Matt Larson, President and CEO of Our-Hometown Web Publishing, met with Betsy Edwards, Executive Director of the Virginia Press Association (VPA), to prepare for an upcoming webinar aimed at other press associations. The discussion covered the planned presentation for the webinar, which will highlight the success of Virginia’s Digital Initiative in getting print newspapers online.

Key topics included the initiative’s results (increased page views and revenue), case studies, Our-Hometown’s turnkey solution, and the critical importance of newspapers having an online presence, particularly in the context of public notices and legislative advocacy. Betsy provided extensive context on the challenges faced by newspapers without websites, the strategic role of statewide public notice platforms, and the legislative efforts to protect public notice revenue in a rapidly digitizing media landscape. The meeting also touched upon the need for timely online news updates and the difficulties in pricing digital advertising and public notices.

Webinar Preparation & Agenda Overview

Matt Larson initiated the discussion by outlining the plan for an upcoming webinar aimed at other press associations. He proposed using a modified version of a previous presentation, emphasizing a free-form discussion format. He noted the current low registration (only Jen Madden from South Carolina) and suggested the initial meeting might be a more intimate conversation between Betsy and him.

Virginia’s Digital Initiative: Goals & Results

Matt detailed the proposed structure for the webinar, starting with introductions and an overview from Betsy on the Virginia Press Association’s (VPA) goals for the program. He would then present Our-Hometown’s results from the initiative, focusing on the six participating papers. The key metric for success would be comparing page views and revenue from the most recent six months against the first six months of their online presence.

Digital Success Stories: Career Record & Rappahannock Times

Matt highlighted specific success stories from the Virginia initiative. The Career Record was identified as a leader in digital revenue and subscribers, while the Rappahannock Times showed significant increases in page views. He suggested that these publishers could potentially join future meetings to share their experiences directly.

Expanding the Initiative: Illinois & Kansas Examples

To demonstrate the broader applicability and proven track record of the digital initiative, Matt introduced examples from other states. He mentioned the Illinois Press Association, which has launched four sites hosting five papers, and the Kansas initiative, featuring the Galena Sentinel Times. This context aims to show that the concept has been successfully implemented elsewhere.

Our-Hometown’s Turnkey Solution & Member Benefits

Matt elaborated on Our-Hometown’s offering, describing it as a “turnkey solution” for press association members. He explained that the initiative provides perpetual discounts for members, regardless of whether the association chooses to fund the websites directly. The presentation would cover essential website features, mention Our-Hometown’s ad network, and outline the simple process for getting started.

The Critical Need for Newspaper Websites

Betsy underscored the urgent problem of many newspapers, particularly in other states, lacking any online presence. She highlighted that some states have “dozens of papers with no websites,” emphasizing the critical need for initiatives like Our-Hometown’s to bring these publications into the digital age.

Public Notices: The Shift to Digital & Atlanta Journal-Constitution Case

Betsy discussed the evolving landscape of public notices, which are traditionally a significant revenue source for print newspapers. She noted that public notices are becoming increasingly important for online news sites as well. A major development cited was the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s decision to go entirely digital by December 31st, signaling a broader trend that necessitates online capabilities for all newspapers.

Virginia’s Public Notice Law & Statewide Website

Betsy explained Virginia’s proactive legislative efforts, specifically a 2019 bill that maintained public notices in newspapers while adding crucial digital requirements. This law mandates that newspapers with websites must advertise public notices from their landing page, ensure they are accessible in front of any paywall, and submit them to the VPA’s statewide public notice website.

The VPA Statewide Public Notice Platform

Betsy provided a detailed overview of the Virginia Press Association’s statewide public notice website, which utilizes a platform developed by the Illinois Press Association. She explained that this platform ensures public notices are available in three places: print, the individual newspaper’s website (in front of a paywall), and the statewide website, which is keyword searchable and free. This comprehensive approach helps counter arguments from legislators about public access to information.

Newspaper Sustainability & Legislative Influence

Betsy passionately argued that newspapers must embrace digital platforms for long-term sustainability. She stressed that without a website, newspapers cannot effectively compete in 2025, reach younger audiences, or maintain credibility with legislators. Being perceived as “stuck in another century” undermines their position, especially when advocating for the retention of public notice revenue.

