9 Types of Local StoriesThat Cause EngagementNovember 2012

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 couldnt go camping. That is DISGUSTING!! KQED

NPR Facebook Geotargeting Project KPLU (Seattle), KQED (San Francisco), WBUR (Boston), KUT (Austin) and KPCC (Southern California). Local station content is posted to NPRs Facebook page and geotargeted to local markets. The focus is on local content that people will engage with and share.

What is it about certain local stories thatmake them more engaging than others?

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.

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 dont need the NPR Facebook page to apply this to your own social media and content plans.

9 Types of Local StoriesThat Cause Engagement

Place Explainers

Place ExplainersEvery city has traits, quirks and habits that are just begging to be dissected.Place Explainers investigate and explain these questions.

Place Explainers Facebook stats Shares: 188 Likes: 277 Comments: 73 Its because we like our free time and disposable income! Because dogs will never ask you for $300 designer jeans. KPLU

Place Explainers Facebook stats Shares: 138 Likes: 98 Comments: 15 Everyone is wearing The North Face For those of you who DONT live in Silicon Valley, I just want you to know, this is 100% true KQED

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

Crowd Pleasers

Crowd Pleasers We all love to brag every once inawhile 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.

Crowd Pleasers Facebook stats Shares: 334 Likes: 564 Comments: 63 Go Seattle! We live in a great city! KPLU

Crowd Pleasers Facebook stats Shares: 163 Likes: 338 Comments: 41 Yaaay!! GO Austin! Austin is FULL. DONT MOVE HERE. KUT

Crowd Pleasers Facebook stats Shares: 25 Likes: 76 Comments: 7 Way to go CA Must be the weather :) KQED

Curiosity Stimulators

Curiosity Stimulators You know those stories you come across that you cant turn down? Thats a Curiosity Stimulator. Its a story about something unusual,remarkable, unbelievable or clever thats tied to your local area.

Curiosity Stimulators Facebook stats Shares: 109 Likes: 105 Comments: 13 WOAH and where? SOMERVILLE It needs two pincers in the front. WBUR

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

Curiosity Stimulators Facebook stats Shares: 81 Likes: 150 Comments: 7 This is awesome! Who has this kind of time on their hands?? Whoa. WBUR

News ExplainersEvent-based stories chronicle the news of a city. News Explainers take those events and make sense of them. Rather than justtelling you what happened, News Explainers dissect why or how it happened.

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

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

News Explainers Facebook stats Shares: 233 Likes: 184 Comments: 31 in case you wondered... Explaining SFs natural air conditioning... KQED

Major Breaking News

Major Breaking News Local areas are saturated with everyday news storiessuch as traffic jams and fires.Major Breaking News stories have a much bigger impact on a local area.

Major Breaking News Facebook stats Shares: 87 Likes: 17 Comments: 24 What is going on in my hometown where Ive lived all of my years? 4 blocks from my work. Really makes you think about a lot. KPLU

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

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

Feel-Good Smilers

Feel-Good Smilers Think awww, thinkawesome, think hilarious. Most of all, think positive: this category is made up of happy or humorous stories.

Feel-Good Smilers Facebook stats Shares: 123 Likes: 289 Comments: 7 So cute! Awwww! KPLU

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

Feel-Good Smilers Facebook stats Shares: 16 Likes: 108 Comments: 3 Now that is girl power! awesome .. KQED

Topical Buzzers

Topical BuzzersA Topical Buzzer is the story of the moment that everyones talking aboutlocally. It grabs ahold of the storys coat-tails and becomes part of the buzz.

Topical Buzzers Facebook stats Shares: 110 Likes: 479 Comments: 40 Good job, Mayor Menino! Wow! WBUR

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

Topical Buzzers Facebook stats Shares: 49 Likes: 244 Comments: 19 For my friends outside of LA. : ) anyone in los angeles should watch this to its completion KPCC

Provocative Controversies

Provocative Controversies Have you ever come across a story about your city and you could feelyour blood beginning to boil? Thatsusually what happens when people encounter a Provocative Controversy -- they get ticked off and highly opinionated.

Provocative Controversies Facebook stats Shares: 60 Likes: 33 Comments: 94 I am disgusted. I feel enraged... KPLU

Provocative Controversies Facebook stats Shares: 207 Likes: 11 Comments: 88 What the beep?... Absolutely despicable KPLU

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

Awe-Inspiring Visuals

Awe-Inspiring Visuals We already know people like to gaze at beautiful images. Butpeople love to goggle at beautifulimages of their city. Awe-InspiringVisuals capture that wonderment through photos and videos.

Awe-Inspiring Visuals Facebook stats Shares: 67 Likes: 214 Comments: 21 so cool!!!! oh, theres some ghosts up in that sucker! KPCC

Awe-Inspiring Visuals Facebook stats Shares: 202 Likes: 160 Comments: 11 This is awesome! This is strangely mesmerizing. Worth a watch for sure. KPLU

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

9 Types of Local Stories That Cause Engagement Place Explainers Feel-Good Smilers Crowd Pleasers Topical BuzzersCuriosity Stimulators Provocative Controversies News Explainers Awe-Inspiring VisualsMajor Breaking News

Why Did This Story Do Well? Wow. And my favorite Place Explainers campground was closed due to the budget crisis Crowd Pleasers so we couldnt go camping. Curiosity Stimulators News Explainers Major Breaking News That is Feel-Good Smilers DISGUSTING!! Topical Buzzers Provocative Controversies Awe-Inspiring Visuals KQED

Takeaways Headlines, local relevancy and digital commitment all play roles in engaging content. Contrary to common belief, serious and meaningful content can be engaging.

Find all of this on theNPR Digital Services site http://bit.ly/9-types

Find all of this on theNPR Digital Services site http://bit.ly/9-types

Continue the Questions and Conversations #NPRKnight Eric Athas Teresa Gormaneathas@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