MemphisWeather.net (MWN) is using "social media nowcasting" to grow its follower base and its revenues. The service recently topped 20,000 followers on
Facebook and
Twitter, making it the most used delivery of weather information via social media in the Mid-South.
"That is really what has sparked our growth faster than normal growth from just the website. We’ve also added Google+, YouTube and mobile apps in the past few years," says Erik Proseus, owner of
Cirrus Weather Solutions LLC, a private meteorological firm based in the Memphis area.
Proseus is the mastermind behind MemphisWeather.net and
JacksonWeather.net. He started MemphisWeather.net 11 years ago as a side interest, and it has evolved since then.
Today his service includes smartphone apps for iPhone and Android devices, bringing users current weather from multiple metro locations, full-screen StormView Radar, a realtime Mid-South weather alert map, and MWN StormWatch+, which delivers personalized weather alerts when chosen locations are threatened by severe or winter weather.
The MemphisWeather.net app is designed for local use, while StormWatch+ is distributed nationally.
"Basically it is a service that provides the
National Weather Service watches, warnings and alerts on your phone using your specific GPS location," says Proseus, who works full-time for FedEx as senior aviation meteorologist. "Right now I’m working on enhancements that will add some radar products in the near future."
He uses three interns (Mississippi State students from the meteorology department) as social media "nowcasters." During hazardous weather, they provide the latest information to followers, preparing them for severe or inclement weather, updating them throughout the event, and even relaying their first-hand reports directly to the officials who issue the warnings.
"It gives them a chance to learn about how social media is useful for distributing certain kinds of information, and it will help with their career path down the road," Proseus says.
By Michael Waddell
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.