That vagueness is a real problem, especially if you work in a small company, a government office or a non-profit. When no one agrees what thought leadership is, it is hard to know whether you are doing it, whether it is working, or whether it is worth your limited time.

For years, the honest answer was that thought leadership resisted definition. It was easier to describe what it felt like than to say what it was.

That is now changing. The Global Thought Leadership Institute (GTLI) at APQC, where I am a board member, has published the first widely recognized standard for the field, and with it, a clearer definition. GTLI describes thought leadership as the development of distinctive, evidence-based insights that give decision-makers the information they need to act. Our standard sets out what true thought leadership looks like: ideas meant to influence decisions, not simply to attract attention.

Three things make that definition useful. First, it must be evidence-based, grounded in real research or experience rather than opinion dressed up as authority. Second, it must offer something new, a genuine insight rather than a tidy restatement of what everyone already knows. Third, it must help people act, moving a reader closer to a decision or a solution.

Notice what the definition does not require: a famous brand, a large budget, or a flood of content. A town council, a two-person charity or a regional firm can all produce real thought leadership, as long as their insights are credible, fresh and useful. Smaller organizations often hold exactly the kind of specific, first-hand knowledge that decision-makers value most.

This matters more as generative AI makes publishing easier. When anyone can generate endless polished text in seconds, volume stops being impressive. What stands out is human judgement, distinctive thinking that someone can trust and use.

So the question is no longer “Are we producing enough?” It is “Are we sharing insights worth trusting?” That is thought leadership, clearly defined.

If you’re interested in learning more about thought leadership and how to position yourself as a thought leader check our course.

These are some of the key findings from the latest Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism’s Digital News Report – the ‘bible’ for news about the news.

So far, 2026 has been marked by uncertainty: political instability, economic pressures, changing media habits, and growing questions about where people can get information they trust. That uncertainty is reflected throughout the report.

People around the world describe feeling anxious, cynical, and, frankly, exhausted by the news. However, the report also points to something more complicated: people are not abandoning the news entirely. They are just finding it elsewhere – through social platforms, video, creators, and, increasingly, AI chatbots.

Missed the report? Don’t worry, Clear Europe has you covered. Here are our key takeaways:

Social media and video networks are the most widely used ways of accessing online news

For the first time, social media and video networks – like YouTube and TikTok – have overtaken TV, radio, newspapers, and news websites for media consumption.

According to the report, 54% of audiences globally use social media and video to access news online, compared with 52% for TV and 51% for news websites.

Social media is by far the most popular gateway to online news for under-35s, but also the most widely used means for over-35s. 42% of young people use Instagram to access the news, and 36% use TikTok.

However, this does not mean traditional news organisations are disappearing from the picture. When people consume news on social media and video networks, they are often still seeing content from established news providers, highlighting the importance for news organisations to expand their digital presence.

Trust and interest in news are at historic lows

The drift away from TV, radio and news websites is not only due to changing technology, but also because people are simply less interested in news altogether.

Since 2021, the proportion of people saying they are ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ interested in the news has fallen by 13 percentage points. This is concerning because a less engaged audience is harder to reach, harder to inform and harder to involve in the political process.

Trust is also moving in the wrong direction. In 2026, global trust in news dropped to 37% – the lowest figure since the Reuters Institute began measuring it in 2015.

Many people are simply avoiding the news altogether. 42% of people surveyed said they often or sometimes avoided the news. This is up from 29% in 2017.

For news organisations, these developments reveal a deeper challenge behind the platform shifts. People are not only changing where they get their news. They are also questioning whether they want it – and whether they even believe it.

The rise of AI news chatbots

Another trend worth noting is the growing use of AI chatbots to get news. The institute describes this phenomenon as a “fast increase” rather than a “sharp one,” but the reasons people are using these tools are just as important as the growth itself.

The report shows that AI chatbot users are drawn to the ability to ask follow-up questions, get faster answers, summarise complicated stories and pull together information from different outlets.

This is where the finding becomes especially important for news organisations. People are not just looking for more news. They are looking for news that is easier to understand, quicker to access and more useful in the moment.

The report says that news organisations can respond to some of these needs directly. There is a clear demand for simpler, more digestible writing. Clearer articles, summarised formats, explainers, and newsletters can all help anticipate what time-poor audiences are looking for.

