It’s been great to work with Nesta’s Destination Local programme over the past few months. Like other sectors, local news has seen its fair share of disruption and, as local print papers decline, it’s interesting to see how independent online media are stepping into the breach.
First, some background
In September 2015 Nesta announced that it was awarding funding to ten very local (“hyperlocal”) publications, including On The Wight (Isle of Wight), Star & Crescent (Portsmouth) and A Little Bit of Stone (Staffordshire). The funding was accompanied by support and training and was intended to help participants “define and measure their success online”.
I was brought in to help with social media analytics. Although the resources I produced were created for hyperlocal publishers, the practical advice is relevant to anyone publishing online today – so whether you’re a blogger, content marketer or freelancer, please take a look!
I hope you find these useful. I’ve tried to make my recommendations as jargon-free as possible and they’re all low-cost to implement.
Why do analytics matter?
Social media analytics can show you who your audience is, what they want and when they’re online, and well as whether or not your content strategy is on track. They can tell you where your most engaged fans and key influencers are, and what your competitors are doing.
It’s worth remembering that one-size doesn’t fit all, and you need to think carefully about the metrics that are right for you, and make sure they’re firmly tied in to your business strategy.
Don’t always focus on vanity metrics (like follower counts). Think as well about softer targets like engagement, brand awareness and community building.
Please feel free to share, and let me have your feedback and any questions in the comments. And you can always tweet me @JemimaG.
Ethnography, user research and digital strategy for purpose-led organisations. Author of Monkeys with Typewriters, featured by BBC Radio 5 and the London Evening Standard.
We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience and analyse our traffic. View our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
