1440 is the daily newsletter helping more than 3.3 million Americans stay informed – it's news without motives, edited to be as unbiased as humanly possible.
Many media companies resort to attention-driven models on social media, relying on clickbait and emotionally charged content for engagement and growth. However, 1440 was built on the premise that news should focus on the facts so that readers can form their own conclusions. So 1440 was challenged with growing social media while staying true to its mission.
The driving idea behind the social media team’s work is to combat misinformation and provide easily digestible, unbiased news to a broader audience through social media. The team’s specific goals include expanding its social presence to attract new newsletter subscribers, establishing itself as the go-to impartial news source on social media, informing followers about diverse topics beyond just news, and fostering a community of individuals eager to learn and engage in discussions about the world. Instagram specifically was a high-growth platform for the brand, so it aimed to optimize content to drive growth and engagement on that channel.
With a mission to build a more knowledgeable world that fosters conversations, facilitates learning, and empowers individuals to make informed decisions, 1440’s social team strives to make quality information widely accessible to everyone.
Strategy
In stark contrast to many media platforms that erect paywalls and rely on sensational clickbait, 1440 proudly stands apart, rejecting the notion of gatekeeping. Through the utilization of data analytics and profound audience insights, the team meticulously pinpointed captivating topics to share with its audience. The team experimented by employing diverse storytelling methodologies to weave in narratives that captivate and maintain the attention of many. With an unwavering commitment to authenticity, the team meticulously tracked metrics such as likes, comments, and reactions, serving as barometers of audience impact.
To adapt 1440’s daily newsletter to social media, the team had to figure out how to convert content from the newsletter to a social media-friendly format. They began with a focus on Instagram – learning about their audience and continually refining their strategy based on feedback and engagement. The team then began experimenting with various formats from carousel-style to dynamic video posts, all while upholding a commitment to 1440’s distinct impartial and informative tone.
The team ultimately identified that the best way to keep their followers informed and engaged was to hit the sweet spot between concise, fact-forward, and visually stimulating. To ensure brand consistency, insights from at least five team members are incorporated into each post, ensuring alignment with the newsletter's principles and making their social media strategy distinctive, trustworthy, and aligned with their mission.
One standout format is their carousel-style posts, where the first slide features the headline and the second slide provides a deeper exploration of must-know facts. These carousel-style posts not only rack up thousands of likes but also consistently spark high engagement in the comments.
Another impactful content series created by the team was educational videos for niche stories, such as a recent post about dementia villages. 1440's Reels present video content paired with a succinct, fact-driven summary, offering viewers an easily digestible understanding of the video's context. These Reels are then supported with captions that provide additional information about the news item. This dual approach allows viewers to quickly gather essential details through video and explore more in-depth insights through the captions.
The team also leveraged already viral content to further boost reach. 1440’s recent post about 104-year-old Dorothy Hoffner setting a world record for being the oldest person to skydive showcases this tactic.
They are also exploring new approaches to static assets, moving away from stock images, instead opting for visuals that provide a glimpse into the story. This is exemplified in 1440’s recent post about a Missouri senator proposing a new rule to bring back political duels. By incorporating dynamic components into static images and providing more context, they aim to capture the audience's interest and overcome algorithmic challenges, ultimately delivering more impactful storytelling experiences.
Results
1440's Instagram following surged by 53.02% in 2023, amassing 3.5 million likes and 251.2K comments, emphasizing its growing popularity. With a 0.94% average engagement rate per post, and 4.37% engagement on reach per post, 1440 is ahead of the industry average engagement rate of .70%.
1440 acquired over 209,000 organic new users to the 1440 site and 27,340 newsletter subscriptions through social media since January 1, 2023, showcasing the success of its social strategies in communicating its mission and driving interest in the newsletter.
These results affirm the success of 1440's social media strategies, demonstrating the effectiveness of engagement tactics in attracting and retaining audiences. The significant increase in subscriptions, coupled with impressive growth and engagement metrics, emphasizes 1440's position as a trusted and influential presence in the digital media landscape.
Follower feedback highlights:
@its_me_scott_roark: "1440 has been my sole source of news for the past year. I’ve recommended it to many family and friends. Any plans to create an app?"
@rileygreen97: "1440 is actually great to follow. I never sense a hint of bias in their headlines and it is really refreshing. A great way to dive into a rabbit hole"
@0ptima_prime: “Thank you for sharing this piece on the suffering and eventual triumph of one person. This story may help any number of others to be warned. Scamming is a plague on America right now and maybe using your media outlet voice could result in at least one less victim 💔❤️”
