10 ways the Huddersfield Examiner is blazing a trail in local news

Our readers know they can come to us for everything from breaking news to cat selfies - and we're the only regional publication in Yorkshire using new tools and products to make the reader part of the story.

Here are 10 things we've done over the past 12 months that have helped us double the number of people visiting our site to a record-breaking 7.4m, who looked at a fantastic 84m page views over the year.

1: Our website was the go-to place for the Tour de France Grand Depart

From road closures to parking, where to watch the race and even an interactive widget telling you when it would pass your door!

In the weeks up to the Grand Depart weekend, we developed a special section of the website, producing a mix of informative and entertaining content, from race maps, parking restrictions, key viewing spots and weather forecasts to fact files on previous Tour de France competitions, videos explaining Yorkshire dialect to international cyclists and even a playlist of cycling-themed music such as Kraftwerk's Tour de France and Queen's I Want To Ride My Bicycle.

We created a breakdown of everything we had written in the build-up: Tour de France Yorkshire 2014: EVERYTHING you need to know.

When it came to the event, our live blogs featured video and pictures from both our own photographers and readers along the race route.

Our readers came back with more selfies than we could possibly handle!

Here are some of the best:

And during the Tour de Yorkshire, West Yorkshire Police were our new best friends after we shared pictures of them having fun with the crowds during the event - take a look by clicking the link in the tweet!

2: We make interactive, shareable content based on internet trends — but with a local twist

When online game 2048 was taking the internet by storm last April, we made our own version, using local landmarks, important buildings and even characters from Last of the Summer Wine (filmed in Holmfirth).

We also celebrated the Tour de Yorkshire with our own game - click the picture to play!

3: We made a historic news story easier to follow with a clickable timeline linking back to old stories

A suspect in the Birkby firebomb case was caught after 12 years on the tun. In 2002, killers poured petrol through the letterbox and put a petrol bomb through the window of the Chisti family’s home at 40, Osborne Road in Birkby and then lit it.

The fire destroyed the house and claimed the lives of eight members of the same family.

To help readers place the long-awaited arrest in context, we created a timeline of events, from the original tragedy to the latest developments:

4: Live coverage of all things Huddersfield

Whether it's a fast paced breaking news story or huge disruptions caused by bad weather, we're there with a breaking news live blog to keep people updated - and share their snowman pics!

Click the link in the tweet to see a recap of how we live blogged a day of snow which caused huge disruptions across Huddersfield.

We also run a daily breaking news liveblog Monday-Friday, which showcases the latest stories on Examiner.co.uk as well as updating readers with traffic, travel and weather news.

We covered the 2015 Kirklees Council budget meeting live, and use liveblogs to keep readers updated on major incidents, including an armed police siege and the closure of a shopping centre after a man plummeted from one of its balconies.

5: Our readers love to send us their pictures taken around Huddersfield.

We set up a picture competition giving them the chance to submit their own then vote for their favourite - and the winner gets to sit at the top of our social media profiles for a month!

Then we share their submissions in a gallery and ask people to vote for their favourites from a shortlist.

Finally we add the picture to our social media profiles where it stays for a month!

We also feature local amateur photographers with our Big Picture galleries, showcasing stunning images taken across Huddersfield, Yorkshire and beyond.

And our Snapper About Town galleries are always popular — featuring nights out and social events across town — our readers love to spot themselves in the pictures!

6: The Examiner 2015 Calendar — reader pictures, reader designed, reader enjoyed

We went one step further and asked our readers to enter a calendar competition. They submitted their pictures and we asked for votes. The winning 12 featured in our 2015 calendar!

Click here to watch a Vine of our 2015 calendar!

7: We're reaching out to readers across social media

Social media is integral to our digital strategy to ensure our stories and features are seen by as many people as possible.

Facebook and Twitter follower numbers have doubled in the past year, to 35,562 Facebook fans and 29,936 Twitter followers. Our Facebook page grows by 350 followers each week, and we gain 250 new Twitter followers this week. On GooglePlus we gain 500 followers each week, and our new LinkedIn page has already attracted 45 followers.

Social media also played a part in the success of the most-read story of 2014 — a GCSE English quiz which went viral after being widely shared by Examiner readers across Huddersfield and West Yorkshire. To date it has had 310,581 unique visitors, 515,193 page views and 69,292 social shares.

8. We're finding new ways to back the Terriers

Online content writer Tom Marshall-Bailey has transformed the Examiner's online coverage of Huddersfield Town Football Club, liveblogging matches at home and away, incorporating video, and producing more in-depth analysis of both Huddersfield Town and Championship-wide issues, using graphs, interactive polls and other multimedia to bring statistics to life.

9. We know What's On

From theatre and cultural events to beer festivals, food festivals, restaurant reviews and film and television news, our What's On section is constantly expanding to shape people's weekends.

We reccommend beer gardens for sunny days, days out with the kids, and even the best place to grab a sandwich on your lunch break.

We've taken restaurant reviews to the next step by incorporating video and mouth-watering images — watch our verdict on the Almost Famous burger bar here.

We also used video and images to provide visitor guides to the Huddersfield Food Festival, and we give our readers a peek behind the scenes at some of Huddersfield's best breweries.

Click below to see pictures of Huddersfield Food and Drink Festival!

We highlight local stars who've made it into international television series, from Lena Headey in Game of Thrones and recently Jessica Gunning in Fortitude, with series blogs for both.

We also celebrate the wealth of television filmed in our back yard!

2014 BBC drama Remember Me, starring Michael Palin, was filmed in Huddersfield - find out more about the filming locations with this interactive map.

10. The digital team is a year old — and we've made a BIG difference

The Huddersfield Examiner Digital Team has had a significant impact on the newspaper’s online audience and web figures. Visits to the website have increased by more than 100 per cent, with a 96 per cent rise in unique visitors, almost doubling the Examiner’s online audience.

The digital team has been recognised both by Trinity Mirror, winning a digital award for its Tour de France coverage, and by the Huddersfield Examiner, winning team of the quarter in Q3 2014. The team is dedicated to maintaining and building upon its digital successes, exploring new ways of developing the Examiner’s online content.