Thursday 2nd May: LinkedIn launches its own Wordle, and the value of gamification

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I recently wrote a piece for A Media Operator on how some publications are looking to LinkedIn to drive their newsletter growth — and we’ve had to have conversations about LinkedIn newsletters for the Publisher Podcast Awards too. Regardless of how you feel about media companies once again using a third-party platform for audience engagement and development, it’s undeniable that LinkedIn has been investing in its tools for creators — publishers included — and that a number of outlets are taking the bait.

A new wrinkle has emerged, however, in the form of ‘Wordle-style games’ on the B2B platform designed to keep its own users on-platform: “LinkedIn describes them as ‘thinking-oriented games,’ though the format will likely look familiar to fans of The New York Times Games app. Each game can only be played once a day, and players can share their score with friends in cute emoji-filled messages reminiscent of the ‘Wordle grid.’ The service will also keep track of ‘streaks,’ to encourage players to come back every day.”

There’s a few takeaways from this. The first is yet another reminder that, when it comes to audiences’ time, everybody is in competition with absolutely everybody else. It’s not a zero-sum game, and the time spent on LinkedIn’s games is time spent actively not engaging with publisher content. The second is that LinkedIn is on the warpath to retain users on its own platform rather than directing it elsewhere. And the final takeaway is that people love games. And speaking of…

Oh god yes, put this in my veins. I’ve written about the value of newsgames for publishers before but this is a well-researched and written argument that news companies should be going deep into creating newsgames for their stickiness and ability communicate information in memorable and engaging ways. The outlay can be prohibitive, true, but the benefits can be huge.

👋 Hola mi querido! When it comes to keeping people engaged, newsletters retain their vital role. So if you’re interested in the above story you’ll probably also love our Publisher Newsletter Summit, coming up on June 12th. A full day of newsletter learnings and networking with fellow professionals? Tell me more.

This is a full-on murderer’s row of people potentially in the running to buy the Telegraph — some of whom happen to be the absolute worst people in the media world. The UAE-backed investment group RedBird IMI wended its merry way away from its proposed takeover following political intervention, which is probably a good thing. Now, though, we have this cast of miscreants looking to consolidate their soft power over the British public. Boo.

This will be one to keep an eye on. It always hurts when an institution you admire is accused of shady practices, but light is the best disinfectant. Four BBC presenters — all women — are alleging that the BBC had effectively handed its preferred candidates roles before they were offered out elsewhere, which amounts to a sham hiring process. BBC DG Tim Davie is also embroiled in the claims, so it will be interesting to see what if any fallout there will be if the presenters’ claims are proven to be true.

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