March 14, 2015
Saturday site stuff: Social media help 21
BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC
A weekly look at what’s new, what’s coming on our site …
• All of our regular advertising is done through social media. Most of that is free, of course, but we also pay for what are called boosts, meaning the post that’s put out gains a little extra steam and finds Pittsburgh sports fans who wouldn’t otherwise be aware of our site. Facebook, as you might have guessed, is the leader on this front.
If you’re here, it means you’ve probably already subscribed. But you still can help us out with this.
If you see a Facebook post, your like or share does more than just show your friends you’re interested. It gives the post extra backing toward finding even more readers through our boost. Sorry if that sounds complex. Suffice it to say every like or share on Facebook, every retweet on Twitter, every link on Reddit, all of it helps. And it helps much, much more than you might think.
We’re currently at 10,500 likes on our mostly new Facebook page. We’re at 68,700 followers on the Twitter page, by far our strongest suit. The TV and radio appearances I make help with product visibility, but nothing means more to the site than those two figures. They’re by far our best method of reaching new potential readers.
Speedy delivery! — Photo-illustration/photo by DALI/DEJAN KOVACEVIC
• I’ll be back in Bradenton beginning Monday for another week of exclusive Pirates coverage. And after that, it’s worth repeating, John Perrotto, longtime dean of the local baseball writing scene, will contribute one piece each day on the final 10 days of spring training. After that, I’ll be in Cincinnati for opening day.
• Gazing further into the future, I also have plans to cover the Pirates on a West Coast trip, similar to the one I made in February following the Penguins through Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. More on that as things firm up, but it’s looking highly likely.
• Our migration to a new server has greatly helped site speed and smoothness, but it’s come with some bumps, including two untimely crashes yesterday. I’ll apologize for those myself. What we’re doing is necessary, though I’m afraid it’s seldom painless.
• The latest updates for the app, both Apple and Android models, is about to be sent out. Among the improvements: When you open a link through Facebook or Twitter, it will offer you the option of reading the piece through the app rather than the mobile site.
• App traffic continues to grow. We had pieces this week in which 40 percent of all readership came through the app. That’s just amazing for how short a time they’ve been out.
• Soon, we hope to be able to announce our first sponsor for a specific feature. You might guess the feature easily, and you could guess the sponsor if you’re into proud, longstanding Pittsburgh fixtures.
• We’re selling baseball gift subscriptions aimed at offering Pirates fans a full year of coverage from spring training onward. A custom baseball-style card will be sent to all gift recipients, and we’ll be sure, as with all subscribers, that they get all the help they need using the site and the app.
Click the big box below for all gift subscription options:
• Yes, to answer the most common question coming this way, a subscription can be upgraded. Email [email protected] with your info, and we’ll take care of it.
• The app count: 4,426 active downloads from Apple for iPhone/iPad platforms, 1,812 from Google for Android platforms. And when I say active, that’s the net sum of apps actually on someone’s phone. If someone deletes our app, it’s a minus.
• As of this writing at 11 p.m. Friday, we’re at 8,727 subscriptions. We’re 7 1/2 months old, and our stated goal for the first full year was 10,000.
• If you can’t figure something out related to our site or app, please check our Support and App Support pages. About 99 percent of the questions we get can be answered right there. But if your issue isn’t there, email [email protected]
• Thank you, yet again, for reading and for your support.
