Tim Griggs, The Texas Tribune

1. [Research, audience &
prospects]
Dissecting Engagement
Reynolds Journalism Institute
March 2015
Tim Griggs
Publisher & COO
@TTGriggs

2. “If we have data, let’s look
at data.
If all we have our opinions,
let’s go with mine.”
Jim Barksdale

3. [About the Tribun
• Five years old
• Non-profit
• Nonpartisan
• Digitally focused
• News, data, even
• Covers politics,
policy, and
government

4. 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
[Revenue is
growing!]
‘10 ‘11 ‘12 ‘13 ‘14 ’15
(forecast)

5. [Staff is
growing!]

6. June
2011
June
2013
Not until recently, anyway.
[Traffic? Eh, not so
much]

7. Are we fulfilling our stated
mission?

8. Are we fulfilling our stated
mission?
Who are we reaching (and why)?

9. Are we fulfilling our stated
mission?
Who are we reaching (and why)?
Who are we NOT reaching (and
why)?

10. Are we fulfilling our stated
mission?
Who are we reaching (and why)?
Who are we NOT reaching (and
why)?
How many people should we

11. Analytic
s
Qualitativ
e
research
User
testing
Quantitati
ve

12. • Adult
• Lives in Texas
• Daily digital news consumer
• Seeks state news
• Follows one or more of the policy subjects we
cover
• Has a college degree
• Follows state politics
• Has a personal and professional interest in
understanding policy issues
• Reads local newspapers
• Voted in last two years
• Interested in the Trib concept
[Profile of a current
user]

13. Texas population
26,000,000
Population 18+ 19,000,000
% digital news consumers
69%
% who meet profile criteria
2.8%
People like our current users
400,000

14. • Adult
• Live in Texas
• Digital news consumer
• Seeks state news
• Follows one or more of the policy subjects we
cover
• Interested in the Trib concept
[Profile of a
prospect]

15. Texas population
26,000,000
Population 18+
19,000,000
% digital news consumers
~69%% who seek state news and
follow at least one policy subject
~77%
% who indicate interest in Trib
~39%
Potential users

16. • Ever heard of us?
• Know we’re a nonprofit?
• Willing to join?
• First discovered us?
• Advocacy on our behalf?
• Impact?
[And more interesting
stuff]

17. Advocacy
Loyalty
Preference
Experience
Awareness
Expose the brand +
build future loyalists
from civically engaged
Texans (~4M)
Deepen engagement
among current loyalists
and core users (~400K)
and monetize them
[An audience strategy
framework]

18. # of paid
users
Heavy user cohort
Monthly users
Total reach (offline + online)
Unaided brand awareness
[Most important audience data …
to us]
ARPU

19. [Questions?]
Tim Griggs
@TTGriggs