From niche to nationwide: Growing E-Tangata without losing its soul
E-Tangata, an independent, online Sunday magazine dedicated to amplifying Māori and Pacific voices in Aotearoa New Zealand, had a bold vision: to reach one million New Zealanders.
The intro
A publication with a mission
E-Tangata is an online Sunday magazine based in Aotearoa New Zealand. It exists to tell stories that matter—stories that center Māori and Pacific voices, challenge dominant narratives, and invite deeper understanding. Unlike mainstream media, where these voices are often a sub-category, E-Tangata ensures that these perspectives are front and centre.
In Aotearoa, colonisation has structurally and systemically created separation, which manifests as a lack of understanding, wisdom, connection, and togetherness. How can we evolve from a place of such disconnection?
The founders of E-Tangata, Tapu Misa and Gary Wilson, saw an opportunity to grow all of these things, particularly understanding, with a slower, deeply relational approach to journalism. And so, in late 2014, E-Tangata emerged, publishing stories crafted with care, respect, and a commitment to cultural integrity.
Reaching new people without losing integrity
While E-Tangata had built a respected reputation and loyal readership as an independent publication, they weren’t reaching new people. Their digital presence needed to evolve.
I was brought on in late 2022 to be responsible for all of E-Tangata’s digital marketing efforts. In real world terms, to help their stories reach and resonate with the people who needed to hear them. Since then, we’ve had excellent results with our social and newsletter strategy, our search visibility, and establishing a cohesive, values-aligned brand presence.
As I explored our social presence, Instagram really emerged as a particularly powerful and underleveraged platform to reach completely new people and help shift the cultural conversation in Aotearoa.
But in an era where we increasingly consume things in fragments—scrolling, swiping, clicking—how do you ensure that the wholeness and complexity of a story or perspective stays true?
The challenge
The strategy
Making meaning through digital storytelling
From the outset, I rejected the common trap of optimizing content solely for Instagram metrics. I believe we have a deeper responsibility: to harness digital platforms thoughtfully as forces for good, rather than surrendering to the attention economy.
Instead, I explored how stories could thrive online in ways that truly nourish their audience. I discovered that each story creates its own ecosystem – connecting the writer, subjects, their communities, editors, readers, and the broader communities those readers belong to. By recognizing and honoring these interconnections, I developed a structured yet organic approach to storytelling that served all participants in this rich narrative web.
Beyond Instagram, E-Tangata’s overall digital presence saw a significant uplift after implementing this more strategic and cohesive approach in late 2022:
📈 41% increase in pageviews (2023-2024)
📈 1296% increase in Google Discover clicks
📈 A significantly higher-than-industry-standard engagement rate on newsletters and social posts
While the deeper impact was in the engagement and discussion, the numbers told their own story:
📈 31.6% increase in Instagram followers and a 208.6% increase in reach
The impact
A measurable shift in reach and engagement
Building a storytelling DNA
The process
My approach focussed on:
Visual credibility – The design had to reflect E-Tangata’s depth and independence. It needed to feel sharp, intelligent, and compelling enough to stop the scroll.
Story-driven carousels – Instagram favors carousels in its algorithm, and E-Tangata leveraged this to deliver layered, accessible storytelling.
Narrative structure – Every post had to be more than an excerpt—it had to carry its own arc, creating moments of insight and impact.
Balancing depth and accessibility – The challenge was in giving enough to make a difference, but not so much that it closed the door on curiosity. The goal was to spark engagement on Instagram while leaving room for people to explore further.
Encouraging transition – The storytelling approach was structured to nourish those who primarily engaged on Instagram while also guiding some toward the full-length articles on the website.
This approach helped E-Tangata develop the capability to extend its storytelling form beyond its website, ensuring it could engage different levels of reader interest—whether they sought quick insights or full in-depth narratives.
Lessons learned: Authenticity works
Throughout this journey, the key takeaway has been that authenticity scales. By staying true to their values and focusing on practical, sustainable growth strategies, E-Tangata has proven that reaching a wider audience doesn't mean losing their soul—it means bringing more people into the fold of stories that matter.
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