This document discusses a case study of the Guardian's Facebook social readers program launched in 2011. It allowed users to read, watch, and listen to Guardian content directly in Facebook. It was an experimental way for people to consume Guardian content opt-in through social media. The program generated a lot of discussion and helped increase Facebook referrals, but the prominence of social reading declined and the Guardian later added agreement buttons instead of the original right/wrong ratings.

1. Facebook social readers - a case study
Martin Belam
October 2012
@currybet
facebook.com/currybet
emblem-digital.com

2. @currybet

3. Launched in September 2011
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4. Read, watch and listen Guardian content in Facebook
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5. An opt-in way of consuming Guardian content
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6. People were very vocal about it
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7. Very vocal indeed
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8. Why design it like that?
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9. Had one metric in mind...
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10. ...but actually shifted this one
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11. It was an experiment
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12. Any page was potentially a viral landing page
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13. It spawned new conversations around old content
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14. And presented a new revenue opportunity
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15. I was making a weekly dashboard. That upset some people.
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16. YouTube clips aren’t journalism
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17. But neither are TV listings
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18. A young, male audience primed to distribute
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19. Facebook referrals briefly eclipsed Google
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20. And then everybody said they “collapsed”
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21. Any graph that starts from a high peak...
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22. But “Reads” are not prominent anymore
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23. The Guardian added “Agree / Disagree”
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24. Unfavourably compared to the “Right / Wrong” table
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25. Some actions speak louder
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26. The water carrier
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27. If I could turn back time...
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28. Facebook social readers - a case study
Martin Belam
October 2012
@currybet
facebook.com/currybet
emblem-digital.com