GATEHOUSE NEWS & INTERACTIVE DIVISION GETTING THE MOST OUT OF FACEBOOK.

GATEHOUSE NEWS & INTERACTIVE DIVISIONGATEHOUSE NEWS & INTERACTIVE DIVISION

GETTING THE MOST

OUT OF FACEBOOK

GETTING THE MOST

OUT OF FACEBOOK

The agenda

Why Facebook? Why should we even care?Facebook profile vs Facebook fan pageHow to build and engage your fan baseHow to do it – what content to postHow to drive traffic to your siteFinding leads and sourcesBe carefulWrapup/Q&A

Sarah CorbittManager of content

developmentGateHouse News & Interactive

Sarah CorbittManager of content

developmentGateHouse News & Interactive

Why Facebook?

No. 1: Weekly market share surpasses Google

Why Facebook?

Facebook referred 754,299 page views to GateHouse sites in April 2011, jumping from 302,446 in April of 2010, an increase of 149%.

Why Facebook?

At Georgetown (Mass.) Record: 11% of PV2,141 fans

Page vs Profile

Facebook requires businesses to have fan pagesFacebook profiles are for people onlyFacebook may shut down your account if it’s not a fan page

Facebook fan page

If you don’t currently have a Facebook fan page, contact me: [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

How to build a fan base

Link from your home pageSecondary navigation


Use the promo scroll


Use TwitterCapture any missing overlap


Promote Facebook in print: On your rail Page 2 online teaser Put a callout in a specific storyAdd your Facebook fan page info to your e-mail signatureIf you have an e-mail newsletter, invite your subscribers to like your page


Don’t be an RSS feedThoughtful postsDon’t become white noise


Don’t tempt fans to ‘un-fan’ you


“Don't put every story you produce on Facebook. Don't even put some of it. Look for a limited number of items that will attract interaction -- a controversial or weird issue people will comment on or repost to their own page. Don't overload your Facebook page with links. People only have a tolerance for a few a day before they'll un-fan you.”

Jason Pisciaonline editor

SpringfieldJournal-Register


“… put a small blurb in the print edition and on your Web site when you begin a Facebook account and include a link to the site. When we did this, we had 200 fans within hours of publication..”

Julie Watts Web editor

The Times Reporter (New Philadelphia, Ohio)

“… put a small blurb in the print edition and on your Web site when you begin a Facebook account and include a link to the site. When we did this, we had 200 fans within hours of publication..”



How do we do it?

Let fans know there is a human on the other sideNot just a steady stream of links

“Be creative in what you write for the Facebook post attached to the link back to your site Don't just copy and paste the lead of the story. Be funny if appropriate. And encourage people get involved by adding "What do you think?" to the post.”


Springfield Journal-Register

“Be creative in what you write for the Facebook post attached to the link back to your site Don't just copy and paste the lead of the story. Be funny if appropriate. And encourage people get involved by adding "What do you think?" to the post.”


Springfield Journal-Register

How do we do it?

Facebook best practices

• Manually post a couple of stories a day with a comment.

• Have a “voice,” a conversational tone.

• Interact with fans – be a part of your community on Facebook.

• Use them as sources, respond to comments, questions, criticism.

How do we do it?

Facebook content: What to choose

• Callouts• Polls (link poll to a story on

your site, then link to that story)

• Quirky stories• Newsy stories with a human

hook• Upcoming event, and ask if

people are going

How do we do it?

• Pose a question to go with an opinion piece or controversial story.

• Highlight the salient point of a story.

• Pull a great quote from a story to draw readers to click on your link.

How do we do it?

• When appropriate, find a voice that is more conversational, even amusing.

How do we do it?

Photo gallery/reader callouts

How do we do it?

“I've found that Facebook is GREAT for reader call outs. I've done this for photos and comments and have gotten a great response from Facebook fans.”



“I've found that Facebook is GREAT for reader call outs. I've done this for photos and comments and have gotten a great response from Facebook fans.”



How do we do it?

• Use fans on Facebook as sources for stories.

• Respond to comments, questions, criticism.

How to drive traffic

Link to high-traffic contentPhoto gallery links - not the galleries themselves


“Every weekday morning I post a link to a major story that was in our paper (with art usually to add visual appeal). This can be a front page center piece, a feature, or sports story. I keep these links light hearted and leave the hard hitting news to our Web site.”



“Every weekday morning I post a link to a major story that was in our paper (with art usually to add visual appeal). This can be a front page center piece, a feature, or sports story. I keep these links light hearted and leave the hard hitting news to our Web site.”




Always include a link back to your siteBe conciseBe interestingRemember this:

How to find your Facebook referrals

Go to your account in Google analyticsGo to Traffic overview on your dashboardClick on View Report

Finding leads and sources

Ask fans for helpSources for storiesHistoric photos or archive materialStory ideasBreaking newsScan fansScan the pages of local businesses and government institutions for tips and sources


The Register-Mail callout

“We have used Facebook for source callouts, and we have hit some homeruns. Just this week, a longtime hobby shop owner died, and we sought people who had memories of the shop. We used those comments both online and in print, and we also contacted a couple of them.”

Jay Redfernassistant editor

The Register-Mail

“We have used Facebook for source callouts, and we have hit some homeruns. Just this week, a longtime hobby shop owner died, and we sought people who had memories of the shop. We used those comments both online and in print, and we also contacted a couple of them.”

Jay Redfernassistant editor

The Register-Mail


The Register-Mail callout


Marblehead (Mass.) Reporter, editor Kris Olson

Be careful

VerifyWork with your editorAlways be up front about who you are

Wrapup/Discussion

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF

FACEBOOKGATEHOUSE NEWS & INTERACTIVE DIVISIONGATEHOUSE NEWS & INTERACTIVE DIVISION

GATEHOUSE NEWS & INTERACTIVE DIVISION GETTING THE MOST OUT OF FACEBOOK.

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