As those who follow us will know, this site returned on July 4 because of a summer survey shared with former readers. The results of that survey, which were reviewed here, were clear and can be seen in this new and improved website for the community — 100% constructed in and run in Galion.
A Growing Readership
In the almost three months since the switch was turned “on” this summer, we have posted hundreds of articles and built a robust publishing system that now produces two, and occasionally three, local or area-focused stories each day. Our readership has grown far past that in our previous version.
Case in point.
The first Galion History Corner article we published in July has been read 266 times to date. Earlier this week, by contrast, a single 1831Galion post drew 1,200 readers and that number continues to increase. Our single-day readership numbers have climbed as well. This, for instance, is a chart which profiles our daily traffic chart from July 4 to the present:
The vast majority of what we publish is Galion-focused, supplemented by regional and statewide news we believe will be useful or interesting to local readers. And, at a time when Facebook and other social media platforms are making it harder for local publishers to reliably reach their audiences, 1831Galion has increasingly become a destination for people who want to stay informed. With the local paper now having slightly over 400 paid subscribers for its one-time-a-week publication (number as of October 2024), the need for this service seems to have value for citizens, businesses, and non-profits.
We’re Growing As Well
We know that we can do better, however. Three months of publishing have taught us some valuable lessons, and it’s time to put those lessons to work. You will see some new features and changes to the site in the coming days and weeks, both in terms of scope of coverage and in how stories are presented. Those will include:
- New weekly overviews of upcoming activities in Galion – the first of these was posted on Monday
- Expanding our scope to cover some events in Crestline as well
- A new supporters membership that will allow access to behind-the-scenes information, including planned story notices, our public records requests and information received, an opportunity to suggest stories, and more
- More Galion feature and history stories
- Increasing the number of daily posts (beginning soon)
There are many ways to contribute here in Galion. We are strong believers in volunteerism, non-profit initiatives, economic and community development, and realistic achievements, and we love to highlight those whenever possible. We have also been successful in focusing on community needs, and that will continue.
As we move forward, we invite your comments and suggestions. For non-profit organizations, please send along your press releases and event information and we’ll do our best to post them. Our email is: [email protected].