7 Hyperlocal Strategies You Can Take To Keep Readers Interested

[Dustybones]

There are a ton of ideas out there to help your readers and potential customers stay engaged. Most importantly, you have to listen.

7 Ways Local News Sites Can Grow Their Digital Audiences

People are consuming more news than ever, but most local publications still aren?t getting the traction that larger, national news outlets are experiencing. According to a recent paper by Shorenstein Center fellow Matthew Hindman, local news organizations attract just 0.5% of all web traffic, and 85% of the traffic going to news sites heads directly to national publications. The solution to this problem, according to Hindman, is for local publications to make their websites ?stickier? through a mix of improved technical experiences and more strategic content considerations.

 

[Scott Barnett]

Thanks for sharing Dusty. We've been working with some hyperlocal publishers who feel that offering a business directory and encouraging their readers to engage with those local businesses (and vice versa) is another way to increase engagement overall. We're working with a few publishers to trial this idea. Our ultimate goal would be to provide the tech to transform these local publishers into a community version of Yelp + 4SQ + Angie's List + Avvos + Healthgrades + ...

I do agree that the common theme is to make sure the conversation goes in both directions. It's not just about a great story anymore, it's about engaging conversation. Listening is an important skill when having a meaningful conversation!

 

[Linda Buquet]

Looks like lots of great ideas. Can't wait to read.

Thanks for sharing Justin!