Dome
John Hopkins Medicine
In March 2018, after nearly 75 years as a print publication, Dome, the Johns Hopkins Medicine employee newsletter for 40,000-plus faculty and staff members, switched to a digital-only platform. Ending the print publication was fueled by two significant needs: (1) to save money and (2) to focus all creative efforts on developing digital-first, mobile-friendly communications. The team spent six months designing a new single article publishing template and website that supports text using video, animated infographics, illustration, and dramatic photography.
Ending the print version saves $45,000 annually in print and distribution costs. Instead of publishing on a bimonthly basis, Dome now publishes articles on a weekly basis, giving staff more timely news. All efforts, from concept to publication, are done with an eye toward creating the most engaging digital content that takes advantage of all tools at hand.
Year-over-year, from the March 1 launch through June 30, 2018, online traffic more than doubled, from 35,787 page views in 2017 to 90,176 in 2018 (a 152% increase). And average time on page readership jumped from 2:57 in 2017 to 4:15 in 2018. Traffic identified as coming from Johns Hopkins Medicine computers increased 175%, from 6,294 page views in 2017 to 17,309 in 2018. Traffic from Johns Hopkins University computers rose more than 860%, from 393 page views in 2017 to 3,806 in 2018. Not counting mobile traffic, these stats show that interested staff members are finding and enjoying the new Dome news website.
What was the most successful part of Dome?
Our new digital platform allows us to reach and engage a larger internal audience and tell stories using video, animated infographics, illustration, and dramatic photography.
What is one thing you learned from this experience?
Teamwork is fun! We accomplished an amazing turnaround in six months. Never listen to the naysayers. With the right people, you can accomplish great things.
Contact
Michael Keating, mkeatin5@jhmi.edu