Countering Legislative Challenges to Public Notices

Betsy recounted how the VPA successfully addressed long-standing complaints from local governments regarding the cost of public notices in print. By implementing the 2019 law that included online posting requirements and the statewide website, the VPA effectively “shut them up” on the issue, countering proposals to move public notices solely to local government websites, which are less accessible and less effective.

Debunking Public Notice Cost Myths

Betsy presented compelling data to debunk the myth that public notices are an exorbitant cost for local governments. Citing a 2016 survey, she showed that for a large city like Virginia Beach, the annual cost of public notices ($70,000) was negligible compared to its $2.6 billion budget, equating to only $0.58 per person. This data reinforces the value and affordability of keeping public notices in newspapers.

The Imperative of Timely Online News Updates

Betsy emphasized the critical need for newspapers, particularly weeklies, to update their news online between print editions. She argued that in today’s fast-paced news cycle, waiting for the next print run means losing out to other media, like TV websites, for breaking news. An online presence allows newspapers to provide immediate updates and remain the go-to source for local information.

Integrating Public Notices with the Digital Initiative

Matt considered the possibility of Our-Hometown assisting states with their public notice websites as part of the digital initiative. Betsy clarified that while many states already have statewide public notice platforms (often using the Illinois model), the more pressing need is to get the “hundreds and hundreds” of small newspapers online and ensure that Our-Hometown’s client papers are properly feeding their public notices into these existing statewide systems.

States with High Numbers of Offline Newspapers

Betsy identified several rural states, including Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Montana, as having a significant number of newspapers that still lack websites. She noted that these small papers, often with only 300-400 readers, mistakenly believe they cannot justify the cost of a website, despite the clear benefits for their survival and relevance.

Competition from Online-Only News Sites & Virginia’s Response

Betsy discussed the growing competition from new online-only, often nonprofit, news websites. She explained that Virginia proactively passed a law allowing these online-only sites to publish public notices, but with strict guardrails. These qualifications include requirements for circuit court audits, proof of local government coverage, and local reporters, preventing unqualified “bloggers” from scooping this revenue.

Strategic Legislative Engagement for Press Associations

Betsy provided insights into effective legislative strategy, emphasizing the importance of press associations working with legislators to draft favorable bills rather than simply opposing unfavorable ones. She highlighted the realities of part-time legislators, “horse-trading,” and the need to educate them on complex issues like public notices, ensuring the industry’s interests are protected.

Protecting Future Revenue: The Online-Only Transition

Betsy cited the example of Tom La Paz, a long-time weekly newspaper owner who transitioned to online-only during COVID and became a proponent of the new Virginia law. This case illustrates the future trend of newspapers moving entirely online, and the legislation ensures that these digital-first publications can retain public notice revenue, protecting the industry’s financial future.

Challenges in Pricing Digital Public Notices

Betsy pointed out a significant challenge: newspapers often struggle to price digital public notices effectively. Accustomed to print-based pricing models (e.g., by size), they tend to drastically undercharge for online notices (e.g., $100 online vs. $300 print). She warned that once a low price is set, it’s difficult to increase it, leading to lost revenue.

Conclusion: The Undeniable Value of Going Digital

Matt and Betsy concluded the discussion by reiterating their shared conviction that there is “no downside” and “only good” in newspapers establishing an online presence. They agreed that while there was once uncertainty, the industry has moved past questioning the necessity of digital, reinforcing the core message and urgency of Our-Hometown’s Digital Initiative.

The post Our-Hometown Digital Initiative: Pre-Webinar Discussion with Virginia Press Association first appeared on Our-Hometown.

The Proposed Changes: A Game-Changer for Subscription Models

The FTC’s proposed rule, often referred to as the “Click to Cancel” provision, aims to make subscription cancellations as straightforward as sign-ups. This could significantly affect how newspaper publishers manage their digital and print subscriptions. Here are the key points:

1. Easy Cancellation: Subscribers must be able to cancel their subscriptions online if they signed up online, with a similar number of steps.
2. Separate Consent: Publishers will need to obtain clear, affirmative consent for auto-renewals, distinct from the initial subscription agreement.
3. Cancellation Offers: Before pitching alternative offers during a cancellation attempt, explicit consent must be obtained from the subscriber.
4. Annual Reminders: For non-physical goods (like digital subscriptions), annual renewal reminders will be mandatory.
5. Clear Disclosures: Material terms, including recurring charges and cancellation instructions, must be clearly presented before obtaining billing information.

