
– Hilton Foundation
@JECowgill / @AMStrategy

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Once a piece gains traction,
flood the zone
Case Study: The New York Times’ Modern Love Piece
Views reach 5MM.
NYT tracks social
trajectory. NYT asks
for user stories.
NYT prepares Valentine’s
Day special package: 36
questions app and user
stories post. Piece tops
8MM views.
NYT continues to track
others’ efforts, gaining
300-400 likes per post.
Jan 9, 2015 Jan 13-30, 2015 Feb 13, 2015 Feb 14-28, 2015
Initial Modern Love
post: “To Fall in
Love with Anyone,
Do This”
2
Source: The New York Times
@JECowgill / @AMStrategy

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1776 hosted the 3rd
annual Challenge Cup
to honor innovative
global startups.
Launched the Innovation that
Matters report, paired with
accompanying social posts,
bite-sized graphics, and video.
1776 expands to new
cities, creating content
for entrepreneurial
audiences globally.
Jan 29, 2015 May 8-16, 2015 May 15, 2015 2015 and ongoing
Redesigned 1776
website to better
serve its community
of entrepreneurs.
Ideas can build
(and build, and build…)
Case Study: 1776’s unique angle on entrepreneurialism
Source: 1776, US Chamber of Commerce
@JECowgill / @AMStrategy

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Stake a claim on topics you
are best positioned to own
Maps and Charts
Companion Video
Commentary
Reactions
Immersive Experience
Investigative long-form
3
Source: The Atlantic
@JECowgill / @AMStrategy

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Any organization can transform
their knowledge in the same way
Country Filters
and Drill-Downs
Infographics
Spotlighted Facts
Long-form Reviews
Interactive Map
Taking a resource to digital
Source: The Cancer Atlas, American Cancer Society
@JECowgill / @AMStrategy

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Successful organizations
deliver on their brand promise
wherever their readers are
We don’t mean publish once and send it
everywhere. We mean Quartz can go anywhere
our readers are, in whatever form is appropriate.
What’s most striking … is what sits in the middle:
our brand. In this environment, it’s the most
important thing… That drives our editorial
mission, our product vision, and our
commercial business.”
- Zach Seward, Executive Editor, Quartz
“
@JECowgill / @AMStrategy

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The modern meaning
of brand loyalty
Syndication
Twitter Facebook
LinkedIn
Creative Services
Events
Atlas
iOS App
Daily Brief
Homepage Stories
India Africa
Flipboard
Google
Newsstand
Social Apps
QZ.com
Editions
Messaging
@JECowgill / @AMStrategy

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Thank You
Atlantic Media Strategies
Twitter: @AMStrategy
Newsletter: eepurl.com/WodVT
Medium: medium.com/digital-trends-index
In-person Workshop: jcowgill@atlanticmedia.com