Francesca Dumas, Co-founder of Contribly - Redefining Engagement

How Daily Maverick Builds Member Loyalty Through Engagement

Julia Harris [https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-harris-abb61080/], Head of Reader Revenue at Daily Maverick [https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/], shares how one of South Africa’s independent news organisations drives member loyalty and retention through emotional connection, user-initiated journalism, and community engagement. In this episode of Redefining Engagement, we explore: * How Daily Maverick Connect is creating safe spaces for reader participation * Why emotional engagement is key to retention and reader revenue * What “lurkers” can teach us about silent participation * How onboarding emails boost long-term loyalty * The role of journalists in building trust and community Whether you're working in subscriptions, memberships, or newsroom engagement, this episode is packed with actionable insights.

Storytelling strategy is not marketing. They are two different things.

This week’s Redefining Engagement podcast guest is not from the news industry. So if you’re a news professional who doesn't normally think in terms of narrative strategy (not marketing!), you should be listening. 🎬 Théo Mahy-Ma-Somga is a filmmaker, narrative strategist and founder who helps people build narrative equity – by asking one deceptively powerful question: “Why are you doing this in the first place?”  …in journalism we think it sounds like 'to hold power to account' but is there more to it than that? We talked about what journalists, editors and publishers can learn from content creators, filmmakers and solo founders who actually know how to connect with audiences today. Some standout takeaways 👇 🎯 Engagement starts with emotional stakes “If there’s nothing at stake for your reader — no emotion, no reason to care — they’ll scroll right past you.” 💡 Pick your voice, and stick to it “Stop trying to speak to everyone. A 16-year-old, a 35-year-old, and an 82-year-old don’t want the same story told the same way.” 📢 Newsrooms need a face “People don’t trust companies. They trust people. So who are you? And why do you show up for this work every day?” This is the storytelling reset the news industry needs. It’s not about marketing.It’s not about spin.It’s about meaning and inviting your audience into it. 🎧 Listen to the episode now — it might just change the way you think about your brand.

We asked our teams: what is your claim to your community? What do you promise them in one sentence? Most have never thought about it. But it changes everything.

“We built a digital newsroom from scratch… and our most viral story was about benches.”  On this week’s Redefining Engagement, we sat down with Charlie Walter, Audience Development Lead at Funke, who’s working hands-on with over 100 local newsrooms across Germany to shift from print-first to people-first. Here are a few lessons that stood out: Our favourite: 🗣 Redefine your audience relationship. “We ask teams: what’s your claim to your community? What do you promise them in one sentence? Most have never thought about it. But it changes everything.” 🛠 Transformation takes time, and mostly repetition. “You can’t just drop in, give a talk, and expect change. You need to show up every day, repeat the message and build trust. Otherwise, nothing sticks.” 🪑 Relevance = surprising, hyperlocal, emotional. Two new benches in a town in Germany sparked 300K views and 1,100 comments. Not groundbreaking journalism but massive engagement. “Suddenly, everyone knew our account. And trusted us to lead the conversation.” 👥 Feedback loops matter more than assumptions. “When we go out and ask people why they don’t subscribe to a news brand, their answers are sobering. Sometimes they don’t even know a brand. That’s humbling… but it’s also the start of change.” 💬 Newsrooms as relationships. “This process is like counselling. You start questioning everything. But on the other side is real clarity, relevance, and connection.” If you're trying to shift your newsroom’s mindset or help someone else do it (regardless of whether you’re moving from print to digital), this episode is for you. 🎧 Listen in for real tactics, real examples of challenges, and real team motivation insight. And if you’re short on time? No worries. Simply browse the episode chapters below and choose the segments you're most eager to hear. 00:00 Introduction to Charlie and Funke 02:55 The Digital Transformation Challenge 04:53 Coaching Newsrooms for Digital Success 07:00 Defining Audience Engagement 09:25 Building Engagement through Data 11:46 Identifying Key Topics for Engagement 14:07 The Importance of Community Connection 16:31 Challenges in Transitioning to Digital 18:35 Understanding Audience Needs 21:02 The Human Element in Journalism 23:27 Closing Thoughts on Audience Engagement 25:27 The Sobering Reality of Journalism's Evolution 25:56 Redefining Journalism: A New Opportunity 29:03 Crafting Claims: The Heart of Local Journalism 30:47 Engagement and Audience Connection 31:53 From Claims to Practice: Making Journalism Relevant 34:03 Harnessing User Feedback for Better Engagement 36:25 Surprising Engagement: Leading the Conversation 40:04 Building Loyalty Through Relevant Content 41:44 The Journey Ahead: Engagement Strategies in Progress 42:53 The Uncertain Future of Journalism 44:26 Removing Fear: Cultivating a Culture of Experimentation 47:14 Building Relationships: The Key to Successful Change

How is your team’s productivity measured?

