Connecting with readers and gaining their trust is key to building loyal audiences. Establishing a solid base of dedicated readers is an investment we highly encourage here at Disqus, as loyal audiences are a more reliable source of traffic and tend to engage with content more frequently. For the average media outlet, only 3.8% of all site visitors are loyal readers. But just because they constitute only a small percentage of audience members, these readers should not be overlooked! In fact, they read 5 times more content, spend 15 seconds longer on sites, and visit 4 times more often than non-loyal readers. 👏

If you’re anything like me, chances are you love to keep up with the latest movies and binge-worthy TV shows. We all know the importance of staying up to date with the most current blockbusters or new episodes so friends and co-workers can’t drop any spoiler bombs before we’ve had the chance to watch. This summer, staying on top of the entertainment world is especially pertinent, with countless box-office-breaking hits (Spider-Man, Lion King… need I say more?) and TV show season releases guaranteed to overtake our weekends (hellooo Stranger Things Season 3!). Today we compiled 5 awesome Disqus sites that examine and review the newest films and shows coming out this summer: 

Newsletters are a powerful tool that can turn casual readers into loyal audience members. They are designed to remind readers of your site, give them the 4-1-1 on what you’re up to, and encourage them to come back. When executed correctly, they can create a long lasting link between publishers and their audience 💌. Executed poorly, however, and newsletters are no longer your greatest ally, instead causing annoyance and frustration amongst subscribers. Don’t worry, though-- there are a few things you can do to enhance your newsletter strategy, and I’m here to tell you how!

GIFs are all the rage right now, and their vast popularity comes as no surprise. The versatility of GIFs allows them to play an important role in everything from reacting to news online to storytelling through photojournalism. They are a great way to capture the attention of audiences quickly and effectively convey a message that resonates with others. GIFs also give us the opportunity to express our emotions when we’re unable to in person. 

A few years ago, online news subscriptions were a hot topic of conversation across the digital realm. The “pivot to paid” showed a lot of promise for journalism, presenting the opportunity for publishers to establish a direct financial relationship with readers and supplement volatile digital advertising revenue. 

Summer 2019 is here and we couldn’t be more excited to usher in a new wave of bright interns to contribute to the Disqus team! Over the next ten weeks, they will be spending time learning, innovating, working hard, and of course, we’ll make time for some fun too. Here at Disqus we foster and encourage an environment filled with creativity, growth, development, and curiosity! While this group will be focusing on their respective areas of expertise, we also strive to expose them to all departments of our company.

The newest cohort of consumers is upon us. Generation Z, consisting of those born between 1995 to 2012-ish (everyone says something a little different), will make up 40% of all US consumers by next year. Forty percent! 😱 Commonly mistaken for Millenials (born between 1980 and 1994), members of Gen Z are different and come equipped with different practices and behaviors when it comes to technology and the internet. Also known as “Digital Natives,” these Gen Zers have only ever known the convenience of high-speed Internet, unlike Millennials who experienced some of the dark days of landlines, flip phones, hand-written notes, floppy disks, and perhaps the worst of all… movies not on demand.

Summer is here, and we are beyond excited to try the newest recipes and restaurants! 🍝 This week we rounded up some of our favorite Disqus food websites to help you out this summer. Whether you plan to spend the next couple of months channeling your inner foodie, cooking up the yummiest summer recipes, or dining out to the trendy new restaurant-- we’ve got you covered!

If you’re a content creator, you probably spend a significant amount of time brainstorming, researching, drafting, and publishing fresh ideas regularly. There is a small sigh of relief once the piece is officially published, but it’s not long before you are on to the next idea or project. However, you don't always need to create more content, but rather smarter content! For example, you may look at a video, eBook, or blog post and see just a single piece, but there is an opportunity to repurpose or personalize that information to create something new. You can breathe new life into old content and continue to increase value from your popular posts. By repurposing, you already have a head start on the creation process. To start, take your best performing content, including blog posts, videos, podcasts, or infographics. Once you have that, let’s consider 4 different ways that you can repurpose your content:

Collaboration is a great way to grow your audience and diversify your content. Collaborating means working with someone to produce or create something new and exciting for your audience. Whether that involves contributed writing, interviews, or guest appearances, collaborations can be a powerful tool to amplify your reach and take your business to the next level - especially for emerging publishers! 📈