NPR’s Facebook Do’s and Don’ts

NPR conducted a survey last month of more than 30,000 of their Facebook Fans. The results indicate a strong shift toward the consumption of news via social media. It’s great data for any news org trying to create best practices for Social Media. Here are some takeaways:

1. Don’t Overlook Facebook as a Major Source for News Consumption

>> 74.6% of NPR Fans say Facebook is a major way in which they receive news and information from NPR.
>> 51% say Facebook is a major way for them to receive information from news organizations in general.

2. Do Trust Facebook to Drive Major Traffic to Your Website

>> 84% of NPR Fans click the links posted by NPR on Facebook.
>> NPR receives anywhere from 1.5 to 2 million pageviews per month directly from links they post on Facebook.

3. Don’t worry about the “Likes”

>> 44% of NPR Fans say a large number of “Likes” or Facebook comments does NOT make them more likely to read that story.
>> 11.8% of NPR Fans say a story with lots of “Likes” makes them more likely to read it.

4. Do Post 8-10 Times per Day

>> 72.6% said NPR publishes just the right amount of posts each day – around 8-10 posts on average.
>> 21.6% said NPR should post even more stories each day.
>> 6% said NPR posted too often per day.

This is in contrast to research of the UNICEF-USA Facebook page which found the optimal daily post count to be three per day. That study found a dramatic rise in unsubscribe rates with more than three posts per day. However, NPR surmises (and I agree) that as a news organization they play by different rules. They can get away with 8-10 posts per day because their content isn’t a bunch of PR-drivel; it’s NEWS (thank you PR dribbler, no-thanks spell check). It’s fresh, well-thought out, important information.

For more info on this study and the way news consumption is shifting, check out this Mashable story.