Eric -- this essay really spoke to me. As editor of two online publications focused on entrepreneurs and family businesses, we are always feeling pressure to improve our page views in order to keep our funding (we don't have subscriptions or ads but receive our money from a charitable foundation). Our page views have been impressive but I wonder whether they are much of a proxy for impact. Are our readers more successful because of what we shared? I have no way of knowing, and I wish I did.
I'm so glad this resonated with you, Cathy. I think it's super relevant to journalism and publishing! Having worked at NPR, I know about some of the challenges of finding metrics to demonstrate impact. Have you ever gathered testimonials or anecdotes from readers? That could serve as additional evidence of success alongside the impressive pageviews.
Eric -- this essay really spoke to me. As editor of two online publications focused on entrepreneurs and family businesses, we are always feeling pressure to improve our page views in order to keep our funding (we don't have subscriptions or ads but receive our money from a charitable foundation). Our page views have been impressive but I wonder whether they are much of a proxy for impact. Are our readers more successful because of what we shared? I have no way of knowing, and I wish I did.
I'm so glad this resonated with you, Cathy. I think it's super relevant to journalism and publishing! Having worked at NPR, I know about some of the challenges of finding metrics to demonstrate impact. Have you ever gathered testimonials or anecdotes from readers? That could serve as additional evidence of success alongside the impressive pageviews.