how I grew a local tv station's digital traffic by 40% with a web-first video series
How do you build a digitally exclusive content series from scratch that grows an audience and performs on its own terms?
This case study includes the following research and creative methods I conducted:
End-to-End Video Production • Editorial Strategy • Audience Insights Synthesis • Performance Analysis
THE CHALLENGE
Traditional broadcast content alone was not capturing where CW33's digital audience was already spending their time, leaving web traffic and audience growth opportunities on the table.
THE APPROACH
I created a digitally exclusive editorial video series built around audience insights and local human interest storytelling, producing it end-to-end independently and distributing it across web and social channels.
THE OUTCOME
A 40% increase in overall web traffic and measurable social proof that audience-centered digital content could build community and drive sustained engagement simultaneously.
why this matteredBroadcast audiences were fragmenting. Viewers weren't waiting for scheduled programming as much anymore; they were finding content on their own terms in digital spaces the station hadn't yet built a meaningful presence in. CW33 needed original web-first content that could meet audiences where they already were and build loyalty through storytelling that felt local and relevant. The series was built to do exactly that.
the core questionHow can a digitally exclusive editorial series be designed to align with what an audience actually cares about while creating measurable traffic growth and sustained engagement?
THE content STRATEGYThe series was built around a simple but deliberate editorial insight: local audiences engage most with stories about people who look like them, doing things that matter in their community. Rather than repurposing broadcast content for digital, each episode was conceived specifically for a web and social audience. They were more personal and designed to travel through sharing rather than scheduled viewing.
Every subject was sourced through direct community networking, chosen because their story had a specific relevance to the audience the station was trying to reach and grow. Episode structure was kept consistent across all episodes to build recognition and anticipation. Audiences who watched one episode understood immediately what the next one would feel like.
Each episode was supported by a written article and a full set of social assets, creating a distribution system around every piece of content rather than publishing in isolation.
highlighted storiesLAUREN WHITEMAN - Hip Hop Pedagogy
The debut episode. Her story generated 100 shares within 24 hours on Facebook and drove a 2K Instagram follower increase within the same window, establishing the proof of concept for the entire series.
CIARA ANDERSON - Influencing Representation
The inspiration behind the curly-haired emoji, this video explored how she uses social media to influence representation. This topic had immediate resonance for the station's digital audience and strong shareability across platforms.
BRANDON MILLER - Serial Entrepreneurship
A serial entrepreneur sharing the essentials of building a brand: practical, aspirational, and directly relevant to an audience of local professionals and creatives.
what the content revealed1
Audience relevance drives sharing, not just viewing
Lauren Whiteman's debut episode generating 100 shares in 24 hours wasn't accidental. It confirmed that when content reflects the audience back to themselves, they distribute it on your behalf. Sharing is a stronger signal than views because it extends reach to audiences you haven't yet earned.
2
Consistency builds anticipation
A recurring structure across every episode meant audiences who discovered the series mid-run could immediately orient themselves. Narrative consistency isn't just an editorial decision, it's a retention strategy.
3
End-to-end ownership produced content that worked across every format
Each episode didn't just live as a video. It extended into a written article, a social caption, and platform-specific assets, all built around the same story. The result was a content release that gave the audience multiple ways to find and engage with the same narrative, which is what drove sharing and return visits beyond the initial publish.
executionEpisodes produced and published across 18 months from February 2017 to August 2018. Each episode included a produced video, a written editorial article, and a full suite of social assets for distribution across Facebook and Instagram.
Production tools included a DSLR camera, Adobe Premiere, and Photoshop. Performance was tracked throughout the run using Google Analytics and Meta social metrics.
performance40%
Increase in overall web traffic
100
Shares within 24 hours - debut episode
2k
Instagram follower increase within 24 hours of debut episode
TimelineSERIES CONCEPT & DEVELOPMENT
February 2017
GLOBAL LAUNCH
February 2017 - August 2018
PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS
Ongoing across production cycle
ReflectionsThis project reinforced that digital content strongly performs when it's built for digital from the start. In 2017, that wasn't an obvious bet, especially at a local TV station historically built around broadcast. Choosing to create something exclusively for web and social audiences, rather than repurposing what already existed, was a deliberate departure from how the station had always operated. The series worked because every decision was made with the digital audience's behavior in mind, not the broadcast schedule. When content is specific enough to mean something to a real audience, it resonates in ways that generic content never can.