The Reuters Institute also warns that trying to replicate generic AI tools may not be the way to go. Instead, news organisations may be better served by focusing on what makes their own journalism harder to replace: trusted sourcing, original reporting, clear explanations and work that adds value beyond what AI can quickly summarise.

The big picture

The 2026 Digital News Report shows that news organisations must work harder to gain the public’s trust and rekindle their viewers’ interest in news. This means addressing many concerns that the news is dominated by negativity, bias and constant crisis coverage.

At the same time, publishers need to meet people where they actually are. Increasingly, that means social media and video networks. News organisations must work to make journalism clearer, more useful and more trustworthy in the places where people now get their news.

In his essay, Orwell takes aim at the abuse of political language, which he says consists “largely of euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness” and is “designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable.”

But Orwell doesn’t just whine about the state of ‘modern English.’ He also offers a series of writing tips that have become so well-known that 80 years later many British journalists can quote them by heart.

Orwell suggests that in every sentence he writes, a scrupulous writer should ask himself four questions:

• What am I trying to say?
• What words will express it?
• What image or idiom will make it clearer?
• Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?

And he’ll probably ask himself two more:

• Could I put it more shortly?
• Have I said anything that is avoidably ugly?

Orwell’s first question is probably the most pertinent, because the cardinal sin of many writers, politicians and communicators is failing to think clearly about what they want to say – or what their ‘core message’ is in modern-day parlance.

“This mixture of vagueness and sheer incompetence is the most marked characteristic of modern English prose, and especially of any kind of political writing,” writes Orwell. “As soon as certain topics are raised, the concrete melts into the abstract and no one seems able to think of turns of speech that are not hackneyed: prose consists less and less of words chosen for the sake of their meaning, and more and more of phrases tacked together like the sections of a prefabricated henhouse.”

When I read a quote from the CEO of a well-known PR agency pledging to “double down on our growth imperatives for major markets and clusters while positioning key functions, sectors, and capabilities to drive our progress,” I think of Orwell’s prefabricated henhouse. Ditto when I get a message from a major tech firm inviting me to a ‘Driving New Value Together with Ubiquitous Cloud and Intelligence keynote.”

The second question – what words will best express what I’m trying to say? – was something of an obsession for Orwell, who argued in his essay, and in ‘1984,’ that just as thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.

“The great enemy of clear language is insincerity,” wrote Orwell, who died four years after writing the article. “When there is a gap between one’s real and one’s declared aims, one turns as it were instinctively to long words and exhausted idioms, like a cuttlefish spurting out ink.”

If you listen to speeches by some senior EU officials, who spout meaningless meta-concepts like ‘making Europe smart, strategic and sustainable,” you’ll see why Orwell’s critique stands the test of time. Likewise, when you hear politicians and journalists trot out words like ‘epoch-making,’ ‘epic’ and ‘historic,’ bear in mind these are often used to “dignify the sordid process of international politics,” in Orwell’s opinion. And when businesses like Space X use euphemisms like “rapid unscheduled disassembly” for one of their rockets blowing up or the Kremlin describes its attack on Ukraine as a “special military operation,” you’re not far from Orwell’s parody of ‘pacification’ as meaning “defenceless buildings bombed from the air.”

Having posed six questions writers should ask, Orwell ends by offering six rules writers should stick to. I’ve added a few examples in italics to underline his timeless tips:

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

If you boast about ‘thinking outside the box’ you are definitely thinking inside the box. In the same vein, spare ‘low-hanging fruit’ for plucking bananas in Costa Rica. “Like a cuttlefish spurting out ink,’ on the other hand, is an image that’s fresh enough to have effect.

2. Never use a long word where a short one will do.

Prefer ‘end’ to ‘terminate,’ ‘is’ to ‘constitutes’ and ‘use’ to ‘utilise.’ Not only are they shorter, they are clearer and less pretentious.

3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

When it comes to writing, less is more. And more is less. So reduce pompous phrases like ‘on account of the fact that’ to ‘because’. And be ruthless in your editing, getting rid of all repetitive, superfluous or unnecessary words. ‘Learn to kill your darlings,’ as writers say.

4. Never use the passive where you can use the active.

Using the passive voice is weasly as it avoids naming who is doing the action. For example: ‘It has been decided that smoking in our company offices is banned’. It can also sound downright weird, as in: ‘The baby was kissed on the forehead by the Pope.’

