Content Marketing

Why publishers are federating their sites

May 24, 2024 at 5:04:23 AM

TL;DR The Verge and 404 Media are exploring the fediverse to control referral traffic and audience engagement as platforms like Facebook and X become less reliable. They plan to distribute posts on their sites and federated platforms like Mastodon and Threads, integrating comments across platforms. Supported by ActivityPub, this allows interoperability and direct audience relationships, reducing dependency on major tech companies.

Why publishers are federating their sites

Digital media companies like The Verge and 404 Media are exploring the fediverse to gain more control over referral traffic and audience engagement. This shift comes as platforms like Facebook and X become less reliable for driving traffic to publishers' sites.

Key Points:

Fediverse Integration: The Verge and 404 Media are developing functions to distribute posts on their sites and federated platforms (Threads, Mastodon, Bluesky) simultaneously. Comments on these platforms will appear as comments on their sites.
Interoperability: The fediverse allows users from different platforms to interact without needing separate accounts for each. Publishers aim to leverage this interoperability to reach readers directly.
ActivityPub: This plug-in enables site integration with federated platforms. WordPress added an ActivityPub module, and Vox Media is transitioning from its CMS to WordPress to support this functionality.
404 Media: Hosted on Ghost CMS, which is working to support ActivityPub. The site is also federated through Flipboard, which collaborates with about 50 publishers.
Challenges and Opportunities: Social referral traffic is declining, and platforms are deprioritizing publisher content. The fediverse offers a decentralized alternative, reducing dependency on major platforms.
The Verge's Success: Loyal readership increased by 47% from Q1 to Q4 in 2023, and time spent on the homepage rose despite a dip in overall traffic.
User Base: Federated platforms have smaller user bases compared to giants like Facebook and X. Mastodon has 1.8 million monthly active users, Threads has over 130 million, X has 550 million, and Facebook has 3 billion.
Future Outlook: Despite the smaller user base, publishers see the fediverse as a promising, more humane internet alternative that offers better control and customization.

Quotes:

Jason Koebler, 404 Media co-founder: "Excited about reaching readers directly without relying on massive tech companies."
Nilay Patel, The Verge’s editor-in-chief: "The fediverse can solve a huge distribution problem."
Marci McCue, Flipboard’s head of communications: "The fediverse creates a direct relationship with people, eliminating dependency on big platforms."
Mike McCue, Flipboard CEO: "The Verge is pioneering the future for media."

Conclusion: The fediverse represents a significant shift for digital media, offering a decentralized, interoperable platform that could reshape how publishers engage with their audiences.