Impact on Newspaper Publishers

The National Newspaper Association (NNA) has raised concerns about the potential impact on its members. Compliance with these new regulations could require:

1. Technological upgrades to subscription management systems
2. Staff retraining on new cancellation procedures
3. Revisions to subscription terms and conditions
4. Implementation of new reminder systems for digital subscriptions

While these changes aim to enhance consumer protection, they may pose challenges for smaller publishers with limited resources.

Where the Our-Hometown Stands Now

As your trusted web hosting platform, we’re here to support you through these potential changes. We’re closely monitoring the FTC’s proposal and are pleased to confirm that our subscription management tools already include features that align with the proposed requirements. However, it’s crucial to understand that while we provide the technical infrastructure, publishers play a vital role in ensuring full compliance. Here’s how our partnership works:

1. Implementing user-friendly cancellation processes: Our platform includes easy-to-use cancellation options, but publishers need to ensure these are prominently displayed and easily accessible to subscribers.
2. Developing clear consent mechanisms for auto-renewals: We provide the tools for separate consent, but publishers must craft clear, transparent language for these consent requests.
3. Creating automated annual reminder systems for digital subscriptions: Our system can send automated reminders, but publishers are responsible for customizing the content of these messages to clearly explain the renewal process.
4. Updating subscription pages: While we provide customizable subscription page templates, it’s up to publishers to input clear, comprehensible verbiage about the subscription terms, renewal process, and cancellation options.
5. Transparency in subscription management: Our tools offer the mechanisms for transparent subscription management, but publishers must take an active role in setting up their subscription pages and processes in a way that readers can easily understand.

The Road Ahead

We strongly encourage our publishing partners to review their current subscription processes and messaging. While our platform provides the technical capabilities to meet the FTC’s proposed requirements, the effectiveness of these tools relies on publishers using them to create clear, transparent communications with their subscribers. Our team is always available to guide you through optimizing your subscription setup for maximum clarity and compliance.

We’re committed to working hand-in-hand with our publishers to ensure that together, we’re providing a subscription experience that not only meets regulatory requirements but also builds trust with your readers.

Keywords: FTC, negative option rule, subscription cancellation, auto-renewal, consumer protection, newspaper publishing, digital subscriptions

The post Subscriptions in 2024: The FTC’s ‘Negative Option’ Rule Update first appeared on Our-Hometown.

Breaking Down the Google-California News Deal

At its core, the agreement between Google and California news publishers represents a significant shift in how tech platforms and news organizations interact. Here’s what you need to know:

• Total Investment: $250 million over five years
• Google’s Contribution: $180 million ($110 million for journalism, $70 million for AI research)
• California State Contribution: $70 million

This deal effectively replaces the proposed California Journalism Preservation Act (AB 886), which would have required tech platforms to pay news outlets for content usage. Instead, this agreement aims to expedite compensation for publishers while avoiding potential legal battles.

The Purpose and Distribution of Funds

The primary goal of this deal is to support and revitalize journalism in California. Here’s how the funds are expected to be allocated:

• Journalism Initiatives ($180 million):
  • Boosting journalism jobs
  • Funding salaries
  • Supporting training programs
  • Providing resources for newsrooms
• AI Research Program ($70 million):
  • Developing tools for journalists to integrate AI into their work
  • Exploring AI applications for other professionals

According to the LA Times, “The money will go toward two new initiatives administered by UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism: a fund to distribute millions of dollars to California news outlets, and an ‘AI accelerator’ to develop ways for journalists to use the powerful technology.”

Eligibility Criteria: Who Can Benefit from the Funding?

