GamesBeat and Bots showcase VentureBeat’s new Channel Strategy

What if there were information sources that could keep you up-to-the-minute informed on the technology topics that matter most? What if there were one-stop shops that provided breaking news and access to deep, authoritative knowledge — again, on those tech topics that matter most to you? And above all, what if these destinations welcomed you as a member of their independent communities? These are just some of the goals driving important changes underway at VentureBeat, a transformation that we’re calling our Channel Strategy.

Since our founding, we’ve existed to serve the needs of our readers, and our Channel Strategy raises this obsession to a whole new level. The changes began this spring as we asked our personal networks about the tech media landscape:

Boring. Flat. Skin-deep.The same old same old. Every outlet has the same stories. 

These were some of the descriptions we heard lobbed at technology news sites — some justified, others unfair. But the one that hit a nerve was “skin-deep.”

At VentureBeat, we pride ourselves on providing smart, fast news coverage mixed with provocative, thorough analysis. We immediately understood that improving things required far more than broadening our coverage into new topics. Instead, we saw that we would need to select emerging technologies and tunnel deep inside them.

Too often, media organizations simply go horizontal with their coverage in pursuit of growth. But that’s counter to a truth of online media. Instead, organizations should identify a niche and burrow deeper and deeper into that niche. Further, by doing so, they serve a defined community of readers; by listening to, interacting with, and participating with a community, a media company can establish editorial leadership and help to further nurture and grow that community. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what we’ve been feverishly working on.

Over the past several weeks, we’ve made changes to the way we report news and curate information, and in the way we present it. These improvements are visible for the Bots (which includes messaging) and GamesBeat channels, whose landing pages reflect a 360-degree comprehensive approach to those ecosystems. We include news stories by VentureBeat staff, research and infographics, guest articles from leading figures and a good number of posts from a wide variety of other outlets. We supplement this with weekly newsletters, dedicated social media accounts, webinars, and offline events from meet-ups to roadshows to  summits. We’re also working to make video and podcasts part of the regular mix.

Please visit the GamesBeat and Bots channels to see this work in progress. You may also notice some changes underway for AR/VR, Esports, PC Gaming, and Marketing. We’ll be rolling out a site redesign — and adding new channels — in the weeks ahead.

Here’s an overview of what’s afoot. Drop us a line and let us know what you think!

Featured posts

Here we’ll present the most important stories at that moment. It’s a departure from our usual, chronological presentation of publishing posts in a “river.” This section features a broad variety of story types and resurfaces previous stories connected to the day’s news.

Above: Featured posts include all types of stories: news and analysis, videos and podcasts, guest posts and research.

Latest news

In this section, we present, in reverse chronological order, the channel’s news as it happens. Posts here are drawn from VentureBeat staff, guest contributors, and syndication partners.

Above: The Latest section includes news and analysis presented in a reverse chronological order.

Related coverage

Because our channels target the most vibrant technology sectors, we recognize that there will be stories that we miss. Hey, we can’t cover everything! So, to fulfill our commitment to being your starting place for news on particular tech topics, we’ll curate links to stories published by other outlets.

Above: Related coverage includes channel news curated from around the web.