Why the Watertown Post refuses to rely on social media—while still using it as a weapon.
Why the Watertown Post refuses to rely on social media—while still using it as a weapon.
There’s a strange confession to make here at WatertownPost.com.
We don’t like Facebook.
In fact, if you measure actual traffic to the Watertown Post, Facebook barely moves the needle. The overwhelming majority of readers arrive the old-fashioned way—by searching for the news, typing the site directly, or bookmarking it. In other words: organic traffic. Real readers looking for real information.
No algorithm roulette.
No begging for likes.
No dancing for the attention economy.
And we’re proud of that.
But here’s where the hypocrisy comes in.
Even though Facebook sends us almost no traffic, we still use it.
Why?
Because sometimes the only way to deal with a giant platform is to fight it with its own tools.
The Brick-and-Mortar Internet
Think of the Watertown Post as a brick-and-mortar newsroom on the internet.
Facebook, Instagram, TikTok—those places are more like giant digital malls. People wander around aimlessly, staring into storefronts they never intended to visit.
But real institutions still have their own buildings.
A courthouse isn’t inside the mall.
A bank isn’t inside the mall.
A newspaper shouldn’t be either.
Your website is the building.
Social media is just the sidewalk outside.
If someone walks through the door, great. But the building must stand on its own.
Why Facebook Fails as a News Source
Facebook is designed for scrolling, not thinking.
The algorithm rewards:
- outrage
- emotional bait
- recycled memes
- arguments in comment sections
Actual reporting? Not so much.
That’s why so many local “news” pages eventually become link farms or obituary feeds wrapped in ads. It’s the easiest way to generate clicks inside a platform that thrives on passive consumption.
But a real news outlet works differently.
A real outlet builds:
- archives
- search presence
- credibility
- repeat readership
And those things live on a website, not inside a social feed.
The Formula: Fighting Facebook With Facebook
Here’s the strategy.
1. The Website Comes First
All reporting lives on the main site:
WatertownPost.com
The website is the permanent record.
2. Social Media Is Just a Billboard
Facebook posts exist only as teases, not destinations.
Think headlines, not full stories.
3. Never Depend on the Algorithm
If Facebook vanished tomorrow, the audience should still find you through search engines and direct visits.
4. Build Search Authority
When someone Googles:
- Watertown news
- Northern New York politics
- Fort Drum developments
The answer should lead to your site, not a Facebook argument thread.
5. Train Readers Where to Go
Every tease, every post, every mention points to the same place:
WatertownPost.com
Eventually readers stop looking for news on social media entirely.
They go straight to the source.
The Long Game
Social media companies change rules constantly.
Algorithms shift.
Reach collapses.
Pages disappear overnight.
But a strong website—built with search authority and loyal readers—becomes something far more valuable.
It becomes infrastructure.
And infrastructure doesn’t disappear because an algorithm changed in Silicon Valley.
So Yes… We’re Hypocrites
We complain about Facebook.
We criticize the endless scrolling culture.
And then we post a tease there anyway.
Because if the battlefield is Facebook, sometimes you have to step onto it.
Just don’t build your house there.
The house is already built.
And the address is simple:
WatertownPost.com.
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