A crucial aspect of this deal is understanding which news organizations will be eligible for funding. While the exact criteria may still be subject to fine-tuning, several types of news outlets are expected to benefit:

Small and Medium-Sized News Organizations:

• Those producing original news for underrepresented communities
• Employing between 1-50 full-time journalists
• Focused on core news provision (not lifestyle or sports)
• Having a verifiable digital presence and in operation for at least 12 months

Local News Outlets:

• Those filling coverage gaps with original reporting
• Having a budget under $1 million
• Can be non-profit or for-profit entities
• Priority given to organizations serving underserved audiences, including:
  • Communities of color
  • Linguistically diverse communities
  • Low-wealth rural communities

U.S.-Based Nonprofit Institutions:

• Those with national reach and influence
• In some cases, regional and place-based organizations that are exemplars in their fields

It’s worth noting that while the Google-California deal has its own set of criteria, it shares similarities with other journalism funding initiatives, such as those by the MacArthur Foundation. These often include support for:

• National nonprofit journalism organizations pursuing explanatory, investigative, or international reporting
• Organizations working to protect press freedom and address safety/security challenges for journalists
• Organizations supporting infrastructure and innovation in nonprofit journalism
• National and regional organizations funding, producing, or disseminating nonfiction storytelling projects

Potential Impact on California’s Media Landscape

This deal has the potential to significantly impact California’s media ecosystem:

• Job Creation: The influx of funds could lead to the creation or preservation of numerous journalism jobs across the state.
• Local News Boost: With a focus on small to medium-sized organizations, local news coverage may see substantial improvements.
• Technological Advancements: The AI research component could lead to innovative tools that enhance journalistic capabilities.

However, the long-term effects remain to be seen. Will this investment truly revitalize local journalism, or will it merely provide temporary relief?

Criticisms and Concerns

Despite its potential benefits, the deal has faced criticism from various quarters:

• Insufficient Funding: Some argue that the amount is significantly less than what Google pays newsrooms in other countries, such as Canada.
• Strategic Maneuvering: Critics suggest this might be a tactical move by Google to avoid stricter regulations on content usage and compensation.
• AI Concerns: The inclusion of AI research funding has raised concerns about potentially facilitating the replacement of human journalists with technology in the future.

Looking Ahead: Implementation and Challenges

The agreement is set to take effect next year, beginning with a $100 million initial investment. However, several hurdles remain:

• Finalizing Details: The specifics of fund distribution and eligibility criteria are still being ironed out.
• Political Challenges: While Governor Gavin Newsom has pledged to incorporate the journalism funding into his January budget, potential concerns from other Democratic leaders could pose challenges.
• Long-term Sustainability: Questions remain about what happens after the five-year period ends. Will this lead to sustainable changes in the news ecosystem, or will publishers become dependent on this funding?

The Google-California news deal represents a significant shift in the relationship between tech platforms and news publishers. While it offers a substantial investment in journalism and potentially innovative AI tools, it also raises important questions about the future of news funding and the role of technology in journalism. As this deal unfolds, it will be crucial to monitor its impact on local newsrooms, job creation, and the overall quality of journalism in California. Ultimately, the success of this initiative will depend on its ability to create sustainable, positive changes in the media landscape that outlast the initial five-year investment period.

The post Google’s $250M California News Deal: Boosting Journalism or Sidestepping Regulation? first appeared on Our-Hometown.

Social Network Acquisition Data

The dashboard provides a comprehensive overview of your website’s performance, including traffic sources, visitor behavior, and conversion rates. To specifically analyze social network referrals, navigate to the Acquisition section, which is located in the left menu.

Within the Acquisition section, you will find a subsection labeled Social Networks. This area is dedicated to tracking traffic originating from various social media platforms. By clicking on Social Networks, you can view detailed reports that highlight the number of visits, page views, and other key metrics associated with each social network. This data is invaluable for understanding which platforms are driving the most traffic to your site and how visitors from these sources interact with your content.

To gain deeper insights, you can further explore individual social networks by clicking on their respective names. This action will reveal more granular data, such as the specific pages visitors landed on, the duration of their sessions, and their bounce rates. By analyzing this information, you can identify patterns and trends that indicate the effectiveness of your social media campaigns. For instance, if you notice a high bounce rate from a particular platform, it may suggest that the content shared on that network is not resonating with your audience, prompting a need for adjustment.

Create a Custom Segment

Moreover, Matomo allows you to set up custom segments to filter and analyze data more precisely. By creating a segment for social network referrals, you can isolate this traffic and compare it against other segments, such as organic search or direct visits. This comparative analysis can help you understand the relative performance of social media channels and allocate resources more effectively.