5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

Instead of ‘align’ use ‘agree.’ If you’re going to write about the European Council, explain that it’s a meeting of EU leaders. And try not to use foreign words like ‘mutatis mutandis’ and ‘weltanschauung’, which Orwell says “are used to give an air of culture and elegance” to writers but are often unintelligible to readers.

6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

You have to try pretty hard to write in a ‘barbarous’ manner. But so much writing, especially policy and corporate writing, is “avoidably ugly.” Following these six simple rules will make it clearer, more concise and more convincing.

Below, we break down the five key insights from the report – and what they mean for organisations trying to reach younger audiences.

1. Social platforms have overtaken traditional news gateways

A decade ago, young people actively sought out news on websites and apps. Today, news finds them – usually while they’re scrolling for something else.

Young audiences now encounter news more incidentally and less intentionally. They rarely go directly to news websites, and their connection to specific news brands is weaker as a result. This shift means communicators can no longer rely on audiences coming to them. Instead, content must be designed to meet young people where they already are in feeds, not on homepages.

2. Instagram, YouTube and TikTok dominate the news diet

Visual platforms have become the new front page. Instagram, YouTube and TikTok now play a central role in how young people access news, overtaking platforms like Facebook that once dominated their attention. TikTok’s rise is especially striking, reshaping expectations around tone, pace and storytelling.

These platforms reward short, visual, personality-driven content. For communicators, this means thinking in video, not text, and creating content that feels native to each platform rather than repurposed from traditional formats.

3. Video and audio are rising – but reading still matters

Young people consume more video and audio than older groups, but reading hasn’t disappeared. Short-form video is now a core part of how they understand the world, and podcasts have become a regular part of their media routines. Yet reading remains important, especially for depth and context.

The key insight is that young audiences want choice. They move fluidly between formats depending on time, mood and context. Communicators need to think in multi-format storytelling, not single-channel output.

4. Trust and interest in news are lower among young audiences

This generation is not disengaged, but they are more selective and more sceptical.

Young people express lower trust in news than older groups and show less interest in traditional news topics. Many say the news feels overwhelming, irrelevant or difficult to follow. This isn’t apathy. It’s a signal that traditional news often fails to connect with their lived experiences. Communicators must prioritise clarity, relevance and tone – and avoid assuming that younger audiences will “age into” traditional news habits.

5. Young people are early adopters of AI for news

AI is not a future trend – it’s already part of how young people navigate information.

They use chatbots to simplify complex stories, check sources and make sense of issues that feel inaccessible. They are also far more comfortable with AI-assisted journalism than older audiences. For communicators, this opens new opportunities: AI-ready formats, clearer explanations and content that anticipates the need for simplification.

What this means for communicators

Reaching young audiences requires more than posting on new platforms. It demands a shift in mindset:

• Meet them where they are – on social-first, visual platforms.
• Design for speed and clarity – short videos, clean visuals, jargon-free language.
• Build trust through transparency – explain your process, show your sources, be human.
• Experiment with AI – both as a tool for production and as a format young people already use.
• Think multi-format – video, audio, text and interactive content working together.

Young people aren’t rejecting news, they’re redefining it. Organisations that adapt to their habits and expectations will be best placed to connect with the next generation of informed citizens.

The session was led by Danny Scheinmann, a bestselling novelist, actor and award-winning screenwriter whose career spans more than three decades. Danny has worked across theatre, film and corporate communication, and has trained organisations such as the WHO, World Bank, Airbus, Microsoft and Unilever. His broad experience shaped a session that was grounded, accessible and highly relevant for anyone looking to strengthen how they communicate.

The masterclass opened with an exploration of why storytelling remains such an essential skill in professional environments. Rather than treating stories as something reserved for creative industries, the session highlighted how they help people understand ideas more clearly, relate to messages on a human level and stay engaged for longer. Whether used in presentations, policy communication, brand narratives or everyday workplace interactions, stories offer a way to make information more concrete and easier to follow.

A central part of the evening focused on the key ingredients that make stories resonate. Drawing on his experience as a writer and performer, Danny outlined six ingredients that give stories structure and impact.

