True North: Analytics, Insight, and the Compass Community
I’ve only been with Anglican Compass since the beginning of 2024. As the communications coordinator, most of my work revolves around crafting newsletters and social media posts and reading the data. While my job might not sound interesting to some, I find it fascinating because the numbers attached to the emails and social media analytics tell a story.
The tale told by the number of clicks, the percentage of opens, the reactions, and all the other data is about not only who we are as Anglican Compass but who you, our readers, want us—need us—to be.
Sponsored
Clarity and Charity
A note before we get underway. Regardless of the type of article, our mission is to ensure that all our content ascribes to our two values: clarity and charity. We’re seeking clear expression of thought from ourselves and our contributing writers; we’re seeking to express those thoughts charitably for both those who do not understand a concept and for those who might disagree.
We live in a world where social media and technology can bring us together—if we let it. Though we’re not afraid to journey into the theological weeds at Anglican Compass, we purposefully try not to wade into the controversies that divide us. One of the metaphors we try to keep in mind is that we are trying to be “Anglicanism’s front porch.” We strive to be welcoming, open, and neighborly.
Articles That Thrive
There are two general kinds of articles that thrive on our website, in our newsletters, and in our posts.
A Place for Rookie Anglicans, Rookie Christians
The first is our introductory/explanation articles. Between our Rookie Anglican Guides and The Liturgical Home articles, we have a lot of content for people who are new to the Anglican tradition. Even those who aren’t new have told us that either they learned something new or a better way of explaining a concept than they had before.
Why do these articles do so well? I think Anglicanism, at its best, is a tradition open to curiosity without snobbery. Those who have questions but might be afraid to ask someone directly (especially if they are coming from another denomination) find Anglican Compass a safe place to seek answers. Our best articles often go beyond the Anglican specifics and into what C.S. Lewis calls “mere Christianity.” From the basics of the Daily Office to how to celebrate feast days to contemplative practices, it’s a niche that is needed and which we are delighted to fill!
Among our favorites are:
- What do Anglicans Believe? An Overview of Anglican Beliefs
- Nine Lessons and Carols: A Rookie Anglican Guide
- The Sign of the Cross: What it is and Why it Matters
- What is the Anglican Rosary?
- And any Liturgical Home
A Place to Share Our Journeys
The other type of article that our audience often enjoys is what we call Anglican Journeys. These articles give a snapshot of someone’s faith walk. Often, these include conversions from other denominations to Anglicanism, but they can also be about times of finding deeper faith or a call to a lay or an ordained office.
The best of these articles help us see not only what is beautiful about our tradition but also remind us that we are not alone. The fact that other people are finding Anglicanism, other people considering aspects of our faith, and others wrestling with a call to a ministry is encouraging! While nothing will ever replace physical, in-person community, these articles can inspire those who are discerning a new path or need an affirmation of the path they are on. They can also be a lifeline to those who are going through a particularly difficult time. While all articles must follow our writing guidelines to make sure we’re providing quality content for our readers, we love to hear from people about their journey on the path!
Among our favorites are:
- Why I Became Anglican (And You Should Too!)
- From Methodist to Anglican
- From One Jesus Revolution to Another: An Anglican Journey
- Full Circle and Across the Globe: An Anglican Journey
- The Liturgy will Pray for You: A Journey Through Grief with the Book of Common Prayer
More Niche Audiences
We know that some of our audience is so niche that a simple look at analytics would ignore them. Thanks to the emails and meeting some of our readers at the provincial assembly, we know we have dedicated readers among those who lead worship and preach. Anglican Compass has been and will be committed to creating content that supports our church leaders, including our Hymn Guides, Geoff Little’s Today in the Spirit reflections, and David Roseberry’s 10 Ways to Preach series.
A World-Spanning Ministry
What is the end result of all these articles being liked, shared, and commented on? Anglican Compass has grown exponentially into a world-spanning ministry with readers in five of the six populated continents. In a way, this is a ministry that disciples people from all over the world. This is in no small part due to our ethos of clarity and charity. We have excellent, authoritative writers who can speak on a topic without sounding like they’re talking down to you. We have content that speaks both to those who are new or exploring Anglicanism and those who have been here for a long time. Anglican Compass has grown so much over the last few years, and we hope you will support us as we carry the mission forward.
Image by bongkarn thanyakij from Pexels, courtesy of Canva.
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