18 human traits that explain why readers can't get enough of BuzzFeed

Business psychologist Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic reveals the reasons why the online publisher is so successfulWhen it comes to online content and storytelling, there are few sites as savvy as BuzzFeed, a platform that combines artificial and human intelligence to detect, produce and increase viral content. It has taken social networks by storm, accounting for a disproportionate number of posts shared, liked and discussed online and offline, attracting 10 million UK users in November.Its quirky lists (eg, "63 reasons why Bradley Cooper definitely isn't the sexiest man alive" – which simply features 63 pictures of Ryan Gosling) and interactive quizzes including "What city should you actually live in?", have caught consumer attention worldwide and are the envy and nightmare of marketers, publishers and anyone obsessed with traffic and the battle of feeds. At this year's annual Online Publishers Association meeting, every other keynote on content made reference to the BuzzFeed phenomenon, mostly to express jealousy or concern about its success.So what explains the astronomic rise of BuzzFeed? In an attempt to emulate the site's snappy and catchy lists here are 18 reasons why we love BuzzFeed:1) We are all quite average: although we hate to admit it, most people are just like most people, which is why we tend to like most of the things everybody else likes. BuzzFeed's success is largely based on sharing popular content, rather than making content popular. It's as if a publisher... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #american idol #cultural significance #tomas chamorro-premuzic

Other Publishing stories related to: '18 human traits that explain why readers can't get enough of BuzzFeed'


Authors on the Air September 18, 2014: Judy Bachrach

Judy Bachrach, author of 'Glimpsing Heaven: The Stories and Science of Life After Death' (National Geographic Books, 9781426213700), will appear on the 'Dr. Oz Show' on CBS on Thursday, September 18. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #oz show


Amazon Rolls Out New and Upgraded Tablets, E-readers

Amazon is rolling out an upgraded suite of tablets that includes an enhanced 8.9-inch Kindle HDX ($379), a new tablet designed for children ($149), and a new Kindle HD tablet ($100). Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon rolls


This Week in Children's Apps: September 18, 2014

This week in children's apps, we feature two apps that explore the outdoors—on safari and in the garden—and another app that helps loved ones stay connected through reading. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Margaret Atwood's Next Book Will Be A "Message In A Bottle" For Readers In 2114

The novelist is the first author to commit to public art project Future Library.Award-winning author Margaret Atwood is writing a new book--but don't expect to pre-order it on Amazon anytime soon. The book will be the first text included in Future Library, a public art project set to unfold over... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-09-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #margaret atwood #future library


Kobo Debuts Waterproof E-reader

Kobo has added to its family of E-ink digital readers with the launch of the waterproof Kobo Aura H2O. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Waterproof e-reader from Kobo

Kobo is set to release the world’s first waterproof e-reader after finding customers would... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


British readers lost in translations as foreign literature sales boom

Popular Scandinavian authors including Jo Nesbø and Stieg Larsson drive growing domestic demand for translated booksBritish readers are devouring foreign fiction in record numbers amid a mini-boom in translated novels, inspired by the success of Scandinavian authors such as Jo Nesbø.Among a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-08-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #jo nesb #penguin classics


Readers Remember Less on Kindles than on Paper

Can't remember the plot of that mystery you just read? A new study determines: maybe it's your Kindle's fault. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-08-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Book Deals: Week of August 18, 2014

Shipman’s ‘Charm’ lures U.S. and int’l. buyers and more in this week's notable book deals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-08-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book deals


Authors on the Air August 18, 2014: Stephan Eirik Clark

Stephan Eirik Clark, author of 'Sweetness #9' (Little, Brown; 9780316278751), will appear on NPR’s 'Fresh Air' on Monday, August 18. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-08-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fresh air


PW Picks: Books of the Week, August 18, 2014

This week, the danger of what you eat, the miseducation of the American elite, and an outstanding Japanese revenge thriller. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-08-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Amazon launches credit card reader

Amazon has released a new device for local businesses to take credit and debit card transactions... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-08-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #local businesses


Lee Child: Amazon's Readers United letter 'disingenuous'

Amazon is using “authors as collateral damage and using customers as pawns”, author... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-08-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #lee child #collateral damage


BuzzFeed Expands Thanks to $50M Investment

Changes are coming for millennial-targeted publisher BuzzFeed. The company announced on Monday that it received $50 million in series E funding from venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and planned to restructure the company with the funds.  "Today we think the time is perfect to grow our... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-08-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #announced plans #global reach #top ranks #executive chairman


Amazon vs Hachette: readers and authors take sides in publishing dispute

The tussle between Amazon and the publishing conglomerate has been raging since spring. Heres an update on the fightA corporate boxing match broke from the ring and swelled into all-out rumpus last weekend, as readers and authors took sides in Amazon and Hachettes fight over the publishing... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-08-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #online retailer #contract negotiations #giant corporations #lower price


Buzzfeed got $50m in venture capital. What happens next?

Silicon Valley firm Andreessen Horowitz has more than doubled investments in the meme-tastic site. Can traditional media companies compete?Venture capital funds exist to make risky bets. Theyre intended to be a place where excess cash can find a better return than in a bank or bonds.So how... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-08-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #andreessen horowitz #online publisher


Streaming of books threatens to sell readers down the river

Scholastic is the latest publisher to phase out downloading, meaning ebooks already purchased might become unreadableScholastic, the publisher of such children's book juggernauts as The Hunger Games and the Harry Potter series, announced recently that its Storia ebook shop would shortly be... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #streaming model #hunger games #ebook licensing #barnes noble


For $100,000, GQ Magazine's Most 'Elite' Readers Will Promote Your Brand

Here's the pitch Conde Nast's GQ magazine is giving marketers: Spend at least $100,000 with us and get access to 57 "elite" GQ readers who will help promote your brand across print and digital. The program, called GQ57, is the magazine's latest effort to tap digital-ad budgets by enlisting... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #conde nast #september issue #creative director


After exiting PCs, Sony pulls the plug on e-readers

Sony is stopping e-reader production following the transfer of its ebook business outside Japan to Canada’s Kobo.“Final production of the current Reader model, PRS-T3, was made at the end of May,” a spokeswoman for Sony in Tokyo wrote in an email Wednesday. “The product will continue to be... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-08-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ebook business #battery life


Native-Ad Slayer John Oliver Visits Native-Ad Seller Hearst and Explains His Hit Piece

Why did John Oliver devote 11 minutes of his HBO show "Last Week Tonight" to skewering the practice of native advertising?It was inspired by an interview he saw with Time Inc. CEO Joe Ripp, Mr. Oliver told an audience at Hearst Tower in New York on Tuesday. Mr. Oliver was struck by how easily... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-08-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #week tonight #hearst tower #business side #iconic titles #sports illustrated