1. To create a new Segment within the Matomo dashboard, click on the button labelled All Visits in the data selector section. The text label for this button is always set to the current segment, which in this case includes all visitors to the site.

2. Clicking the segment selector opens a dropdown menu which lists available Segments, including the default All visits, plus any custom segments shared with you or that you’ve created. To start building a new segment, click the big green Add New Segment button to load the Segment editor.
3. Begin creating the segment definition using the editor. Start by adding a clear and descriptive Name to identify your segment. For example, “Socials” as shown below.
4. To define the group of visitors for your segment, build a filter based on elements of your collected user and visit data. You can combine more than one filter with a logical OR / AND flow.
5. Click on the initial dropdown field on the first row (it will state Actions in Visit by default).
6. To create a “Social Media Visitors” segment, set the first dropdown to Channel Type under Acquisition, the second to is, and select social from the final dropdown.

7. After building your filter criteria, press the TEST button to bring up a log of all visits matching your Segment. If the details look correct, close the visits log popup and hit the green Save & Apply button at the bottom of the Segment editor.

Now all the report widgets will update to only show results from the Social Networks Channel (it may take a bit of time for Matamo to reindex the data).

Track Specific Events with Goals

You should also consider using Matomo’s “Goals” feature to track specific actions that visitors take on your website. Goals can include actions such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or downloading a file. By defining these goals, you can measure the effectiveness of your social media referrals in driving valuable actions on your site.

For more information on setting up goals, check out this related post, Mastering User Acquisition Tracking in Matomo Using Goals, also on our blog. And don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team for assistance at ops@our-hometown.com

The post Analyzing Social Network Referrals in Matomo: A Step-by-Step Guide first appeared on Our-Hometown.

Why Track Traffic Sources?

In an era where brands utilize multiple channels for promotion and advertising, identifying the origin of your leads and customers has become increasingly complex. However, this complexity is precisely what makes tracking traffic sources more important than ever. By pinpointing where your visitors are coming from, you can:

1. Optimize your marketing efforts
2. Allocate resources more effectively
3. Maximize your return on investment (ROI)

Understanding Traffic Sources in Matomo

Matomo categorizes traffic sources into four main types:

1. Search engines
2. Direct traffic
3. Websites
4. Campaigns

Within the “Campaigns” category, you can track various specific sources using the Matomo URL builder, including:

• Google AdWords
• Display ads and banners
• Newsletter and email links
• Affiliate links
• Social media posts (e.g., tweets)
• Facebook ads

Measuring Performance and Conversion

To truly understand which channels are performing best, you need to set up conversion goals and attribution in Matomo. Let’s dive into the process!

Step 1: Define Your Conversions

A conversion can be any valuable action a user takes on your website, such as:

• Subscriptions
• Downloads
• Lead generation
• User registrations
• Purchases

Step 2: Create a Goal in Matomo

1. Navigate to the Goals section in Matomo
2. Click on Manage Goals
3. Click the green Add A New Goal button

Step 3: Set Up Your Goal

1. Name your goal: Choose a descriptive name, e.g., “Subscription”
2. Add a description: Provide context for your goal (optional)
3. Choose a trigger method:
   • Automatic triggers (built-in)
   • Manual triggers (custom JavaScript)

Automatic Goal Triggers

Select from the following options:

• Visit a given URL (page or group of pages)
• Visit a given Page Title
• Send an event
• Download a file
• Click on a Link to an external website
• Stay for a certain amount of time

For URL-based triggers, you can use three matching methods:

1. Contains: Matches URLs containing specific text
2. Is Exactly: Matches a precise URL
3. Matches The Expression: Uses regular expressions (RegEx) for advanced matching

Example: Creating a Subscription Goal

Let’s create a goal that triggers when a user visits the “Thank You” page after subscribing to your newspaper.

1. Name your goal: “Subscription”
2. Description: “Tracks when a user successfully subscribes and visits the Thank You page.”
3. Goal trigger:
   • Select “Visit a given URL (page or group of pages)”
   • Choose “Is Exactly” from the dropdown menu
   • Enter the exact URL of your thank you page, e.g., “https://example.com/thank-you/“
4. Leave the “Case sensitive” checkbox unchecked (unless necessary)

Step 4: Configure Goal Settings

1. Allow multiple conversions: In this case, choose “No” as users typically subscribe only once
2. Set goal revenue: Assign a monetary value to your goal (optional). For example, if you estimate that each subscriber is worth $5 to your business, enter “5” in this field.

