The Economist experiments with audiograms

Taylyn Washington-Harmon of Nieman Labs writes about how The Economist is using audiograms, video clips rendered from its podcasts in order to be shareable, bite-sized versions of the full-length content.

Washington-Harmon writes, “The Economist’s most popular audiogram so far, based on reach, engagement, and overall audio plays, was from an interview with editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes, featuring her stance on Brexit. ‘Given that our social feeds had been so filled with Brexit articles, this audiogram gave our followers something a little different: the opportunity to stop and listen to our elevator pitch on why we supported Remain, without having to leave Facebook,’ Reid wrote.

“Reid also suspects that image and quote quality affect the success of the audiogram. ‘A user may share the post based on the image and quote without even having heard the clip. That is clearly possible with the audiograms on Trump, ‘Game of Thrones,’ and Zanny [Minton Beddoes]’s comments on Brexit.’

“WNYC and NPR have both dabbled in the world of audiograms, acknowledging that many social users tend to spend no longer than a couple of minutes on clips in their social feeds. Both have found success with quick turnarounds, interviews with high-interest individuals, and breaking news.”

Read more here.