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Stay up-to-date with my words ✍️

If there is something newspapers have learned in today’s digital age is that they can rise up to the challenge and work towards a better future. Newspapers are ready to establish priorities, dispel myths and tell the truth in order to reinforce their positions as strong media outlets. Pioneer Newspapers is a great example of a newspaper that has done exactly this.

Pioneer Newspapers is made up of 23 community newspapers mostly located in the Pacific Northwest. Pioneer has been working towards evolving into a true multimedia company offering an array of print and digital products through many forms of media. In efforts to change it’s public image, Pioneer Newspapers has re-educated its public on its identity; they have publicly rebranded themselves as a multimedia company. For this to happen change had to come within the company first.

Employees must understand the goal and must believe in the product in order to regain lost market share. A good salesperson knows that he or she must believe in a product in order to succeed; otherwise, how could he or she convince others? After all, the product is what helps a brand define its identity. One way of defining the value of products is through metrics. There are many metrics newspapers can use in order to see if a product works for their customers.

Pioneer Newspapers chose Flying Horse Communications, an advertising agency located in Bozeman, MT with offices in Portland, and Kalispell, to help with the rebrand. Their challenge was to persuade people that something they believed in was not true and that the newspapers in the Pioneer chain were both vital and actually gaining in readership. Furthermore, they sought to emphasize the fact that newspapers have always been a trusted and indispensable source to the communities they serve.

The first step in this process was to conduct market research. In order to do this, the paper chose 5 focus groups in 4 markets in the Pioneer chain: Bozeman, MT; Klamath Falls, OR; Pocatello, ID; and Nampa, ID. Flying Horse Communications findings were as follow:

*   People saw a bleak future for newspapers

*   Many thought newspapers might eventually go fully digital or move from daily to weekly

*   BUT, they thought local newspapers are more relevant and have a better chance of surviving in print

*   Many were aware that newspapers are multimedia companies, but still think of them as the physical paper

*   People read the paper for reasons other than news

As part of the research process, Flying Horse held ongoing sessions with Pioneer papers and established that newspapers feel that they are in the “connection business” and that their main product is information. Moreover, the research indicated that the very existence of newspapers is essential to the community and that one of their most attractive characteristics is empowerment of local communities through connecting people to each other and through providing information. This finding resulted in Pioneer choosing “Empowering the community” as their tagline.

The research done by Flying Horse lead to Pioneer’s successful brand optimization. A series of TV, print, and radio commercials were created and released to disprove myths and reshape the way people thought about newspapers. People could now see that newspapers had evolved and are adroitly utilizing newer forms of media. This campaign reinforced in the public the newspapers’ perspective about their important role: that they are essential and provide knowledge in many forms.


Empowering the Community

Email marketing is one of the most cost efficient and effective forms of marketing. According to [The Herald-Mail](https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/), in 2010 there were about 1.88 billion email users worldwide.  These users sent 107 trillion emails, with an average of 294 billion emails sent every day.

The magnitude of the importance of email is even more apparent when compared with social media. Social media may be getting all the buzz, but email is still the largest social network. While there are 800 million active Facebook accounts, email is still much larger with 2.9 billion accounts today. Twitter holds a distant third place with 300 million users. Each day users send 188 billion messages via email, 60 million updates via facebook, and 140 million tweets via Twitter.  While there has been a decrease in the average number of emails sent daily from 2010 to today, possibly due to other forms of social media such as Facebook and Twitter, email still far overshadows other forms of online communication.

With such a vast number of email users, brands have long been able to depend on email to promote their products. Brands can successfully drive readership, create an audience, and generate revenue at a very low price. It all begins with users opt-in into an email list. Brands can manage their databases by using an email list manager such as Constant Contact or MailChimp. Both allow the capability to track the progress of email campaigns.

Collecting emails can be achieved by using web forms. Subscribers fill out basic information such as full name, email and topics of interest. A user can also choose to select multiple topics of interest which can then be used to target the subscriber by their interests.

There are many online and offline methods brands can take to collect email addresses. For newspapers there are many methods as well, and they are as follow:

*   Circulation departments should have an opt-in option on subscription forms and invoices.

*   Ad reps and classified departments can ask their clients to opt-in for them to stay up to date on upcoming deals and promotions held by the paper.

*   Newsroom departments can ask their readers to opt-in for them to keep up to date on important matters affecting their community.

*   Newspapers can take it a step further by gathering emails during local events.

*   All web forms on a newspaper’s website should have an opt-in option.

*   Newspapers should add an easy-to-find link or banner to their opt-in subscribe page.

*   The sky’s the limit.

After a newspaper collects a solid list of emails it can then send out editorial and promotional content to its readers. Below is a list of e-newsletter content that has proven to be successful campaigns for [The Herald-Mail](https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/).

*   Breaking news

*   Weather

*   Top headlines

*   Sports scores

*   Obituaries

*   Calendar

*   Special offers

*   Entertainment

*   Food and dining

*   Contests

*   Favorite recipes

*   Week in review

These e-newsletters can also be monetized by the newspaper. If the newspaper has a weekly or daily e-newsletter it can place advertising such as leaderboard ad/s on them. According to [The Herald-Mail](https://www.heraldmailmedia.com/), Leaderboard ads have proven to be an effective size ad for e-newsletters.

There are many other types of e-newsletters a newspaper can send out to their subscribers, some of which have shown to have successful open rates.  Examples include:

*   Happy birthday e-newsletters have a 57% open rate; they help grow database, drive page views, and engage audiences.