Putting It All Together

By following these steps, you’ll be able to track and analyze your user acquisition efforts effectively. Remember, the key to success is continuous monitoring and optimization based on the data you collect.

With Matomo Analytics, you now have the power to:

1. Identify your top-performing traffic sources
2. Measure the success of your marketing campaigns
3. Optimize your budget allocation
4. Improve your overall digital strategy

By implementing these techniques, you’ll gain valuable insights into your website’s performance and be better equipped to make data-driven decisions. In our example, you’ll now be able to track which traffic sources are driving the most subscriptions, allowing you to focus your efforts on the most effective channels.

Remember to create similar goals for other important conversions on your website, such as product purchases, contact form submissions, or download completions. Each goal will provide you with crucial data to refine your marketing strategy and improve your website’s performance.

The post Mastering User Acquisition Tracking in Matomo Using Goals first appeared on Our-Hometown.

Slider Widget

Because the Slider widget displays only a single image, options are limited simply to a extra-wide or a large featured image, with or without thumbnail navigation (which can be placed either to the right or below).

You will notice in the graphic above that the ‘hero’ image is the same 960x720px version (slider-image) for all but the Wide Slider which uses an alternate 922x519px (slider-image-wide) version. In addition the small navigation thumbnails all use the same 150x90px (slider-thumb) format. Below are these sizes previewed in the Featured Image Cropping tool.

Article Widget

Thumbnail Format and Layout Options

Thumbnail Format Sizes

• Landscape: 960x720px (slider-image)
• Square: 400x400px (square-thumb)
• Portrait: 300x500px (portrait-thumb)
• Full Height: 400x0px (original aspect)
• Circle: 400x400px (with full radius)

One Column Layout

This layout features a full width hero image, with three options for subsequent thumbnails when placed to the left or rigth. Alternatively, the Full Height format still uses the Slider format for the hero image, but is scaled to the same thumbnail width as the rest of the story list. Finally choosing the Thumbnail above option, will display the Slider format above regardless of the image format choice.

Below is a visual guide for these options:

Again, the ‘hero’ image is the same 960x720px version (slider-image) for all formats. Thumbnails for remaining articles are determined by the chosen format:

• Landscape (small-thumb – 400x300px)
• Square/Portrait/Circle (square-thumb – 400x400px)
• Full Height (400x0px – image with original ratio)

Two Column Layout

This layout features a large hero image, with multiple options for subsequent thumbnails when placed to the left or right, top or bottom. The Full Height Left format deviates, by shifting the hero image to the left of the first story.

Below is a visual guide for these options:

Similar to the one column layout, the ‘hero’ image is the same 960x720px version (slider-image) for all formats. Thumbnails for remaining articles are determined by the chosen format:

• Landscape (small-thumb – 400x300px)
• Square (square-thumb – 400x400px)
• Portrait (portrait-thumb – 300×500)
• Full Height (400x0px – image with original ratio)
• Circle (square-thumb – 400x400px with radius)

Below are these formats previewed in the Crop Featured Image tool:

Vertical Stack

This layout does NOT use a hero image, instead all thumbnails follow the layout and placement settings when set to left or right placement. Any ABOVE placement settings will only display the (slider-image) above each entry. Also this (and the Horizontal Grid) are the only layouts that will display the various thumbnail formats for the first story in the block.

Below is a visual guide for these options:

Note that the cropping formats relevant to the Vertical layout are the same as the Two Column layout:

• Landscape (small-thumb – 400x300px)
• Square (square-thumb – 400x400px)
• Portrait (portrait-thumb – 300×500)
• Full Height (400x0px – image with original ratio)
• Circle (square-thumb – 400x400px with radius)
• Thumbnail Above (slider-image – 960x720px)

Horizontal Grid

This layout also does not use a hero image, instead all thumbnails follow the layout and placement settings when set to left or right placement. Any Left/Right placement displays the thumbnail quite small, so we will focus on the ABOVE placement settings.

Below is a visual guide for these options:

The cropping formats relevant to the Horizontal layout are the same as the Vertical Stack layout.

