Case Study Springer Nature and Zapnito: 5 Years on Table of Contents Introduction 0307 Showcase 0817 Behind the Paper 1822 Community Collections 2328 Building on 5 Years of Success 2931 More than Standalone Niche Networks 3236 A True Partnership 3738 Introduction Springer Nature’s Vision Springer Nature’s mission has always been to open doors to discovery by publishing robust and insightful research, supporting the development of new areas of knowledge and making ideas and information accessible around the world. To achieve their aim, this global publisher actively listens to the communities they serve and provides new ways for people to engage with their vast library of journals. 04 5 Years On 5 years on, this statement has never been more true. We know great ideas, and great progress, Communities have transformed how Springer Nature come when you get great minds together in a participates in, and partners with, the people they serve. room. Our communities will provide online 'rooms of experts'. They strengthen relationships with, and between, researchers from all over the world. They supplement We're not trying to create broad social conference attendance when regular, face-to-face contact is networks - there are plenty of those - this is not possible. about bringing focused communities together without all the noise. Communities have helped to strengthen Springer Nature’s identity as a leader in academic publishing. We want to foster and continue the They reach beyond the journals themselves and get to the conversations that are already happening, and provide development and collaboration heart of what matters - the people. opportunities for researchers around the globe. Steven Inchcoombe Chief Publishing Officer & Board Member Springer Nature 05 5 Years On: A Snapshot Springer Nature Communities strengthen 20 3m 2400 relationships with Active Communities Page Views (2020 Content Items (to date) the research community Zapnito has given us a platform for community Increasing Journal Fostering Scientific Enabling Innovation discussion around our journals, with little development Awareness & Value Collaboration time needed from us, helping to raise our visibility and strengthen our relationship with the research community. Ben Johnson Former Head of Communities & Engagement, Improving Customer Launching New Products Springer Nature & Services Understanding 06 Timeline Nature Partner 2016 2017 Sponsored Multi-Brand, Journal Growth Expansion Editorial Board Content Subject-Specific Communities Phase Phase Communities Marketing Hubs Communities 2015 Microbiology New Nature Sustainability New Editorial Product 2018 Pilot Journal Community Springer Nature Innovation Refinement Phase Communities Brands Phase 07 Showcase Use Cases Innovation has always been vital to Springer Nature in opening new doors to research, and using technology to make science more accessible. Springer Nature uses Zapnito to do exactly this, across 3 main types of communities: Scientific research communities for Private journal editorial board Sponsored thought leadership sites authors, editors and regular communities contributors 09 Scientific Research Communities Communities like Nature Ecology & Evolution and the Sustainability Community are hubs for the sharing and discussion of news and opinion around journal research. The community is a safe space to share written and multimedia content, to collaborate with like-minded experts and researchers while also providing a platform for expanding one's network. For Springer Nature, the community drives journal submissions and subscriptions, and increases brand loyalty. 10 Scientific Research Communities Authors are invited to contribute to scientific research communities by the community manager, allowing them to post content freely. Zapnito communities use channels to organize content - the flexibility of this feature means publications can be filtered to suit the needs of members. Channels can also be added or removed at will, meaning categories can be created for temporary areas of interest such as COVID19. 11 Scientific Research Communities: Microbiology Nature Microbiology is one of Springer Nature’s most prominent research communities. It seeks to unite reseand policymakers with the aim of boosting advances in the field of microbiology and improving researchers’ awareness of its societal importance. In addition to original research, Nature Microbiology is home to reviews, news, features and correspondence from the brightest minds within the industry. Like all Nature-branded journals, it contains its own in-house team of editors and a rigorous peer-review process. Expert profiles are given greater standing on Nature research communities, meaning the voices with important things to say are able to cut through the noise. 12 Private Journal Editorial Board Communities Springer Nature now have 4 private communities of editorial board members. These communities provide all the information they need to be an effective board member and to benefit from the connection the role brings to the BMC team and fellow editors. For Springer Nature, it enables efficient group communication, adds prestige to the role of board member to aid recruitment, and helps get more value from the editorial board. 13 Private Journal Editorial Board Communities Board members use their communities to discover new workshops, engage in Q&A and interact with relevant multimedia content. They also support members to become advocates, by sharing advice on how to promote the journals. They are critical in terms of onboarding new Editors. Dedicated channels for new board members and e-learning courses ensure each member is welcomed and initiated into the journal ethos and process, and given guidance on editorial decisions. This allows Springer Nature to deliver training at scale, with 1000 board members completing the Scientific Reports Editorial Community course alone. 14 Sponsored Thought Leadership Sites Springer Nature is able to diversify revenue streams with sponsored projects that require user-generated content. Examples include: A Community Map of Cancer Immunity, supported by F. Hoffman-La Roche, is based around a research paper published in Nature for which the pharma sponsor was keen to invite researchers’ participation with an interactive figure. Skin Research at Dior Science is another sponsored thought leadership site. In partnership with Dior, the community hosts content in Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Springer Nature were able to provide a quick and creative content marketing solution to these clients, setting up the site in just a few weeks. 15 Sponsored Communities: Nature Research Awards The Nature Research Awards for Inspiring Women in Science are a twin set of awards sponsored by Estée Lauder. Since its inaugural year in 2018, the awards have honoured women in the fields of Science Outreach and Scientific Achievement. The community aims to encourage girls and women to consider careers in STEM subjects and highlight the vital contributions made by women to the world of science. Sponsored programs like this allow brands to align themselves with Springer Nature’s prestigious reputation within the research community, doing so in a meaningful way that offers real-life benefits to participants. 16 Strengthening Relationships with Authors Online communities strengthen the relationship between publisher and author. These relationships used to be transactional. Now, they have a richer meaning with more touchpoints and opportunities for participation. Editors Content Stronger Relationships Networking Engagement Authors Regular Contributors 17 Behind the Paper Contributors share the personal stories behind their research. Behind the Paper (BTP) Authors are invited to tell the informal stories behind their research Strengthening the relationships between Springer Nature and the research community is paramount to securing the journal submissions from leading scientists. Behind the Paper is an initiative that allows authors to tell the story behind their research, in their own words. These stories provide an informal insight into the human behind the scientific, formal paper. Zapnito’s intuitive publishing features allow authors to publish their BTP posts themselves, with no training required. Posts are unedited in order to retain the personal touch of the author and build trust. 19 Engagement with the Research Community Behind the Paper adds value to the author experience of submitting to Springer Nature 30 journals invite their authors to write Behind the Paper has driven genuine and sustained Behind the Paper engagement with the research community. Authors from across the portfolio of journals contribute to the 40% of authors agree to take part program - 40% have agreed to take part to date, highlighting its popularity. Their peers are engaged with the posts, generating 2.8m pageviews per year that otherwise might 2100 Behind the Paper posts from authors and 800 from editors per year have been missed. Behind the Paper is just one way in which Springer Nature 2.8 million pageviews per year has added value to the author experience, creating more touchpoints and improving relationships with the research community. 95% of authors are satisfied with their experience 20 Behind the Paper Drives Journal Engagement Communities are a source of good quality, engaged traffic for journal articles. Nature.com receives over 140,000 clicks from communities per year. This amounts to 12% of article traffic, and for some articles, the community is