Over the past year, publishers participating in the Knight x LMA BloomLab, a $3.2 million initiative focused on the sustainability of Black-owned news media, have received guidance from Adriana Lacy, an award-winning journalist and adjunct lecturer in the journalism department at Brandeis University. Adriana also is the CEO and president of Adriana Lacy Consulting, a full-service digital consulting firm helping publishers and businesses grow their digital audiences.
Through her work with the BloomLab publishers, Lacy created a 64-page playbook to help guide local news organizations toward better audience engagement. The report focuses on tools, resources and tips that provide journalists and modern newsrooms with tangible and actionable steps to engage their audiences better.
Lacy’s work was made possible by a generous grant from the Walton Family Foundation. The Knight x LMA BloomLab launched in 2022 thanks to a $3.2 million, three-year grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
Highlights from the playbook:
- Social media platforms have become increasingly fragmented, segmenting audiences by age, political preferences and interests.
- Content creators should leverage the power of AI-powered data analysis tools to boost SEO strategies with advanced keyword research and trend analysis.
- Publishers should shift their focus from lead generation or driving traffic to establishing and nurturing strong relationships with potential customers.
- Publishers should create well-structured listening surveys that reach larger audiences by including a variety of questions that gain a comprehensive understanding of individual readers’ interests, passions, perspectives, reading habits, satisfaction levels and more.
What else is in the playbook?
The 64-page report touches on the rise of private messaging, addressing the threat of AI, audience retention, building engaging newsletters and much more.
Complete the form below to receive the report.