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How does your Web site stand up?
By Kelly Hendershot
“Print readership is down,” noted The Bivings group in their December 2008 study, The Use of the Internet by America’s Newspapers.
They continued that “newspapers no longer have a monopoly position in their markets; readers have many more news options – and almost all are free... the current economic recession has caused a precipitous decline in advertising and consequently newspaper revenues.”
Sounds pretty gloomy, doesn’t it?
But the study continues. It illustrates that newspapers can still reach their audience through online publications. The key is interaction, and using online as a supplement rather than replacement to print.
Let’s look at how the top 100 newspapers are doing this.
More and more newspapers are utilizing user generated content. User generated photos leads the efforts with 58 percent of implementation, 18 percent accepting video and 15 percent accepting articles. This is all possible on TownNews.com sites using the photo gallery.
Readers are also increasingly interested in seeing Most Popular content, such as Most E-mailed, Most Blogged and Most Commented. The study shows that 76 percent of newspapers offer this. Most Popular content is standard in TownNews.com blueprint sites.
Not surprisingly, 100 percent of newspapers benefit from online advertising. Our Special Web Advertising Team (SWAT) for instance, has assisted newspapers in earning over $42 million in online revenue since 2002. Coupled with our national advertising program, DotConnect Media, that’s sure-fire revenue for your site.
The study concluded that “improving Web sites is a crucial component for newspapers to weather the current economic downturn and continued consumer shift towards online news and classified ads.”
For more ideas on how your newspaper can weather the storm, contact your regional sales manager.
View the full Bivings study at: www.bivingsreport.com/2008/the-use-of-the-internet-by-americas-largest-newspapers-2008-edition/.
They continued that “newspapers no longer have a monopoly position in their markets; readers have many more news options – and almost all are free... the current economic recession has caused a precipitous decline in advertising and consequently newspaper revenues.”
Sounds pretty gloomy, doesn’t it?
But the study continues. It illustrates that newspapers can still reach their audience through online publications. The key is interaction, and using online as a supplement rather than replacement to print.
Let’s look at how the top 100 newspapers are doing this.
More and more newspapers are utilizing user generated content. User generated photos leads the efforts with 58 percent of implementation, 18 percent accepting video and 15 percent accepting articles. This is all possible on TownNews.com sites using the photo gallery.
Readers are also increasingly interested in seeing Most Popular content, such as Most E-mailed, Most Blogged and Most Commented. The study shows that 76 percent of newspapers offer this. Most Popular content is standard in TownNews.com blueprint sites.
Not surprisingly, 100 percent of newspapers benefit from online advertising. Our Special Web Advertising Team (SWAT) for instance, has assisted newspapers in earning over $42 million in online revenue since 2002. Coupled with our national advertising program, DotConnect Media, that’s sure-fire revenue for your site.
The study concluded that “improving Web sites is a crucial component for newspapers to weather the current economic downturn and continued consumer shift towards online news and classified ads.”
For more ideas on how your newspaper can weather the storm, contact your regional sales manager.
View the full Bivings study at: www.bivingsreport.com/2008/the-use-of-the-internet-by-americas-largest-newspapers-2008-edition/.
(Kelly Hendershot is the marketing coordinator at TownNews.com. She may be reached at khendershot@townnews.com.)
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of TownNews.com.
