Study Finds No Link Between Social Media Engagement and Content Readership

A recent study by Memo reveals that social media engagement does not significantly correlate with content readership for news publishers. This research suggests that the benefits publishers once derived from social media are diminishing.

Social Media Engagement Study

• Lack of Correlation: The study, conducted by Memo, found no clear connection between social media engagement and actual page views. The correlation coefficient between social engagement (reactions, comments, and shares) and readership (unique visitors) mostly hovered around or below 0.1.
• Minimal Traffic from Social Media: Less than 1% of readers to news articles come from social media platforms.
• Industry-Specific Trends: The study analyzed 26,000 news articles across various topics and found that only Politics, Sports & Athletics, and Crisis-related articles showed a low-end moderate correlation between social media engagement and readership.

Detailed Analysis

Study Overview: Memo's research initially conducted in 2022 was revisited in 2024 due to the dynamic changes in the social landscape. The analysis included a wide range of topics and industries over a month-long period, from January 20 to February 20.

Correlation Findings: The correlation coefficient is a measure used to determine the relationship between two variables, with 1 indicating a perfect positive correlation and 0 indicating no correlation. Memo's findings highlighted the following:

• Politics: 0.33 correlation
• Sports & Athletics: 0.36 correlation
• Crises: 0.49 correlation

These figures indicate that even the highest correlation, found in crisis-related news, only reached a moderate level at best.

Algorithm Changes: Memo attributed some of the shifts to changes in social media algorithms, aimed at de-prioritizing news to combat misinformation. This has likely contributed to the declining influence of social media on news readership.

Implications for Social Media Managers

For social media managers, this study underscores the need to reconsider strategies that rely heavily on social media engagement metrics. Here are a few takeaways:

• Diversify Traffic Sources: Relying solely on social media for driving traffic may no longer be effective. Exploring other channels like email newsletters, SEO, and direct engagement through websites can provide more stable traffic sources.
• Quality Over Quantity: Focus on creating high-quality, engaging content that provides value to readers rather than content designed to garner likes and shares.
• Monitor Engagement: While social media engagement can still be a metric of interest, it should not be the sole indicator of success. Combine engagement metrics with actual readership data to get a complete picture.
• Crisis Management: During crises, social media can serve as a moderate indicator of public interest. However, always verify how many people are reading the related news to inform your response strategies.

Memo's study highlights a significant shift in how social media impacts news readership. For publishers and social media managers, this means adapting strategies to ensure that engagement on social platforms translates into meaningful interactions and actual readership.