© Illustration by Aurélie Garnier
“Community building” has become an increasingly more important strategy for digital publishers in recent years, helping to develop a loyal, engaged audience on-platform.
The Globe and Mail is no exception – from live Q&As with journalists to call-outs and reader-led content, their community work is certainly one to be inspired by. We spoke to Audience Growth Manager, Rebecca Zamon, about these initiatives.
Key takeaways to copy & share
> The Globe and Mail runs hour-long live Q&As where subscribers put questions to reporters. Registered readers can watch but not take part, which makes the paid tier visible rather than merely described > The mechanics are deliberately plain. A form in the article collects questions two days ahead, the same article hosts the session in its comments, and a follow-up piece summarises what was said > The best detail is the app alert. It goes out only once a few questions have been answered, so readers arrive in a conversation already underway rather than an empty room > Call-outs now feed the journalism. Asking Canadians how the trade war changed their buying habits produced a database of Canadian companies, and a happiness reporter's call for nominations became a January hit > Their rule for call-outs is to say what the information will be used for, then close the loop by writing back and sharing the finished piece. Readers become advocates
