We need your help, and it won't cost more than a millisecond of your time.
As our site approaches the launch of our new app and website, we're working to build up our social-media muscle to maximize promotion. And, if you aren't aware of the inner workings of Twitter and especially Facebook, you can't imagine how big an impact you can make with the simple tap of a button.
To offer an example: When we put a post up on our official Facebook page, if you give it a share or comment on it, Facebook allows it to be seen by exponentially more people. That's because, nuts as this might sound, Facebook doesn't allow any company's posts to be seen, even by people who've chosen to follow our page, until it first sees others engaging with that post. So once you share, comment or like, that engagement begins.
No, I don't like Facebook, either. In fact, I don't know of anyone who does. But here's a fact: Facebook's got a billion times more users than all the rest of social media combined. And where we're concerned, we can hit football fans harder there than anywhere else, for the simple reason that the Steelers' base is so widespread. Most who love the Penguins and Pirates are right here in Western Pennsylvania, but reaching those who love the Steelers takes an extra mechanism.
Facebook works for this sort of thing. It pains me to admit this, but it really does. And with your help, it's that much more powerful.
The Twitter situation's different. Our combined staff already has an extraordinary reach, unlike any sports media company in Pittsburgh, so reach isn't an issue. But here, too, engagement makes at least a subtle difference in terms of visibility.
How to help is simple: Email Hunter Homistek at Hunter@DKPittsburghSports.com!
Tell him you'd like to be added to his Lunatic social army, and he'll find a way to connect you with the social media platform of your choice and keep you in communication with our latest initiatives. Which, again, will be most pivotal with the app/site launch.
If you're the shy sort and would rather help on your own, hey, that's appreciated, too. Just follow the guidelines above, and thank you all the same!
NEW APP UPDATE
More long hours and even longer nights on the new app and the new website this week.
Most of the focus in recent days was on the state-of-the-art standings, statistics and schedules we'll be offering for all three major-league teams we cover. I could start gushing here about the depth, the scope, the presentation, the sortability, the ease with which you can glide through them.
Basically, we'll be the one app you need. No reason to go anywhere else for coverage, columns, all of the relevant data, live box scores ... everything.
This data element wasn't expected when this project began. Never dreamed of having such a thing, actually. But setting a high bar and having the right people doing the work can bring great results.
If you haven't seen our home page for the app:
To the more than two dozen readers generous enough to donate their services for beta testing -- and that's now closed, thanks -- you'll be getting your test apps in the coming week. While the testers do their thing, we'll keep doing ours and wrapping it for a subscriber-only launch very soon.
MILITARY DRIVE TO 1,500: 637
Our quietest week yet on this front, with 10 military subscriptions purchased, each individually, and we're grateful for each.
Josh DeNinno, our friend at Moon Golf Club, is challenging our subscribers to step up with 1,500 veteran subscription purchases in 2020, commemorating his course's 15th anniversary. And in the three months since he's done so, our count is at 637, including 31 bulk purchases.
We've obviously got a long way to go, but there's been a great reaction to our having reduced the cost of these to half-price, now $19.99 for the annual, as we've done with other gift subscriptions. On top of that, Moon Golf Club will match 30 each month.
Let's do this. Here's where.
Or, if you’re interested in making a bulk purchase, please email me directly: DK@DKPittsburghSports.com -- DK
BACK TO BUSINESS
• New paid subscribers for 2020 -- not including gifts, military, returning/renewing subscribers -- are at 136. We had six new paid subscribers over the past week.
• Our daily page views, averaged out over the past week, were 52,460. The goal with this figure is to average 100,000, but that's obviously not going to be remotely realistic for a while.
• Our most-hit original article of the past week was my Sunday Grind on coronavirus, at 50,938. The Steelers accounted for 109,719 page views, the Penguins 48,795, the Pirates 26,014 and Pitt 3,743.
• We're at 36,158 (+29) followers on Twitter, we're at 32,276 (+52) page likes on Facebook, we're at 14,050 (+32) followers on Instagram. These figures are just for our official company account on each platform, not for us as individuals.
• Get our free newsletter with a simple signup! We send out a new one Monday-Friday at 7 a.m.