2018 Recap | HeadsUpGuys

2018 was a great year for HeadsUpGuys as we saw a dramatic increase in our website traffic, due in large part to the frequent addition of new content to the site (including 12 new tip articles covering topics like how to get help with depression, how to talk to a man about depression, and strategies for managing thoughts of suicide) and improved website search rankings.

As an example of the traffic that derives from web searches, more than 25,000 visitors came to HeadsUpGuys after searching for phrases related to thinking about or having suicidal thoughts.

Altogether, we had over 350,000 website visits in 2018, bringing us to over 850,000 visits since launching in June 2015. HeadsUpGuys has truly become an international resource helping men around the world, with website visitors coming from Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, as well as several other countries with English-speaking populations.

Reaching our Target Audience

We are also now up to nearly 100,000 Self Checks completed by men aged 18+. The Self Check is a depression screening tool that helps men get a better sense of the symptoms that are affecting them, along with providing information and advice about how to reach out. More than 70% of men who have completed the Self Check have screened for probable depression, demonstrating that we are, indeed, reaching our target audience.

“Afternoon guys, I was recently diagnosed with depression…one of the best tools in my new armoury, is without a doubt your website [HeadsUpGuys]. Thank you for your website and keep up the good work!”

Campaign and Promotion Highlights:

In addition to direct web traffic, we have had more than 700,000 media engagements and 14 million people reached through ongoing social media promotions and campaigns, such as this year’s:

June: Men’s Health Week 2018
- “Together We Can” was a international fine art and concept photography campaign featuring 11 images aimed at letting men know they are not alone their fight against depression.
Sept: For World Suicide Prevention Day, Sept 10th, 2018.
- Josh shares his story and why we need to talk about depression and suicide (especially in men)
Oct: Five Stories from Men Fighting Depression Campaign
- Bringing our total to 40 stories from real men who’ve experienced and recovered from depression (the largest story bank online featuring real men with depression).

Thanks to Our Donors and Supporters

HeadsUpGuys is a free online resource that depends on the support and generosity of public and private partners, as we work together to improve the health of men in our communities and across the globe.

We are immensely grateful to all of our donors, including 100 Men Who Give a Damn (Vancouver), several anonymous individuals, Charlie and Brendan’s Marathon Fundraiser, Colby’s Miles for Minds Fundraiser, Jacquie & Mike Moore, Nick DeMare, Darius A. Eghdami, Lake Trail Middle School, Prism the Gift Fund, and the Newell Family.

Such support allows us to continue to our efforts to reach out and help as many men as possible. Knowing that men account for three quarters of all suicides, with depression being a leading factor, we will continue to provide men with the tools to fight depression and the knowledge that recovery is possible.