6 Key storytelling ingredients

•  Context – grounding the audience in time, place or situation
•  Imagery – helping people visualise what is being described
•  An unanswered question – creating curiosity and forward momentum
•  Emotion – making the message relatable
•  A timeline – providing structure and direction
•  An ending – offering closure or a clear takeaway

These elements can be applied to both personal anecdotes and professional communication. The goal is not to dramatise information, but to make it clearer, more human and easier for audiences to connect with. Participants were encouraged to think about how even simple messages can become more engaging when shaped with intention.

Another theme running through the masterclass was the responsibility that comes with storytelling. Because stories influence how people think and feel, they can be used constructively or misused. Or as Danny said: “Storytelling is like a hammer. You can build or destroy with it.” 

The discussion emphasised the importance of being intentional about the stories we choose to tell, the messages we highlight and the impact we want to create. In environments where accuracy and trust matter, storytelling requires awareness and care. Understanding the audience was also a key point throughout the session. Effective communication depends on knowing what the audience values, what they already understand and what they need clarified. Tailoring a story to the audience’s perspective helps ensure that the message lands in a way that feels relevant and meaningful.

Throughout the evening, Danny shared examples from his work across writing, acting and corporate training, illustrating how structure, emotion and clarity can transform even straightforward messages. The masterclass created space for discussion and reflection on how storytelling can strengthen communication in the Brussels environment, where messages are often technical or complex.

The session reinforced the idea that storytelling is not an optional skill, but an essential part of how organisations explain their work, connect with audiences and make complex ideas easier to understand.

This insight sits at the heart of the 2026 Policy Comms Trends Report by the European Campaign Playbook, a crowdsourced project built from the real experiences of communicators working inside the EU bubble. Gareth Harding, CEO and founder of Clear Europe, contributed to the report, offering his perspective on why stories matter more than ever. 

At its core, storytelling is memorable in a way that raw information rarely is. Research consistently shows that stories stay with us far longer than statistics. And they help audiences make sense of issues that might otherwise feel abstract or overwhelming. As novelist and filmmaker Danny Scheinmann put it during a recent Clear Europe training: stories are “data with a soul.” They capture attention, create emotional connection and help people understand not just what a policy does, but why it matters. 

Yet, storytelling is not a magic wand, nor is it immune to misuse. In recent years, it has sometimes been overhyped, especially in corporate communication, where formulaic TED-style narratives can feel predictable or insincere. And as recent political history has shown – think Trump, think Brexit – stories can be used to mislead as easily as they can to illuminate. This duality is precisely why communicators must approach storytelling with responsibility. It is a powerful, flexible tool capable of shaping public understanding – but it must be used with care. 

Despite its potential, storytelling remains underused in the EU policy space. In Brussels, too much communication is still too long, too technical, too jargon‑heavy and too disconnected from the people it aims to reach. This creates a gap between institutions and citizens, making it harder for audiences to understand the relevance of EU decisions in their daily lives.  

Europe is not only struggling to tell its story well; it is struggling to define a story that resonates. Meanwhile, global competitors – like Russia, China and America – are projecting their narratives loudly and effectively, shaping perceptions in ways that challenge Europe’s values and interests. 

If the EU wants to remain influential and connected to its citizens, it must reclaim the narrative space. Facts matter, but facts alone rarely move people. What moves people are stories that make sense of complexity, that show the human impact of policy and that connect decisions to lived experiences.  

This does not mean oversimplifying issues or adding emotional gloss. It means communicating with clarity, authenticity and purpose. One of the strengths of the European Campaign Playbook’s report is that it reflects the reality of practitioners – the people who spend their days navigating the pressures, constraints and opportunities of EU communication. This is not a trends document written from an ivory tower. It is a collective effort shaped by those who understand what works, what doesn’t and what is changing. That storytelling emerged as the number‑one trend is not surprising. It reflects a growing recognition that influence today is not won through volume, but through connection.

As we look toward 2026, the message is clear: the EU bubble needs more storytellers, and better ones. Communicators who can translate complexity into clarity – and meaning. Leaders who can articulate a vision that resonates. Institutions that understand that narrative is not decoration – it is strategy.  

At Clear Europe, this shift is increasingly visible across our training and client work. The organisations that succeed are those that embrace storytelling as a central part of how they communicate, not an afterthought. At a moment when Europe is searching for a story that unites, inspires and convinces, the ability to tell compelling, human‑centred stories is not just useful – it is essential. 

And while some people may shrug it off,  it’s clear that TikTok has established itself as a major platform.  

