If you consider its precursor, Silicon Alley Insider, then business news powerhouse Business Insider should be celebrating its tenth anniversary this month.
When co-founder Henry Blodget launched the site from New York, he may not have expected it would veer off the business beat, that it would go global or that it would make such a big deal of video.
But Insider is now doing all of those things, with localised editions in 16 countries.
“When we started, we were all text,” Blodget tells Beet.TV, in this video at the NewFronts showcase, where the publisher pitched its offering to ad buyers.
“We have 200 journalists worldwide, about 75 of whom are making great digital video. Video has become a huge central way to tell stories in digital.
“There are many stories that are much better told in words and text … other stories, great visual stories, lifestyle stories, food, travel, adventure… all that stuff is so great in video.”
Business Insider crossed the one billion monthly video views mark last year. But, to Blodget video is now one thing – it’s two.
In other words, the publisher is responding to what are different production requirements for editorial videos that users choose to click and watch, and those that are auto-played in social network streams.
“Discovery in social video is in-feed, it is often with the sound off,” Blodget adds. “You have to create stories where you can get a lot out of them without sound, and make them better with sound.”
Many of those social videos are most popular when they are about lifestyle and travel topics. That’s why Business Insider launched Insider, an eponymous offshoot covering those segments and others.
The co-founder’s mantra for a successful publishing strategy? It’s a typically playful acronym:
- Smart
- Helpful
- Accurate
- Fast
- Fair
- Fearless
- Fun
Long may the “SHAFFF” continue.
This video is part of Beet.TV’s coverage of the IAB’s Digital Content NewFronts 2017. The series is sponsored by the IAB. For more videos from the #NewFronts, please visit this page.
