"The survey says...!"
How your feedback on our first reader survey is helping improve History Buzz
Many thanks to everyone who responded to our first reader survey! We had a great time getting to know you and your interests. Read on to learn about how your survey responses are helping improve History Buzz.
What we learned about you
We learned that 90% of History Buzz readers describe themselves as “history buffs” or “somewhat history buffs,” so you’re among friends here. Feel free to geek out on history and feel the Buzz!
We also learned that survey respondents open most emails, like the length of posts, and prefer a mix of one-off stories and series. The end of COVID restrictions won’t have an impact on how often the majority of survey respondents read posts. And about a third of respondents would pay for some special content behind a paywall.
Your top picks for topics and types of stories were:
Random but interesting history stories
Stories about everyday life in past eras
Andover-focused stories
What’s It Wednesdays
Andover stories in a broader context
Other topics – nostalgia, crimes, and scandals – were ranked lower, but there was enough interest that we’ll explore those topics from time to time. The column name “Miscellany Monday” wasn’t as recognizable as “What’s It Wednesdays," but we know from the History Buzz website that you’re reading Miscelllany Monday posts, so we won’t be making any changes there.
How you’re helping improve History Buzz
Here are some of the changes we’re making to History Buzz:
We’ll shift to two posts each week, starting this week, emailing on Mondays and Wednesdays, alternating between one-off stories, regular columns, and short series.
We’ll vary the length of posts.
We’re experimenting with a summary at the top of each email with a link to the History Buzz website to read more. However, the full story will also be included in the email for those who prefer that option.
We’ll work on developing some special new content that will be behind a paywall ($5/month), probably launching the new feature this fall. Even if we do that, regular History Buzz stories will always be available for free.
To request a topic or story, we encourage you to use the “Leave a comment” button at the end of each post. Comments are automatically sent to the History Buzz email address so we’ll receive your request and reply to you. To leave comments, you need a free Substack account, see the bullet point below to learn how easy it is to set up an account.
You gave us so many great ideas and inspiration for stories, topics, and new areas to research and explore...many more than we could possibly list in this post. So keep reading! We’ll research and share as many as we can.
A sneak peek at what’s coming up…
Starting July 5th you can look forward to stories by guest writer and History Center Collections Manager Angela McBrien about Andover resident Bessie Goldsmith from her travel diary and letters, written while she was on a trip to Europe in 1906.
And on July 14th we’re starting a regular recurring column on Andover’s role in the Salem witch hysteria and trials of 1692, written by new History Buzz contributor Toni Armstrong.
There are a few easy things you can do to help grow History Buzz and attract more readers.
How you can help share the Buzz:
When you open your email, click on the “Read this on History Buzz” button to read the post on the website. Website activity helps make History Buzz more visible.
Create a free Substack account so you can like and comment on posts. Your likes, shares, and comments increase visibility and help attract new History Buzz readers.
To create a free Substack account, go to reader.substack.com and enter your name and email address. It’s that easy!
From your new account, you can use the “Discover” feature to explore even more Substack newsletters. If you want to find more history newsletters, search for “history” in the search box.
Your paid subscription helps support the research and writing that makes History Buzz possible. Subscriber activity also helps make the Buzz more visible.
Do you have a request for a topic or story? Do you have a question, or want to share some feedback? Click here to leave a comment and I’ll get back to you.
Thanks so much for reading and supporting History Buzz. Sharing great history stories seen through a local lens is what we do, and we’re delighted to do this for you!
All my best,
Elaine
