Brownstoner: The End of the Open Thread
One of the biggest challenges facing any hyperlocal publisher is the development, maintenance, and growth of audience. If you are starting from scratch, one of your first challenges is to find that core audience — the rabid readers that will check back 10 or more times a day to see what you’ve got for them next. But as a site develops, and its audience becomes more established, the questions change.
Why Hyperlocals Are Making Anonymity Obsolete
I don’t ordinarily read anonymous comments, but “patriotmommy” stopped my browsing eyes recently on Patch’s Reston, Va., site. I was reading an upbeat story about graduation at the high school where my two daughters were educated. The article noted that South Lakes High produced a “record number” of International Baccalaureate candidates this year. At the […]
The Comment Section Could Be the Next Big Source of Audience Data
Comments sections can be a source of feedback, wisdom, and community. They can also provide rich, first-party audience data. OpenWeb is betting on the latter.