Does this mean everyone needs to drop what they’re doing and start an account right this second? Not necessarily. But TikTok offers so many useful features that it seems crazy to dismiss it altogether.

With that said, let’s explore some of the ways you can use the platform to grow your digital audience.

Use video content to educate and entertain

One of the coolest things about TikTok is that there aren’t really any rules for how to use it. 

Spend 10 minutes scrolling through your ‘For You’ page, and you’ll find musicians making songs with funny animal sounds, artists painting blindfolded or even a licensed therapist explaining commonly misunderstood psychological disorders.

This makes the platform perfect for people and organisations who are looking for new, inventive ways to communicate key messages to their audiences. Unlike channels such as X, where you have an extremely limited space to tell your story, you can use TikTok to show your story in a way that resonates with people and helps your organisation stand out from the rest.

After all, when was the last time you were simultaneously educated and entertained by content on Instagram or X?

Below is a great example from UNICEF’s TikTok account, where they’ve been creating tons of helpful content for how to approach COVID-19 vaccine discussions with hesitant loved ones:

Make the most of TikTok’s features

TikTok’s features are just as valuable as the platform itself. From its comprehensive music library to its incredible visual effects and video transitions, the editing power TikTok gives its creators is nothing short of brilliant.

Are you a nonprofit organisation raising funds for your cause? There’s even a donation button you can add to your content that allows your audience to donate directly to your organisation!

As an organisation, your TikTok videos can riff on current events, add your voice to viral trends or even just act as memes that are relevant to the work you do. After all, do we really need another boring conference group photo tweet in our Twitter feed?

Here’s a quick example from the British Red Cross – you can see they’ve used a couple of simple editing features as well as an audio clip from a personal favourite song of mine, Bo Burnham’s ‘Welcome to the Internet’ (by the way, if you haven’t seen Inside on Netflix yet, I can’t recommend it enough):

Hashtag challenges and memes

Hashtag challenges and trendy memes are a great way to not only come up with fresh content, but also serve as a way to be a part of the larger conversation.

Remember the viral Ice Bucket Challenge from all the way back in 2014? Imagine something even more viral popping up every single week, if not every single day – that’s pretty much how TikTok works.

By having virtually unlimited ways of expressing yourself, there are always new, fun trends that are gaining traction on the platform. 

An example of this is the ‘romanticise your life’ trend that has been used in the past few weeks by hundreds of millions of users – if you don’t know what I’m talking about, check out an example below from zoologists and nature show hosts The Kratt Brothers:

Can you think of some interesting ways your organisation could create something similar?

How-to videos perform really well – if done right

Your organisation likely has expert-level knowledge on a variety of topics, so why not create valuable content that showcases this?

A human rights nonprofit could create a series of videos on how to stay safe at protests, or a youth organisation could offer practical tips for students’ first job interviews. Find those things that add value to people’s lives and showcase that knowledge in a catchy, creative way.

A great example of this is Poppy O’Toole’s channel, Poppy Cooks, where she offers tutorials on basic cooking skills, takes audience requests on which recipes to make and even demonstrates easy budget meals:

Share across other platforms

Use your current social media presence to let people know you’re on TikTok!

Not only is this a great way to build your audience on a new channel, but this also offers a unique opportunity to share your TikTok content with an audience that might not necessarily have the app on their phone.

TikTok videos are very versatile, and can be shared on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram or even Facebook – so your content doesn’t need to only exist in one place.

Switch to a TikTok Pro account

Just like every other social channel, TikTok offers a business-related profile option that gives you access to analytics and advertising features. After all, social media business models are built on a solid foundation of data monetisation! 

With this free tool, you can see your view counts, identify your trending videos and even compare your follower growth over time. Plus, if you feel inclined, you can set up your own advertising campaigns directly on the platform.

While it takes a few days for the tool to populate your analytics, it’s a great way to better understand your audience and see what’s working and what isn’t. There aren’t any downsides to switching, so this is a no-brainer for organisations looking to make data-informed content decisions.

Article updated on 21 April 2026.

If you’re someone who tends to shy away from numbers, social media analytics can seem daunting at first.

There are so many things that can be measured, especially when looking across different platforms – so how can you tell what’s worth your time and what isn’t?

Many of the metrics below have something in common: context.

We always want to try to track our actionable metrics rather than our vanity metrics.