Unfortunately listening to your readers isn't usually considered a productivity measure… This week, Francesca sat down with journalist and audience specialist Sebastián Auyanet to redefine the purpose of community engagement—and why AI might be the key to unlocking it. Here are 3 critical shifts your newsroom needs to make right now: 1. Engagement Must Be Intentional Conversation 🙏 Sebastián argues that true engagement involves being "very intentional about having as much close as a conversation as you can have with the very audience that you are trying to serve."  Is that scalable? Maybe not, but remember, how you react to your readers who take the time to engage, will also be seen by others… And stop chasing views and clicks for insight! Start asking directly. Sebastián shared a project where asking readers for questions resulted in 600 submissions and the top-performing story of the day. When the audience buys into the process, they are bound to come back. 🪃 2. The Aim is Survival 🪦 What is the ultimate goal of these strategies? Survival. Your engaged audience aren't just consumers; they are: ♥️ Ambassadors for your brand. 💰 Supporters at a financial/monetisation level. 📰 Partners in your reporting and distribution strategy. The more you know them, the more roles they can play in sustaining your organisation. 🌱 3. AI’s Real Job is to Free Up Your Time to: Talk!!! 🙊 AI won't magically solve your community relationship problems. In fact, Sebastián argues its greatest value is in allowing journalists to STEP AWAY from the efficient world of automation. The hard truth is that Journalists will do everything to avoid to go out and connect. Do you agree?  We should use AI to streamline bottlenecks, automate production, and eliminate internal bureaucracy. This repurposes valuable time for work that is inherently inefficient but critical: "You need time to engage with people in order to find where the problems are. There's no way to go around that." If you’re ready to build relationships and hear ideas that will help sustain your newsroom, listen to the full episode. And if you’re short on time? No worries. Simply browse the episode chapters below and choose the segments you're most eager to hear: 00:00 Introduction to Sebastián Auyanet 02:30 Defining Audience Engagement 07:43 The Aim of Engagement Strategies 09:26 Successful Engagement Projects 14:52 Measuring Success in Audience Engagement 21:03 Challenges in Audience Engagement 23:21 The Importance of Time and Workflow in Engagement 25:16 Defining Community Roles in Newsrooms 28:07 Effective Audience Engagement Strategies 31:07 Surprising Audience Interactions and Lessons Learned 35:17 The Role of AI in Audience Engagement 39:37 Future of Engagement: Streamlined Processes and Local Focus 42:55 Practical Engagement Hacks for New Journalists

Francesca Dumas, Co-founder of Contribly - Redefining Engagement

This week, the tables have turned, and our very own co-founder Francesca is stepping into the interviewEE seat. Francesca emphasises that we often don't know our audience as well as we think, and by inviting readers to speak, we can become infinitely more relevant. This means moving beyond one-way broadcasting and simple comment sections and truly inviting people into the conversation WITHIN everything we do. Here are some important takeaways from the episode: * Integrate, Don't Isolate: Don't create separate "audience engagement" zones. Weave reader contributions directly into your articles. Make engagement part of the everyday workflow! * Ask Your Audience Specific, Open-Ended Questions: Forget "send us your news." Try direct questions that will uncover more "What surprised you most when you moved to a new country?" for more genuine insights. * Offer a Real Value Exchange: Social media offers likes, shares and comments. News brands need to provide a tangible reason for readers to engage in something larger, making people feel heard. * And this one is our favourite ♥️:  How do we like to measure engagement? Focus on Quality & Outcomes: Beyond just the number of contributions, look at the quality and the impact of engagement. Does it lead to new story ideas? Does it create more meaningful journalism? Does it create deeper connections between your newsroom and your readers?