Publishers like New York Times, The Atlantic, and New York Magazine leverage games to build long-term reader relationships.
Word game Wordle’s success with global audiences led to the New York Times acquiring it for a reported amount of $1.5 million. The American publication looks at the acquisition as an investment to lure in Wordle’s estimated three million users.
But the New York Times is not the only publication eyeing online games as a strategy for effectively engaging audiences. Other newspapers and magazines are realising the correlation between daily engagement with games and long-term subscriber retention, where readers come for the news but stay for the entertainment.
To leverage their investment in games, publishers must find ways to establish meaningful relationships with gaming audiences using solutions like free newsletters or social features. Similarly, they can also consider offering puzzles and games outside paywalls, requiring users to pay only to read articles.
[3 minute read]
