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PFB survey results (Part I)

How educated are PFB readers? How old are they? What do they want to read more about? Answers here.

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First things first, I want to thank the nearly 1,000 of you who filled out the Pistols Firing survey this year. My aim is to continually create a better product and this goes a long way in helping to do that.

And now, on to the results…

Education

Currently enrolled at OSU: 16%
Currently enrolled somewhere else: 4%
Did not graduate college: 4%
I graduated from OSU: 65%
I graduate from somewhere other than OSU: 11%

Not too many surprises here. It’s not an OU blog so our “did not graduate” rate is low.

I might be a little bit surprised the “currently enrolled” rate isn’t higher but one thing I’ve learned in the world of blogging it’s that the entire medium is built around the premise that people who are bored at their jobs just want something to do throughout the day.

Gender

Male: 83%
Female: 17%

Impressive. I like that nearly 1/5 of my audience is women. I wonder how many of them are only here because of Mrs. Pistols’ videos.

Age

20 and under: 8%
21-30: 47%
31-40: 25%
41-50: 10%
51-60: 6%
61-70: 3%
71 and up: 1%

Again, probably what I would have guessed here. I’m interested to see what the change is in blogs when we (and by “we” I mean the folks 21-30) are in the 41-60 range.

Do we continue to follow blogs? Is there a different medium by then? Is the differentiation right now just because the technology is newer? Is my voice tailored for a younger audience? Questions on questions.

I read PFB…

A few times a month: 3%
A few times a week: 25%
Once a day: 33%
Multiple times a day: 39%

That’s what I like to see. The content is as niche-y as it gets but I’ve tried to do a better job of creating a good stream of posts. I can’t be Deadspin or the Big Lead because there’s only one of me and there’s not enough info but I’ve tried to step up the content game since I started working from home last year.

My favorite part of PFB is…

10 thoughts: 37%
Daily Bullets: 52%
Podcasts: 1%
Stats: 4%
Videos/GIFs: 6%

True story, when I first started I thought the Bullets were stupid, I didn’t want to do them. I was talking to Royce at Daily Thunder and he talked me into it and now it’s the cornerstone for both this blog and the research I do for every other post.

Where do you live

Oklahoma: 45%
Texas: 16%

Other answers: O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A, Orange Nation, Tejas, Baaaahhhhhhston

How long have you been reading

Since day one: 12%
Over a year: 64%
Six months to a year: 17%
One to six months: 7%

I can’t believe 12% of you guys have stuck with me from day one.

How did you find out about PFB?

A friend sent it to me: 21%
Don’t remember: 33%
Facebook: 5%
Twitter: 37%
Uniforms: 4%

Twitter, for the win. My goal in pretty much all of what I do (and not just on PFB) is to create something that you copy/paste the URL into a text or email to one of your buddies. I think that’s a great measuring stick for good content.

I share stuff on Twitter or Facebook for different reasons (people ask me to, I want to give somebody some hits, etc.) but I only email my buddies great, great stuff.

How do you read?

Computer: 47%
iPad: 12%
Phone: 40%

That mobile number continues to amaze me.

Here’s a “best of” for the following questions with my comments in italics…

What OSU topic do you want to read more about?

“Where are they now” feature

Yeah, I need to do more of those. They’re really fun, especially with old basketball players from the 90s and 00s.

Baseball and Wrestling

I got this a lot. One of the main problems is that I cover the team via TV and very few of the games and matches in baseball and wrestling are actually on TV. If somebody on campus wants to contribute, though…

Cheerleaders bikini pics

No.

Chicks

No.

Pom girls

No.

How much Holder sucks 

No.

The Gottlieb articles were great.

Agreed, he’s been a fantastic supporter of the site. Much appreciated.

Forte and Smart being high school teammates and besties.

Fantastic.  

I know you don’t like recruiting and information can be found on other sites but I use PFB as primary source of OSU news other than twitter. A recruiting roundup would be nice every now and then.

You’re probably right, again, if anybody wants to volunteer to do this, I would consider posting. Could be a good chance to develop some writing chops for college students, too.

I love Mrs. Pistols!

I do too.

I’d love to read all about your experiences at the football games like all the other fans with season tickets.. Never mind, that can’t happen.

Mr. tough guy (or girl). You do realize that if I went to games I wouldn’t be able to post the videos, GIFs, etc. during them that you guys consume so readily, yes?

Player interviews.

I wish I could this more but I’m not allowed to by OSU.

I’m a fan of lists, i.e. best wins, worst losses, all-time teams

Yes, I should definitely do more of this. Not sure why I haven’t lately..

What OSU topic do you want to read less about?

“Smart/Forte and Walsh/Stewart being brothers from other mothers” articles. I know it’s not your fault and I imagine that is annoying to you too. 

It is the worst.

Anything that Barry Trammel has to say!

Stop it, Berry is terrific. He’s not always right, but who the heck is going to be?

Anything where you’re being politically correct or anti OSU/Gundy standing up to SI. Really miss you being an OSU fan and not media.

So you hate being rational? 

I will say a little of my fandom has gone by the wayside. I haven’t meant for it too but I understand the frustration in coming to what’s supposed to be a pro-OSU blog (whatever that means) and getting content that doesn’t always match up with that.

I’m not going to be irrational for the sake of pandering to OSU fans but I think I sway a little too far the other way at times. I know that’s a frustration sometimes for you guys.

Honestly, if something doesn’t interest me, I just skip over it, 

You are an Internet unicorn.

Nolan Cox

Wow!

Problems within the program or breaking news that make OSU look bad. As an OSU site I think you should be a sunshine pumper. Let other outlets take care of the negativity (there are plenty of sites to do this).

OK, well you should probably not read PFB then. This is real life, not some orange fairytale.

Shoes, uniforms and Nolo’s basketball career

Wow!

Some of your opinions piss me off. (Gundy’s response to SI writer)

Look, some of my opinions piss my wife off. My goal is not to satiate you, it’s to entertain you.

Too much snark sometimes for my liking. never make fun of players even if its not serious. I think they are already putting themselves in a position to be judged by the public, no need to make fun of how Nash runs or how bad JW is at tossing a football. Find a more inellegent way to express your thoughts without making snarky comments or backhanded compliments.

OK

UNIFORMS (I know, I’m that only person that said that)

You aren’t, over 10% of you did. It’s the other 90% that pays the bills, though.

Uniforms. I couldn’t give two shits.

Could you give three?

Your opinion on the sports you cover. I don’t agree with you very often. 

….

Your pessimistic attitude, pessimism and honesty are two separate entities

This is true, I’ll own this. It’s a bit of a beat down to read the same stuff every single day during football season and I let it show too much. Apologies.

More coming in the next few days…

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