While vanity metrics such as the number of followers or total number of retweets can look good on paper or in a quarterly status presentation, they don’t actually help you move towards your social media goals.

That’s why actionable metrics should be the focus of your efforts. They provide context and, as the name suggests, are actionable pieces of information that can help you make informed decisions about content and campaigns.

With that said, here are six things you should be measuring across all of your social media accounts:

1. Engagement rate

This is the social part of social media. How are people responding to, and engaging with, your content? Likes, shares, comments, retweets, etc. are all opportunities to engage with your audience and potentially boost your messages to people beyond your typical network.

The engagement rate is simply calculated as the total number of interactions on a post divided by your total number of followers. From there, multiply the number by 100% to get a final percentage.

Via Hopper HQ

By keeping track of how much and how often people interact with your content over time, you can start to get a strong idea of what content does and doesn’t work well on different social media platforms.

But be careful here: it’s nice to get lots of likes and retweets on a single post, but it’s much more important to get consistent engagement over time. That’s why the engagement rate is crucial to measure rather than just tracking engagement. Engagement rates help you see how your social media content performs over time and is independent of your follower count.

2. Conversion rate

Conversion rates help you keep track of how good your posts are at getting audiences to do something – otherwise known as converting – whether that’s signing up for a webinar, purchasing a ticket to an annual conference or downloading an ebook.

The conversion rate is calculated by taking the total number of conversions and dividing it by the number of total interactions of a post or campaign.

If you’re running a campaign with clear goals in mind, tracking the conversion rate is one of the best ways to check the performance and impact of a campaign (both during and after the campaign’s run).

3. Follower growth rate

300 followers may not be that impressive, but if you started with only 25 followers the month prior, that’s a huge jump in audience size.

That’s why tracking your follower growth rate is far more important than simply keeping an eye on your total number of followers.

A Twitter account with 1,000 followers and a 1% follower growth rate is far less impressive than a Twitter account with 200 followers and a 20% follower growth rate. The follower growth rate is all about growing your audience size in the proportional context of your current audience size.

4. Impressions

Impressions are an easy metric to follow on just about any social media platform, as it answers one of the most basic questions we ask when posting online: how many eyeballs are seeing my content?

And while it’s certainly not a metric that is helpful in and of itself for driving content decisions, it can be a nice guide for better understanding how often your content is seen across different social media platforms.

Plus, if your goal is to increase awareness of your organisation on social media, aiming for a high impression count is a great place to start. 

5. Follower demographics

While this metric is technically a collection of data points about your followers – gender identity, age range, location, etc. – it can sometimes be a crucial piece of your social media metrics puzzle.

By understanding who your audience is and possibly where they’re from and what they’re interested in, we can tailor the type of content we post to fit what they’re looking for.

Perhaps you notice that the vast majority of your Twitter followers are in the 40-55 year age range. Because of this, it might be a good idea to not overdo it with emojis or to heavily rely on reposting TikTok content, as it doesn’t really fit with what this demographic would be interested in.

(Side note: This is a generalised example and if you are someone in this age range who loves using emojis and frequently scrolls through TikTok, more power to you!)

6. Traffic

OK, so this one is cheating a little bit, because it’s a metric that you need to track outside of your social media analytics tool, but is still just as important to track.

Let me explain.

By better understanding where your website traffic is coming from, you can make informed decisions on where to spend your time and resources on social media. After all, the ultimate goal of an organisation’s social media presence should be to drive audiences to your website.

Are you only getting 20 visitors from Facebook but 10,000 from LinkedIn? Then maybe the time and resources you’re spending on Facebook aren’t worth it in the end and you should instead focus on your dedicated LinkedIn audience.

This simple guide from Campaign Monitor shows how you can track social media traffic on Google Analytics, so be sure to check it out if you’re interested in seeing just where exactly your website visitors are coming from.

And if you’re interested in learning more about social media analytics, or are looking to refresh your social media skills, get in touch for a customised training.

But if you’re looking to create your own newsletter, or simply continue to grow your audience base, how do you get started?

Here are my five tips for getting more eyeballs on your newsletter content:

1. Make it as easy as possible for people to sign up 

This may sound painfully obvious, but you would be amazed at how many organisations miss this crucial step. While many may think that a newsletter signup form is perfectly fine only in the footer or even on its own page on your website, this could lead to missed subscriber opportunities. 

