Wednesday Buzz: Direct Traffic Is on the Rise

Back in the old days, publishers used to make their homepages as robust as possible to keep users coming back for more. But as Google and social media platforms took over the internet, publishers dropped the focus on the homepage and put a lot of time and effort into growing referral traffic.

But according to a new Chartbeat study, it looks like readers are coming back home again.

“Chartbeat is publishing new data today that shows that since October, more mobile readers are coming to publishers’ sites and apps directly than from social platforms, namely Facebook,” writes Lucia Moses in a Digiday article  (opens in a new tab).

Facebook started deprioritizing publishers in January, but Chartbeat can’t say for sure that this change alone accounts for the rise in direct traffic. “Chartbeat didn’t have definitive conclusions on why the direct traffic has increased, but suggested it could be that people are more loyal to publishers than previously thought,” writes Moses.

Emails People Hate

There are certain things most donors abhor. A relevant nonprofit newsletter is a “donor-centered” newsletter. So begin here. Let’s look at what doesn’t work: https://t.co/DuK0VZIo88  (opens in a new tab)

— bloomerang (@bloomerangTech) May 30, 2018  (opens in a new tab)

Are your emails boring recipients to death? No one wants to open or read a dull email, but figuring out how to make your messages more interesting can be tricky.

“People want evidence of what you do, not just your word for it,” writes Claire Axelrad in a new Bloomerang post  (opens in a new tab). “Tell a genuine, specific, compelling story. Share a moving testimonial.”

She goes on to warn against being too preachy or sharing content outside of your audience’s interests.

Other Links of Note

Want to break down organizational silos? Beth’s Blog reveals how storytelling can help  (opens in a new tab).

Make the most of your next webinar experience. Here’s how to incorporate takeaways  (opens in a new tab) and insights into your job from Engaging Volunteers.

Conferences don’t need to be one-way transactions. Velvet Chainsaw provides a new framework for thinking about events  (opens in a new tab).

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