We’ve been talking about stepping into the digital world — more than just dipping our toes — for a while now. I’ve searched as far back as 2018, finding stories on how the next frontier for Wrangler News is shaping up.
Wrangler News has had activity on its website and various social media for a long time, but what’s different now? Over the past couple of months, I have been dedicating time to engaging with our social media following (Facebook, Instagram and X, formerly Twitter). Our digital presence is now at the forefront of our planning for the future.
From sharing articles in our print edition to publishing stories only online, our website is growing. Expanding online and earning the trust of our readership is critical to our longevity. Over the last decade, numerous traditional print papers have taken a hit, while some of those same publications have moved solely online. That’s not us.
Wrangler News will always be something you can rely on to see in your driveway or in a rack near you, of course. Flipping through those pages and getting the stories and coverage of your neighborhood is the fiber of our existence. However, it’s important that our neighbors and local businesses—you—help us transition to create a strong digital base.
But why?
Everyone has a smartphone or tablet or works on either a desktop or laptop, or both. It’s quick and it’s accessible. Technology has never been more prevalent than now. Sharing our stories and other content with you online is just one more easily accessible way to read about the latest features or events happening in your backyard. For us, having the same faithful readership and following online as we do for our print edition has the advantage of opening doorways for additional content that reaches new eyes, whether it’s photos or video from a sports game or school or city event.
Back in June, we wrote about our 18,000-plus page views. That’s an incredible number, considering we print 15,000 papers for each edition. We strive to have green arrows in our overview reports, signaling growth. By consistently providing stories to our website throughout the week, we have seen an increase in new users, total users and sessions. With that, our average session duration increases (nearly 45 seconds, which is up from 31 seconds earlier this year). Not to mention that our online readership now extends outside of the United States to Germany, Norway, Australia and more.
I carefully monitor our numbers and site every day and manage content to consistently keep those numbers on the rise. Most of you reach us via Google search engine, followed by X and Facebook. Facebook remains the most used social media platform, while X is more commonly used among the younger generation, so it’s pivotal that we share content on both while also publishing the content that registers with you, our traditional print readers. I have found sports to be the premier source of attraction, and it makes sense.
Like planets rotating around the mass of the sun, our schools and sports are a driving force in our community. Sports coverage fosters relationships and allows us to connect more closely with you. Not to say that our most important stories regarding our locals aren’t important, as every story matters. But just as we have worked with the Wrangler news community for 35 years of coverage, relationships and friendship, we’re inviting you to join us on this journey.
Our job is to provide stories that matter—stories that you want to read and that reflect our Tempe and West Chandler neighborhoods and businesses. We’re also inviting you to help spread the word. Give us a follow on social media to keep up to date with our content and help us grow to better connect with your neighbors as the digital landscape evolves. Simply liking, reposting or sharing stories with your friends, family or colleagues is incredibly important.
Engagement goes a long way, and in the process establishes our trust and foundation online, which is the first big step. Your story is our story, and your success is our success, so let’s continue this relationship.
Tempe native Andrew Lwowski holds a sports journalism degree from the ASU College of Journalism and Mass Communications. He is the Associate Publisher of Wrangler News.
