1. 9 Types of Local Stories
That Cause Engagement
November 2012
2. Why Did This Story Do Well?
Facebook stats
Shares: 162
Likes: 59
Comments: 28
“Wow. And my favorite
campground was closed
due to the ‘budget crisis’
so we couldn't go
camping.”
“That is
DISGUSTING!!”
KQED
3. NPR Facebook Geotargeting Project
• KPLU (Seattle), KQED (San Francisco), WBUR
(Boston), KUT (Austin) and KPCC (Southern
California).
• Local station content is posted to NPR’s Facebook
page and geotargeted to local markets.
• The focus is on local content that people will engage
with and share.
4. What is it about certain local stories that
make them more engaging than others?
5. NPR Digital Services Study
• What we wanted to know: What types of local
stories are people more likely to share, like and
comment on?
• We looked at geotargeted stories that scored the
highest volume of likes, shares and comments
during July, August and September 2012.
• We placed each story into a category. We were left
with nine distinct categories of content that
triggered the most likes, shares and comments.
6. 9 Types of Local Stories
That Cause Engagement
• These nine categories are the result of an analysis of
content over a three-month period.
• There is overlap – some local stories live in multiple
categories.
• Good headlines, local relevancy and digital
commitment played roles in successful content.
• You don’t need the NPR Facebook page to apply this
to your own social media and content plans.
9. Place Explainers
Every city has traits, quirks
and habits that are just
begging to be dissected.
Place Explainers investigate
and explain these
questions.
10. Place Explainers
Facebook stats
Shares: 188
Likes: 277
Comments: 73
“It's because we
like our free time
and disposable
income! “
“Because dogs will
never ask you for
$300 designer
jeans.”
KPLU
11. Place Explainers
Facebook stats
Shares: 138
Likes: 98
Comments: 15
“Everyone is
wearing The
North Face”
“For those of you who
DON'T live in Silicon
Valley, I just want you to
know, this is 100% true”
KQED
12. Place Explainers
Facebook stats
Shares: 80
Likes: 114
Comments: 58
“We moved from
Boston a year and a
half ago and havent
looked back.”
“Sun, affordable
housing (compared to
Brooklyn, NY), and UT”
KUT
14. Crowd Pleasers
We all love to brag every once in
awhile about the area we call home.
Crowd Pleasers zero in on that
feeling of pride. These stories
highlight positive news about the
area you live in or the
accomplishments of locals.
15. Crowd Pleasers
Facebook stats
Shares: 334
Likes: 564
Comments: 63
“Go Seattle!”
“We live in a
great city!”
KPLU
19. Curiosity Stimulators
You know those stories you come
across that you can’t turn down?
That’s a Curiosity Stimulator. It’s a
story about something unusual,
remarkable, unbelievable or clever
that’s tied to your local area.
20. Curiosity Stimulators
Facebook stats
Shares: 109
Likes: 105
Comments: 13
“WOAH and
where?
SOMERVILLE”
“It needs two
pincers in the
front.”
WBUR
21. Curiosity Stimulators
Facebook stats
Shares: 249
Likes: 364
Comments: 68
“We live in a
strange
strange town”
“Am I the only one
who wants to crash
through it and yell
‘OH, YEAH!’?”
KPLU
22. Curiosity Stimulators
Facebook stats
Shares: 81
Likes: 150
Comments: 7
“This is awesome! Who
has this kind of time on
their hands??”
“Whoa.”
WBUR
23.
24. News Explainers
Event-based stories chronicle the
news of a city. News Explainers
take those events and make
sense of them. Rather than just
telling you what happened, News
Explainers dissect why or how it
happened.
25. News Explainers
Facebook stats
Shares: 556
Likes: 316
Comments: 20
“Exactly what I
was looking for!”
“This is a great
help in explaining
the proposals…”
KQED
26. News Explainers
Facebook stats
Shares: 171
Likes: 141
Comments: 30
“The frog is certainly
not graffiti ... bad
form.”
“while its sad, its
the nature of
public space…”
KUT
27. News Explainers
Facebook stats
Shares: 233
Likes: 184
Comments: 31
“in case you
wondered...”
“Explaining SF's
natural air
conditioning...”
KQED
29. Major Breaking News
Local areas are saturated
with everyday news stories
such as traffic jams and fires.
Major Breaking News stories
have a much bigger impact
on a local area.
