What Types of Local Stories Cause Engagement?

1. 9 Types of Local Stories
That Cause Engagement
March 2013

2. Previously on #NPRKnight…
-The importance of headlines
-Web writing
-Your daily workflow Visual Storytelling
-Finding images, videos and stories
-Your Facebook page
-Identifying and tracking your
community

3. #NPRKnight Highlights
Briana O’Higgins, KMUW

4. #NPRKnight Highlights

5. #NPRKnight Highlights

6. #NPRKnight Highlights

7. #NPRKnight social media
-Distribution: Sharing your stories as a station
or an individual.
-Reporting: Finding story ideas from your
social media community.
-Creation: Creating stories that people will
share.

8. What is it about certain local
stories that make them more
engaging than others?

9. 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.
• Headlines, local relevancy and digital
commitment all play roles in engaging
content.

10. 9 Types of Local
Stories
That Cause
Engagement

11. Place Explainers

12. Place Explainers
Facebook stats
Shares: 188
Likes: 277
Comments: 73
“Because dogs
will never ask you
for $300 designer
jeans.”
KPLU

13. Place Explainers
Facebook stats
Shares: 80
Likes: 114
Comments: 58
“Sun, affordable
housing (compared
to Brooklyn, NY),
and UT”
KUT

14. Crowd Pleasers

15. Crowd Pleasers
Facebook stats
Shares: 334
Likes: 564
Comments: 63
“Go
Seattle!”
KPLU

16. Crowd Pleasers
Facebook stats
Shares: 25
Likes: 76
Comments: 7
“Way to
go CA”
KQED

17. Curiosity Stimulators

18. Curiosity Stimulators
Facebook stats
Shares: 109
Likes: 105
Comments: 13
“WOAH and
where?
SOMERVILLE
”
WBUR

19. Curiosity Stimulators
Facebook stats
Shares: 249
Likes: 364
Comments: 68
“We live in a
strange
strange town”
KPLU

21. News Explainers
Facebook stats
Shares: 556
Likes: 316
Comments: 20
“This is a great
help in explaining
the proposals…”
KQED

22. News Explainers
Facebook stats
Shares: 233
Likes: 184
Comments: 31
“Explaining SF's
natural air
conditioning...”
KQED

23. Major Breaking
News

24. Major Breaking News
Facebook stats
Shares: 87
Likes: 17
Comments: 24
“4 blocks from my
work. Really makes
you think about a
lot.”
KPLU

25. Major Breaking News
Facebook stats
Shares: 543
Likes: 298
Comments: 45
“The wind is
gradually
intensifying here in
Lowell. Very scary.”
WBUR

26. Feel-Good
Smilers

27. Feel-Good Smilers
Facebook stats
Shares: 123
Likes: 289
Comments: 7
“Awwww!”
KPLU

28. Feel-Good Smilers
Facebook stats
Shares: 238
Likes: 245
Comments: 25
“nom nom
nom nom
nom”
WBUR

29. Topical Buzzers

30. Topical Buzzers
Facebook stats
Shares: 110
Likes: 479
Comments: 40
“Good job,
Mayor
Menino!”
WBUR

31. Topical Buzzers
Facebook stats
Shares: 37
Likes: 131
Comments: 8
“I have never
seen the market
so packed!”
KPLU

32. Provocative
Controversies

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

34. Provocative
Controversies stats
Facebook
Shares: 41
Likes: 20
Comments: 43
“This is just
disgusting, and
dangerous …
This is sick.”
KUT

35. Awe-Inspiring
Visuals

36. Awe-Inspiring Visuals
Facebook stats
Shares: 67
Likes: 214
Comments: 21
“so cool!!!!”
KPCC

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

38. Major Breaking News Crowd Pleasers
Feel-Good Smilers
Curiosity Stimulators News Explainers
Topical Buzzers
The 9 Types of Local
Stories
That Cause Engagement
Place Explainers
Provocative Controversies Awe-Inspiring Visuals

39. Find More Here:
http://bit.ly/9-types

40. Major Breaking News Crowd Pleasers
Feel-Good Smilers
Curiosity Stimulators News Explainers
Topical Buzzers
The story:
A storm is headed
toward Boston
Place Explainers
Provocative Controversies Awe-Inspiring Visuals

41. Major Breaking News Crowd Pleasers
Feel-Good Smilers
Curiosity Stimulators News Explainers
Topical Buzzers
The 5 worst storms
in Boston history
Place Explainers
Provocative Controversies Awe-Inspiring Visuals

42. Major Breaking News Crowd Pleasers
Feel-Good Smilers
Curiosity Stimulators News Explainers
Topical Buzzers
Everything you need to
know about the storm
hitting Boston
Place Explainers
Provocative Controversies Awe-Inspiring Visuals

43. Major Breaking News Crowd Pleasers
Feel-Good Smilers
Curiosity Stimulators News Explainers
Topical Buzzers
10 breathtaking photos
of the storm in Boston
Place Explainers
Provocative Controversies Awe-Inspiring Visuals

44. Major Breaking News Crowd Pleasers
Feel-Good Smilers
Curiosity Stimulators News Explainers
Topical Buzzers
Now you go:
Your state has passed
a 10 cent bag tax
Place Explainers
Provocative Controversies Awe-Inspiring Visuals

45. This week’s assignment
Pick one real local story and
write a headline that is one of
the 9 types of stories. If you
can, try to do this assignment
with your story idea from week
2 of social media training.
E-mail it to: dseditorial@npr.org

46. Find More Here:
http://bit.ly/9-types

47. Questions?
Photos Courtesy of Creative Commons Flickr users:
Gold41, Dianax, Nirufe, Roeyahram, inaction, Daves-F-
Stop, DennisBarnes, Sprochello, Cessums, byronv2