The New York Times has developed a Slack bot, Blossom, to help decide which stories to post on social media. Blossom uses data analytics to predict how well stories will perform on platforms like Facebook and Digg. It can also suggest which stories to push based on their popularity on the Times’ website or among its email subscribers. Blossom’s data-driven approach helps to increase the reach and engagement of the Times’ stories.
The bot is part of a wider trend of news outlets using artificial intelligence to optimise their social media strategy. It was developed during a New York Times hack week by a team led by James Robinson, the paper’s director of analytics. Blossom is now used by the social media, growth strategy, and audience development teams, among others.
Blossom’s predictions are based on a number of factors, including how often a reporter’s stories are shared, the type of content, the time of posting, and the story’s popularity on the Times’ website. It can even suggest the best time to post a story for maximum reach.
This innovative use of technology demonstrates how traditional media outlets are adapting to the digital age, using data to drive decisions and maximise engagement.
Go to source article: http://www.niemanlab.org/2015/08/the-new-york-times-built-a-slack-bot-to-help-decide-which-stories-to-post-to-social-media/