Magazine-Style Layout

This is a very popular layout with built-in overlays, borders and background colors. The number of articles displayed in the layout determine the flow, with the first story keeping its ‘hero’ status like in the column-based layouts. While this layout is very adaptable, this requires some custom CSS code to bring it in line with a particular setup. For this demo we’ll focus on a three and four-article layout.

Three Article Configuration

Four Article Configuration

Headlines Layout

By default this layout option displays only the headlines of articles and includes just a ‘hero’ featured image for the first entry. We often hide this with CSS to have a Headline-only layout for Trending Stories, etc. The hero image is the same 960x720px slider-image for any cropping adjustments.

While this is a highly detailed summary of most of the available Widget Customization options, we realize it can be a bit overwhelming, so our team is always available to help you determine which layouts can serve which needs and how to fully customize them as well. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at ops@our-hometown.com.

The post Article Widget Customization: A Complete Guide first appeared on Our-Hometown.

Seamless Podcast Management

With the Buzzsprout iOS app, managing your audio content becomes as mobile as your readers. Update your podcast episodes, check statistics, and even fix typos on the fly. It’s the perfect companion for the busy publisher who values efficiency and mobility.

Real-Time Engagement

Keep your finger on the pulse of your audience’s engagement. The app provides real-time notifications for new milestones, episode publications, and listener interactions. This means you can celebrate every success and stay connected with your audience, wherever you are.

Data-Driven Decisions

Access to comprehensive statistics allows you to make informed decisions about your content. Understand your listeners’ preferences and tailor your audio articles to meet their interests, enhancing both their experience and your reach.

Accessibility and Convenience

The Buzzsprout iOS app aligns with the convenience and accessibility of Our-Hometown’s Audio Articles. Just as your readers can listen to articles with a simple touch, you can manage your audio content with equal ease.

Get Started

We recommend the Buzzsprout iOS app to all Our-Hometown publishers who are using our Audio Articles feature. 

Download it from the Apple App Store and log in with your Buzzsprout account to start managing your audio articles today.

We’re excited to see how the Buzzsprout iOS app will support your journey with Our-Hometown’s Audio Articles. Together, let’s continue to innovate and provide exceptional news experiences to your readers.

If you are not using Audio Articles on your website, reach out to us at ops@our-hometown.com to learn more!

The post Buzzsprout’s New iOS App: A Perfect Partner for Your Audio Articles first appeared on Our-Hometown.

If you’re using the online payment gateway Stripe to process payments through your website, please be aware that you may be required to verify or update your business and/or account ownership information in order to continue using Stripe.

We urge you to take a few minutes to login to your Stripe Dashboard and check for any notifications from Stripe requesting this information. In addition to the dashboard notification, you also should have received e-mail correspondence from Stripe at the e-mail address used to create or manage your account.

This is extremely important! If Stripe has requested this information from you, there will be a deadline by which you need to respond. If you miss the deadline, they will disable payouts and eventually disable the ability to collect money from your subscribers altogether.

To be clear, this is a part of Stripe’s standard account auditing process, and is not a result of any kind of security concern.

In most cases, Stripe is just requesting basic information that is missing from the account details, such as names, addresses and phone numbers of the business owners. Occasionally, they may request links to your website’s Privacy Policy and/or Terms of Service pages.

You should receive several e-mail notices from Stripe if they are requesting this information, but to be safe, the easiest way to check is to go directly to your Stripe Dashboard and look for any notifications.

If you have any questions or need any help locating your website’s Privacy Policy or Terms of Service pages, you can reach out to our support team by emailing ops@our-hometown.com at any time.

The post Stripe users: Please check your account status first appeared on Our-Hometown.

In the fast-paced world of online news, where headlines fade faster than coffee gets cold, it’s easy to underestimate the power of history. But for newspaper publishers, embracing the past can be a strategic goldmine, fostering reader engagement and loyalty in unexpected ways. This is where features like “This Week in History” come in, offering a nostalgic glimpse into the archives and reminding readers of the paper’s long-standing role in their community.

