We officially passed the 60 day mark since launching Carter County Post(.com) in mid June, and I remain amazed at the reception our stories receive on a daily basis.
The statistics and numbers have been fascinating, as well as confusing, as we’ve tried to take note of what stories and photos are getting the most attention. I’m not kidding when I say anything related to the local Tres Hermanos Nunez restaurants, and local food in general, always attracts readers.
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| A screenshot of pageviews and history at 60 days for cartercountypost.com |
Do you remember the July 4 photo of a man holding out a bottle of Mexican pop? More people clicked on that photo than read my last column.
A story about a new sandwich at The Drive-In also got lots of eyes on it, but not as many as the companion piece about the homegrown tomatoes and onions which were served on the burger. I would have never predicted that!
Other interesting trends include the fact we have somewhat unusual peak times for readers, with our biggest audiences typically tuning in precisely at 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. We tend to get another big jump in the readership after 5 p.m.
We have only started attempting to cover local sports (a huge challenge for a lone community journalist), and have been well rewarded with readers on those first few pieces. A photo gallery of people in the stands and on the sidelines of last Friday’s football game at East Carter High School actually earned more “clicks” and “shares” than our collection of action shots from the game.
I’m thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to photograph sports again, although I can’t deny my once sharp reflexes have slowed considerably. I’m getting better with every attempt, so maybe I’ll get some great stuff by the end of the season!
Saturday and Sunday story packages, understandably, bring our best overall audience numbers. We will continue to provide collections of local feature stories, news and photos from all around Carter County, as we approach our 90 day anniversary.
Less-Magic Number
I also celebrated a birthday recently, racking up 55 trips around the sun and trying to get the song “I Can’t Drive 55” out of my head.
While relatively uneventful, it was a good day. My parents visited Grayson and we made a trip to WV to pick up my wife’s VW, which has been sitting idle since she fell ill on Christmas Day, 2017.
The poor little hatchback had a dead battery, a lost ignition key and stains on the upholstery which would suggest an opossum had crawled into the driver’s seat and given birth to a litter. I covered the seat in newspaper, and started the 2004 Golf back up for the first time in nearly two years – that four cylinder’s sound was surely music to my ears!
The funny part was watching the birthday wishes on Facebook, which began a day early thanks to my little sister, and continued for a five day stretch!
Recent Adventures and Missions
I should start keeping a journal of my journalistic adventures as the past few weeks have provided an abundance of unusual adventures and interviews.
Saturday evening’s visit to Little Sandy Raceway in the Leon community near Grayson is an easy example.
Honestly, I did not know much about what they do there and a previous reporter’s visit a couple of years ago failed to light a fire in me. But, I saw a couple of unusual and totally wicked looking racers at a Grayson convenience store not long ago, and learned they were heading to the local ATV Drag Races.
Despite a time crunch for everyone involved, the folks at Little Sandy Raceway were extremely helpful and incredibly friendly. And, when the first two racers ripped down the 300-foot track with dirt flying and engines screaming, I was hooked!
If you know of any other interesting local people, places or events which might not otherwise get much press coverage, please send a note with any suggestions.
Community Journalist Tim Preston, of Grayson, welcomes emails at timccpost@gmail.com