30. Major Breaking News
Facebook stats
Shares: 87
Likes: 17
Comments: 24
“What is going on
in my hometown
where I've lived all
of my years?”
“4 blocks from my
work. Really makes
you think about a
lot.”
KPLU
31. Major Breaking News
Facebook stats
Shares: 769
Likes: 2,087
Comments: 73
“Woo hoo! Go us!
A tiny blue island
in this sea of red.”
“City council
resolutions, on
anything, are
useless..”
KUT
32. Major Breaking News
Facebook stats
Shares: 543
Likes: 298
Comments: 45
“The wind is
gradually intensifying
here in Lowell. Very
scary.”
“Be safe Revere,
be safe.”
WBUR
34. Feel-Good Smilers
Think “awww,” think
“awesome,” think “hilarious.”
Most of all, think positive:
this category is made up of
happy or humorous stories.
36. Feel-Good Smilers
Facebook stats
Shares: 238
Likes: 245
Comments: 25
“A combination of
two loves of mine:
cookies and
bicycles...”
“nom nom
nom nom
nom”
WBUR
37. Feel-Good Smilers
Facebook stats
Shares: 16
Likes: 108
Comments: 3
“Now that is
girl power!”
“awesome ..”
KQED
39. Topical Buzzers
A Topical Buzzer is the story
of the moment that
everyone’s talking about
locally. It grabs ahold of the
story’s coat-tails and
becomes part of the buzz.
41. Topical Buzzers
Facebook stats
Shares: 37
Likes: 131
Comments: 8
“This was right
outside my office!
Crazy kids...”
“I have never seen
the market so
packed!”
KPLU
42. Topical Buzzers
Facebook stats
Shares: 49
Likes: 244
Comments: 19
“For my friends
outside of LA. :
)”
“anyone in los
angeles should
watch this to it's
completion…”
KPCC
44. Provocative Controversies
Have you ever come across a story
about your city and you could feel
your blood beginning to boil? That’s
usually what happens when people
encounter a Provocative
Controversy -- they get ticked off
and highly opinionated.
47. Provocative Controversies
Facebook stats
Shares: 41
Likes: 20
Comments: 43
“This is just disgusting,
and dangerous … This
is sick.”
“Racism at
UT IS REAL.”
KUT
49. Awe-Inspiring Visuals
We already know people like to
gaze at beautiful images. But
people love to goggle at beautiful
images of their city. Awe-Inspiring
Visuals capture that wonderment
through photos and videos.
50. Awe-Inspiring Visuals
Facebook stats
Shares: 67
Likes: 214
Comments: 21
“so cool!!!!”
“oh, there's
some ghosts up
in that sucker!”
KPCC
51. Awe-Inspiring Visuals
Facebook stats
Shares: 202
Likes: 160
Comments: 11
“This is
awesome!”
“This is strangely
mesmerizing. Worth
a watch for sure.”
KPLU
52. Awe-Inspiring Visuals
Facebook stats
Shares: 34
Likes: 59
Comments: 3
“They are back..
and, just in time
for Shark Week!”
“We have so many
amazing sharks here
besides the white
sharks. So cool!”
WBUR
53. 9 Types of Local Stories
That Cause Engagement
Place Explainers Feel-Good Smilers
Crowd Pleasers Topical Buzzers
Curiosity Stimulators Provocative
Controversies
News Explainers
Awe-Inspiring Visuals
Major Breaking News
54. Why Did This Story Do Well?
“Wow. And my favorite
Place Explainers
campground was closed
due to the ‘budget crisis’ Crowd Pleasers
so we couldn't go
camping.” Curiosity Stimulators
News Explainers
Major Breaking News
“That is Feel-Good Smilers
DISGUSTING!!” Topical Buzzers
Provocative
Controversies
Awe-Inspiring Visuals
KQED
55. Takeaways
• Headlines, local relevancy and digital commitment
all play roles in engaging content.
• Contrary to common belief, serious and meaningful
content can be engaging.
56. Find all of this on the
NPR Digital Services site
http://bit.ly/9-types
57. Find all of this on the
NPR Digital Services site
http://bit.ly/9-types
58. Continue the Questions
and Conversations
#NPRKnight
Eric Athas Teresa Gorman
eathas@npr.org tgorman@npr.org
@ericathas @gteresa
Photos Courtesy of Creative Commons Flickr users: Gold41,
Dianax, Nirufe, Roeyahram, inaction, Daves-F-Stop,
DennisBarnes, Sprochello, Cessums, byronv2
