Social media traffic to news sites is in decline but Google Discover shows promise

By Stefan ten Teije

Senior Content Editor

smartocto

Nijmegen, The Netherlands

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The significance of Facebook in content strategy is no longer as pronounced as it was a decade ago. This much we all know.

But any media outlet worth their salt knows they have to be where their audience spends much of their time - and people are clearly still spending a lot of their time on social media.

While Twitter and Facebook once prioritised news in their algorithms, the difficulty is that, in recent years, Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg has stated the platform's focus is shifting toward personal interactions and away from "public content."

A brief foray into the history of X's (formerly known as Twitter) taglines shows its purpose has also changed. The app now invites users to "blaze your glory," marking a different tone to the previous tagline "it's what's happening." Meanwhile, video content continues to gain popularity, particularly on platforms like TikTok and in Reels on Instagram.

This shift has inevitably affected the amount of traffic traditional media receive from social platforms. There's little debate about this now; it's a reality that media must confront. Still, it's worth taking a closer look at the relationship between social media and traditional media, and that's what the following charts (all based on smartocto clients' data) illustrate.

Referral traffic from Facebook has decreased significantly in recent years.

As the chart above shows, traffic from Facebook has declined from about 18% to approximately 12% in the last four years. Some brands may see higher percentages, while others experience lower figures. The trend over the past four years, however, is unmistakable and aligns with Facebook's own messaging and how news publishers are adapting.

Jaap van Zessen, a Dutch consultant specialising in data analysis for news media, confirms this. "Other figures also show a significant decline in traffic from Facebook. Media outlets feel this and are constantly searching for other channels to distribute their stories and reach to as wide an audience as possible," van Zessen said.

"In my view, they should use every possible tool at their disposal. Even if the percentage is small, it can still be worthwhile to share content on platforms like X, Threads, or BlueSky alongside Facebook."

While X has never been a major referral source, it has also sent fewer people to news sites in recent years.

When it comes to X, traffic to news sites has also dropped significantly. However, in comparison to Facebook, it was already a minor player.

Some editorial teams have even considered distancing themselves from X due to the increase in hate speech on the platform, especially since Elon Musk laid off much of its workforce. "Some media outlets also struggle with the reputation of TikTok," van Zessen said, "but for many brands, the bottom line is that they need to be where their audience is. It's crucial to weigh your own reach metrics when deciding whether it's worth maintaining a presence."

It's well known that converting TikTok users into visitors to news sites is extremely challenging, and we do not currently have any data on this. Instagram and LinkedIn are also common marketing channels for news brands, but according to smartocto's statistics, they generally don't generate much click-through traffic.

Click-through traffic from Instagram and LinkedIn is fairly low.

It's important to note these percentages reflect the overall share of traffic. When other channels drive more traffic to news sites, the percentage of traffic from a different source automatically decreases.

In this context, it's interesting to look at the data from Google Discover. Google Discover is a feed of news stories that appear on mobile devices, tailored to what Google believes users are interested in.

While Google Discover is a good source of referral traffic, it is much harder to optimise.

With Google Discover, it's challenging to take actionable steps. Unlike on social media, there are fewer opportunities to hire people to optimise story placement.

"This challenge shouldn't deter them, as the best advice is rooted in the core principles of journalism: create relevant content," said Miloš Stanić, smartocto's strategy manager. "Google will recognise this and prioritise your content over that of competitors' for readers interested in these topics.

"Some technical tips exist - such as putting extra effort into headlines to ensure they provide value or spark curiosity. It's important not to resort to clickbait. Additionally, using high-quality, high-resolution visuals is recommended. Ultimately, the key lies in producing trustworthy, well-researched content created by individuals experienced in specific topics. In other words, relevance is essential."

Because referral traffic from social media can be all over the place, it is best to focus efforts on those platforms with the highest potential.

Given the shake up and fragmentation of the social media world, editors may be questioning if, when, where, and how to maintain a presence - especially when emerging alternatives are so new and have yet to build a substantial following. Will Threads (from Meta) become the leading messaging service, or will BlueSky, founded by Twitter's creator Jack Dorsey, take the lead?

There's only one answer: Follow your audience.

With that in mind, here are some key tips for allocating your social media editors' time.

First, focus your efforts on the platforms with the highest potential reach.

Don't just measure traffic or pageviews from a platform. Also consider conversion rates to subscriptions or engagement on social media accounts. Determine how important these metrics are to you.

Finally, link an RSS feed to a social media account if you don't have the people to do it. Make it as personalised as possible, with separate feeds for sections or topics. You can do this for free using IFTTT, Zapier, or dlvr.it. Threads recently opened up its API.

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About Stefan ten Teije

Stefan ten Teije is a senior content editor at smartocto in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Stefan can be reached at [email protected] or @StefanTT.

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