According to figures released this week, 12 million out of the Daily Telegraph’s 19 million unique monthly visitors came to their webpage via mobile access. This statistic should come as no surprise given that this year, mobile internet use toppled computer-based access for the very first time. It is therefore also not surprising to see the Telegraph continuing to expand on its online content, in a hope to stay ahead of its competitors in the increasing battle for mobile domination.
Already the publication has established an expansive video content library, ranging from 30-second news digests, to 360 degree clips and even culture and travel videos. All of these easily lend themselves to the mobile format due to their brevity, engaging content and ability to be consumed on the go. The Telegraph now also intends to start streaming TV shows on their website over the Christmas period, with offerings such as ‘The Hour’ and Joanna Lumley’s travelogue documentaries having been cherry-picked on the basis of video genres that have already been successful amongst their leadership.
All of this video content can be viewed without a premium subscription, with the idea being that the enhanced amount of digital offerings will provoke deeper engagement that could eventually increase the number of eventual subscribers.
The Daily Telegraph’s move can serve a lesson to us in the PR and Communications sector. Having listened to their audience and dissected their consumption habits, the publication has been able to devise a forward-thinking strategy to increase their number of paid subscribers in an increasingly competitive market. Sensing this sort of shift in parameters of media consumption is something that all of us in our industry must continue to do if we wish to stay ahead of the technological curve and in contact with our desired audiences.