KETV, Hearst’s ABC affiliate in Omaha, Neb., leads the market in social media actions over the last six months according to data from audience insight firm Shareablee. KETV has almost 1.8 million actions on social, 39% of the market’s almost 4.5 million actions. KETV also had the most actions on Twitter with almost 113,000 actions. […]
KETV, Hearst’s ABC affiliate in Omaha, Neb., leads the market in social media actions over the last six months according to data from audience insight firm Shareablee.
KETV has almost 1.8 million actions on social, 39% of the market’s almost 4.5 million actions.
KETV also had the most actions on Twitter with almost 113,000 actions.
WOWT, the NBC affiliate in the market owned by Gray, is in second place in social media actions during the same period with just over a million actions, but leads in actions per posts with 106.
The Omaha World-Herald, Omaha’s daily newspaper owned by Berkshire Hathaway, leads the market on Instagram with almost 12,500 actions.
Ariel Roblin, KETV’s general manager, attributes part of KETV’s success on Facebook to its drive to be the choice for local news in Omaha.
“We were not always No. 1. We really did crawl our way to the top. We really do feel like we’re earning it every day and we also know that it can be taken away.”
Roblin believes the longevity of key newsroom personnel in front of and behind the camera also plays a role in its social media success as motivation to the team.
“They all remember what it was like not to be number one. That’s what pushes and propels us. It’s really the whole team embracing it. Facebook is a really great way for all of our talent to connect in another way with the community and in a way that they want to be connected.”
One way KETV’s users like to be connected is through Facebook Live, which generates engagement on a daily basis.
“They’re doing Facebook Live behind the scenes, they’ll do that in the mornings,” says Roblin.
“We have our weather team that does Facebook Live every day and talks about the weather and what’s coming up and that gets a ton of engagement.”
https://www.facebook.com/ketv7/videos/10155401438226977/
Maggie Cunningham, KETV’s digital content manager, says the immediate interaction between the audience and the newsroom is “one of its luxuries.”
“You can watch the live feed on Facebook and you can ask questions. What about this area? What about my son’s soccer games? Where can I send pictures? What about the weekend? It’s an immediate response.”
That back and forth, asking questions, providing answers, and reading the user comments often leads directly to more relevant editorial content and news coverage, says Cunningham.
“During the Fourth of July, I checked Facebook messages and we got a ton of complaints about people going past curfew for fireworks. That gave me the idea, are your neighbors abiding by the firework curfew? You can give some engaging content based off feedback or what they’re saying.”
Roblin says the station’s strategy with its users is simple — to use Facebook the way it was intended.
“It’s a way to connect with local news in a really personal way. And you’ve got a team that wants that and is reaching back out to their audience and making sure that they’re staying connected. I think that’s what we’re doing.”
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