insideMoray is fast becoming the most popular community news resource in the north east after reaching out to over 38,000 visitors in a single week.
The average daily readership for the site exactly one year after it was launched has now soared to over 5500 – reading an average 11,795 pages each day.
While insideMoray was initially launched on June 22, 2013 it was not until April this year that the site became a full-time concern for former STV Local community editor Stuart Crowther.
“After spending a year in the local political arena I decided that it was time to return to my main passion, reporting local issues,” Stuart said. He added: “When you are working on your own it brings a different set of responsibilities, you have to face difficult decisions.
“I could have presented the site as nothing more than a personal blog but I felt that Moray wanted more than that. The face of reporting has changed, individuals with a passion for reporting local stories are emerging around the country.
“I feel strongly about taking on the smaller stories that other media may not deem as being of enough importance to give space to – or when they do it is only a passing mention.
“For most stories I also try to dig a little deeper into the background and provide those small additional pieces of information that are important to readers.”
Since re-launching in April, insideMoray has grown five-fold from a then average 1000 visitors each day. Social Media has played a vital role in promoting the site to its Moray audience, with the insideMoray Facebook page having this week crossed the 6000 ‘likes’ mark.
On the future of the site Stuart said: “I’m trying hard to attract advertisers but despite the growing popularity of the website that is proving to be my most difficult challenge!
“Part of that, I’m told, is my own aversion to self-promotion – I’m a writer, not a salesman – but at the end of the day some income has to be attracted if the site is to continue to grow.”
Details on advertising with insideMoray can be found at http://insidemoray.co.uk/advertising/ while news releases or information can be sent to Stuart via email to editor@insidemoray.co.uk.
insideMoray’s top five stories this week
| insideMoray Story | Times read |
| Lossiemouth cafe is destroyed by fire | 28,222 |
| Eight year sentence for man found guilty of New Elgin rape | 5715 |
| Carelessly discarded cigarette likely cause of hayfield blaze | 3326 |
| Elgin shop assault man ordered to pay compensation | 3108 |
| Award winning Moray beach is branded as polluted | 2395 |
| Number of visitors to insideMoray 15 June to 21 June | 38956 |
| Number of pages read on insideMoray 15 June to 21 June | 82569 |