"Readers Loops" – How Editors bring their digital audience into the editorial meeting

How do editorial teams generate story ideas? The Upscore-Grip-Team supports publishers in adopting a practical working method that makes a significant contribution to the financing of journalism. The editorial management at Rhein-Zeitung reports over 100 percent more subscriptions within a single year.

Hamburg / Koblenz. Upscore, the specialist for data-driven journalism, recently shared success stories in acquiring paying readers during a Bundesverband der Digitalpublisher (BDZV) webinar, using Rhein-Zeitung as a prime example. With “Readers Loops”, Upscore provides a service specifically tailored to data-based editorial planning and the extensive capabilities of its publishing intelligence platform. The tool, developed by experienced journalists, defines concrete workflows for everyday editorial work.

One key example is the collaboration with Rhein-Zeitung in Koblenz. For about a year now, the Hamburg-based team has been coaching the local editorial staff, helping them to interpret data as what it truly represents: the daily expressions of their readers. “We help them interpret the information correctly and even participate in editorial conferences several times a week,” explains Joachim Dreykluft, Head of Data & AI at Upscore. The results speak for themselves: since the partnership began, Rhein-Zeitung has seen its reach almost double and the number of new subscriptions increase by over 100 percent.

Lars Hennemann, editor-in-chief of Rhein-Zeitung, says: “We now have an instrument at our disposal to truly understand our readers' wishes and to achieve sustainable editorial and commercial success in digital journalism.”

Data-driven workflow makes a tangible difference to everyday editorial life. The Upscore-Grip-Team employs a toolkit called “Readers Loops”, which always takes the publisher’s strategy and culture into account. “No two clients receive exactly the same approach from us. It must be individually tailored. The principle of radical reader orientation is what counts,” adds Dreykluft. Clients of Upscore include local, regional, and national publishers.

Emphasis on storytelling methods

One example is “follow-up stories” – in German: “Nachdrehen”. Here, data metrics that reflect the publisher’s and editorial team’s strategy are selected. Through data analysis, threshold values are defined. When those are exceeded, the editorial team creates a follow-up. This automatically generates editorial priorities that particularly matter to readers. The “Readers Loops” principle is based on a clearly structured process: it starts with thorough data analysis over a minimum period of two months, followed by the development of individual strategies and the definition of measurable targets. Hands-on consulting during practical implementation is guaranteed by the team. Editorial managers benefit from this expert input, resulting in a lasting establishment of the workflow process—as a continuous loop.

Significantly increased subscriber numbers demonstrably achievable

Once “Readers Loops” have been implemented as data-based feedback cycles, readers’ interests become part of the day-to-day editorial workflow. A consistently strong result is the long-term willingness to pay.

Upscore is a pioneer in providing data-driven solutions to editorial teams. With Readers Loops, the Hamburg team takes the next step, integrating data-based decision support directly into the daily editorial process.

A case study on the sustainable success in acquiring paying readers was met with great interest at a recent event. The most frequently asked question: how soon can onboarding begin? The Upscore-Grip-Team has already advised more than a dozen editorial offices and now offers regular webinars for this purpose. Successful onboarding can be completed in just a few weeks.