Not everyone will make it to the footer of your website. Most won’t even make it past your homepage. Because of this, we need to make it as easy (and obvious) as possible for people to sign up.

Adding a signup form prominently in the header of your website is a great place to start. This is typically where website visitors will expect to find it. 

You can also add a signup link on your social media channels to bring in additional subscribers who already follow you elsewhere, or even in the body of your blog posts. Think about those key places where people are already engaging with your content.

2. Incentivise wherever you can – even before signing up 

FOMO – fear of missing out – is a powerful thing. 

If you’re offering your newsletter audience exclusive content or deals, be sure to mention it wherever you can to entice new subscribers to join in on the fun, too.

And if you aren’t already doing this, it might be worth considering adding something exclusive for your subscribers so that you can further incentivise newcomers. 

People won’t subscribe to your newsletter just because you want them to. It’s important to add value to people’s lives – in other words, we need to clearly answer the age-old question, “what’s in it for me?”

via Mailchimp

3. Be transparent and set expectations right off the bat 

The last thing you want is to gain hundreds of new subscribers, only for them to unsubscribe just a few days later. One of the most common reasons for this? Mismatched expectations.

How often should your audience expect to hear from you? Daily, weekly, monthly? Be sure to communicate this from the beginning to avoid a mass exodus of subscribers. 

A short line next to your signup form is all you need, such as Join our monthly newsletter to receive exclusive content delivered right to your inbox.

On a similar note, be sure that all of your subscribers are aware of what they’re committing to. Thanks to GDPR, passive email consent is a thing of the past. It’s important for subscribers to know who you are, why they’re hearing from you and that they actively opted in to receive your content.

4. Sharing is caring 

A great way to get more subscribers is to encourage your current audience to share or forward your newsletter with friends and colleagues.

This is the virtual equivalent to word-of-mouth marketing and can help you extend your potential reach well beyond the people who already follow your content.

Just be careful here: If a subscriber forwards your email to a friend, and the friend decides to click ‘unsubscribe’ in the forwarded email, this will unsubscribe the original subscriber without their knowledge.

5. Create an automated welcome campaign 

Most newsletter tools offer basic automation features, so use this to your advantage. By setting up a simple workflow, or drip campaign, you can engage with new subscribers immediately without lifting a finger.

When someone subscribes to your newsletter, you can trigger a welcome email (or two or three) that is automatically sent out. This email can be used not only to welcome your new subscriber to the community, but you can also use this as an opportunity to highlight recent or popular content that may be of interest to them.

via Automizy

Automation allows you to interact with your audience in a thoughtful, timely way without the added hassle of constantly watching over your mailing list. 

Mailchimp offers hundreds of excellent use cases and examples of automation, so be sure to try it out for yourself if you’re looking for new ways to engage with your subscribers. After all, if subscribers are delighted by how you communicate with them, they’re much more likely to recommend your newsletter to others!

And if you’re interested in learning more about how to improve your writing or set up a successful newsletter, get in touch. 

Article updated on 21 April 2026.

Here are 10 practical tips to help you communicate more clearly in your day-to-day work.

Adapted from a post by our CEO Gareth Harding, these tips highlight what effective communication looks like in practice. 

HOW TO COMMUNICATE CLEARLY: OUR TOP 10 TIPS

1. Focus on impact 

Move, provoke, enlighten and entertain people. Hit them in the heart and head.

2. Keep it simple

Write and speak as clearly and simply as possible. Cut out the jargon.

3. Know your audience 

Tailor your message to your audience. Assume ignorance.

4. Prioritise people

Focus on impact, not process; people, not institutions.

5. Be accurate 

Check your facts and edit thoroughly.

6. Don’t confuse messages with news 

Confuse your message with the news. It rarely is.

7. Don’t assume messages are stories 

Think messages are stories. They rarely are.

8. Don’t assume prior knowledge 

Assume others are as informed or interested about your issue as you are.

9. Back up your claims 

Make claims without proof. Give hard evidence (data) and soft (stories).

10. Keep it engaging 

Bore people. Keep it lively. Keep it short.

Check our infographic

Interested in learning how to communicate more clearly – whether it’s through writing, speaking or using social media? Take a look at our communication courses and get in touch for a tailored quote.

Article updated on 21 April 2026.