Flipboard is becoming one of the biggest drivers of traffic to news stories on mobile, according to exclusive data from media analytics firm Parse.ly, which found that Flipboard's traffic has been growing steadily, while digital magazine competitors like Pocket and Feedly have plateaued or gone into decline.
Why it matters: Flipboard's investments in a simple mobile user experience and editorial curated quality content are paying off. In an interview with Axios, Flipboard CEO Mike McCue says the company had its first cash flow positive month in February since he founded the company 7 years ago in 2010. Other outlets, like Apple News and Snapchat Discover, are also banking on vetted, curated content to lure ad dollars from companies concerned about brand safety and user experience on bigger automated platforms.
Money quote: "Creating great user experiences is similar to producing great writing — it's not always about what you add, but often about what you leave out," says Parse.ly CTO Andrew Montalenti. "Parse.ly data indicates that platforms that simplify the UX around content, like Flipboard and Reddit, have seen sustained growth, especially on mobile, and will likely be a larger portion of traffic moving forward."