The BBC has plans to rethink its social media strategy after data from last month revealed that viewing figures for mobile devices have overtaken those on desktop for the first time ever.
In response to the changing ways in which people access online news feeds, BBC News has launched its new Instafax service – a short-form video delivery system for users of the popular Facebook-owned network, Instagram.
With a name that stands as a homage to Ceefax – the BBC information service that ran from 1974 to 2012 – the service is described as an up-to-date version of a concise news service revamped for the needs of the digital age.
BBC News Online’s head, Steve Herrmann, said that Instafax – which is still in its trail stages – comes in response to shifting viewer patterns showing that smartphones and tablets now serve as the primary platforms for accessing the BBC’s online news feeds.
Speaking about the changes, Herrmann said:
“We want the process to be organic, and we’re keen to trial new ideas on how we can use our video content to reach new audiences.
“[BBC News director] James Harding has been clear in his vision to find innovative ways to bring the best of our journalism to new audiences, something our team has been looking at for some time.”
While Instagrammers following the new video updates are encouraged to comment on the service, not all feedback has so far been positive. While one user called it a “game changer” another is reported by the Guardian to have called it the “worst idea ever”.
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