Benefits of Historical Features

By incorporating historical features like “This Week in History” into your website, you can:

• Boost Engagement: People are naturally curious about the past. By presenting historical content in an engaging way, you can capture their attention and encourage them to explore your website further.
• Build Loyalty: Showcasing your newspaper’s rich history fosters a sense of community and connection with your audience. They’ll appreciate the opportunity to learn about their local heritage and feel a deeper connection to your brand.
• Improve SEO: Historical content can attract valuable backlinks and improve your search engine ranking, driving new visitors to your website.
• Enhance Content Strategy: Historical features can offer unique content angles and perspectives, enriching your overall content strategy and providing valuable context for current events.

From Archives to Action

1. Then and Now Features: Compare photos and stories from the past with their modern-day equivalents. How has your town changed? Did a news prediction from 50 years ago come true?
2. Interactive Quizzes: Design quizzes based on articles and advertisements from the archives. Test your readers’ knowledge of local history and pop culture from other eras.
3. Reader Contributions: Ask readers to share memories or photographs triggered by archive content. This personalizes history and brings older readers’ unique perspectives to light.
4. “On This Day” Series: Highlight a local news story or advertisement from a specific date in the past. It’s a daily dose of history for your audience.
5. Behind the Headlines: Pull back the curtain on a major news event. Use the archives to trace the news coverage over time, revealing changing perspectives and evolving stories.

OHT Article Widget

Our article widget provides a way to feature historical content anywhere on your website, providing:

• Easy Integration: Seamlessly integrate your widget into your WordPress website without coding or technical expertise.
• Automatic Content Generation: Query and display relevant historical articles based on specific dates or categories.
• Engaging Presentation: Choose from customizable layouts and design options to visually enhance your historical content.
• Enhanced User Experience: Improve navigation and encourage exploration of your archives through user-friendly features.

We’ve found many examples of publishers assigning an historical features column to a staff member, who then troves the newspapers archives to generate a new compilation story each week.

With the OHT article widget, you can sort and filter by category and date ranges in order to automatically pull relevant stories from your archives and dynamically update the feature widget for each visit to the site.

This has the potential to greatly increase reader engagement and time-on-site.

The post Turn Archives into Assets: Unleash Website Engagement with Historical Features first appeared on Our-Hometown.

During Our-Hometown’s recent webinar, participants gained valuable insights and practical knowledge on effectively utilizing ChatGPT, an advanced language model, for content creation. The webinar aimed to showcase the capabilities of ChatGPT in generating high-quality content and provided attendees with tips, strategies, and best practices for leveraging this AI technology in their content generation process.

Throughout the webinar, participants deepened their understanding of how to harness the power of ChatGPT to enhance their content creation workflows. They learned about the various features and functionalities of ChatGPT, including its ability to generate engaging and coherent written content across different domains and topics.

• 00:00:00 – Welcome
• 00:01:53 – Introduction
• 00:03:15 – Poll 1: Have you used ChatGPT?
• 00:04:50 – How we have been using ChatGPT
• 00:07:24 – ChatGPT vs. Google Search
• 00:10:46 – Tokenization and Artificial Neural Nets
• 00:11:50 – Ask ChatGPT: What is ChatGPT?
• 00:13:03 – What is Prompt Engineering?
• 00:15:15 – Bing and Google Integrations
• 00:16:57 – Back to Prompt Engineering
• 00:19:51 – ChatGPT and SEO
• 00:20:56 – Importance of Prompt Adjustments
• 00:23:05 – Our-Hometown Chatbot
• 00:23:56 – B2B Sales Content
• 00:26:59 – More on the OHT Chatbot
• 00:28:37 – Possible Slack Group for Future Exploration
• 00:29:02 – GPT-4 Plugins
• 00:31:13 – Personality Prompts
• 00:32:49 – WordPress Platform Integrations
• 00:36:15 – ChatGPT for Documentation and Tutorials
• 00:39:15 – Interview transcriptions
• 00:41:05 – What are your ideas for AI in local journalism?
• 00:43:32 – About Our-Hometown
• 00:44:32 – Upcoming Events
• 00:46:04 – Free Prototype Offer
• 00:46:42 – Q&A with ChatGPT
• 01:06:05 – Conclusions and Thank You

If you’d like to show your appreciation and support for Our-Hometown webinars, please complete this short survey. Your responses help us tailor future webinars to the needs of our customers. Thank you!

The post ChatGPT for Content Generation | Webinar Replay first appeared on Our-Hometown.