*   Snow poll e-newsletters help drive audience engagement.

*   Open house  e-newsletters make money, drive audience, generate leads, and provide an option that is “something different” for advertisers.

*   Using the special interest categories for e-newsletters helps target subscribers with specific interests. These types of e-newsletters can be advertiser driven, so if the subscriber opts-in to promotional items they will then receive these newsletters.

Even if it’s not getting the same attention as newer forms of social media such as Facebook and Twitter, email marketing is both very cost efficient and highly effective. Newspapers can use email to drive readership, create and engage an audience, and generate revenue.


Revenue Opportunities Through Email Marketing Initiatives ✉️

Perception is everything. We are defined by what we do, and how we are seen affects our opportunities. Do you think newspapers should change their public perception?

The Birmingham News has launched an aggressive marketing campaign to fight against what they say are inaccurate public perceptions of the newspaper industry.

“For too long, we have allowed other voices to shape public perception about us and those public perceptions are inaccurate — the false perception that we’re dying; the false perception people don’t read us; the false perception that we are no longer relevant,” News Publisher Pam Siddall told employees Thursday.

I do believe newspapers need to take control of their brand. And like The Birmingham News, I believe they all have a story to tell. Newspapers have a rich history and a prominent future in their communities if they fight to keep that position.

However newspapers have to reshape the way they conduct business, it’s not just about perception. Changes and challenges in the industry have made this clearer than ever. The newspaper has to adapt and evolve into its own, I believe that will be done by combining print and digital services.

It’s about making a choice, you cannot be afraid of change. Seek professional help, we are not all marketing experts. Below are a list of items that can help newspapers get started on the right path.

*   Have a plan of action, what is your overall aim?

*   Feature special edition stories in your print edition.

*   Promote all the sections of your newspapers, think about what your audience wants.

*   Promote your electronic editions in print.

*   Have a book? Promote it in print and web. Do the same for all your products.

*   Build a mobile site or mobile app for all your products.

*   Sales reps, always seek training to strengthen your skills.

*   Increase employee moral by having weekly meetings with them.

*   Reward your employees, they will work harder for you.

*   Use Facebook and Twitter to get your news out there.

*   Do coupon deals online and in print.

*   Do contests online and in print.

*   Remind people of the value you bring to the community as a community newspaper.

*   Reclaim your position as the largest news-gathering organization in your community.

*   Enhance the design of your product, build icons for digital purposes.

*   Come up with a tagline that gives your paper a position of strength.

*   Try to think of yourself of more than just a newspaper.

*   Make banners, put them up on street corners.

There are new opportunities for the industry, and The Birmingham News is a great example of a newspaper who won’t give up on those opportunities without a fight. It’s time for newspapers to position themselves as the only hub for news, advertising, and everything hyper-local in their communities.


Perception Is Everything

On May 22, 2011 an EF-5 tornado swept the City of Joplin, MO., causing the deaths of many and destroying all structures in its path devastating an entire community and causing $3 billion in damage. A local newspaper, The Joplin Globe, would undergo many unprecedented challenges ahead, but valuable lessons would also be learned.

The Joplin Globe lost page designer, Bruce Baillie, which died as a result of his injuries. One quarter of the Globe’s 117 employees lost their homes and personal belongings, but they kept their cool amongst all the chaos and went to work. They were confronted with the biggest story of their lifetime.

The unexpected had happened, and the only news coverage available was that of The Joplin Globe. Power lines down, lack of Internet access, and no other media outlets to report, the Globe became the center of international media. As a result, the Globe’s web traffic unexpectedly increased by 3,000% overnight.

Among other things, bandwidth became a big issue, the Globe’s email system had given out. They would depend on their fax machines during this point of time.

Staff members would work for countless hours, but if there were signs of fatigue and emotional distress they were counseled and sent home for the day. These brave journalists, tired, but determined would work in hazardous conditions, dodging debris such as; knocked out electrical lines and gas leaks.

The Globe received help from many news organizations in the region, most of whom where sister papers. Condolences and offers of support were desperately accepted, but the Globe would later realize that too much help can sometimes become time consuming and overwhelming.

A gatekeeper was designated to handle phone calls and walk-ins. This person was responsible in answering phone calls of people in search of loved ones. Some callers where loyal readers pinpointing “outstanding story leads”.

Briefs became vital, and they were published online using the many tools the Internet has to offer. Lists of missing and the dead where also published in print. Their readers wanted lists.

The Globe took down their pay wall and opened their e-edition to the public. Papers where handed out in corners and shelters. They gave it away, knowing their readers would never forget such act of kindness.

They constantly updated their website with stories and pictures for immediate coverage. They tagged their stories and kept social media streams fresh with breaking news. Like their print counterpart, content was also re-organized to better fit the needs of their readers.

There never really is a way to prepare for such chaos, but there is a lot we can learn from the Joplin Globe. Dave Woods, The Joplin Globe’s digital development manager suggests the following emergency plan:

*   Keep a complete and current phone list of staff and contacts in several locations.

*   Look for and secure an alternate location from which to conduct news operations.

*   Don’t rely on email and the Internet for research; it might not be available when you need it most.

*   Buy an air card.

*   Have an emergency action plan that is adaptable to many coverage scenarios.

*   Have a list of reliable and credible journalism volunteers on whom you can call when the — hits the fan.

*   Make sure there are batteries for cameras and recorders, water, snacks, sunscreen for the field and first-aid kits for minor injuries.

*   Be prepared. Don’t panic, yet.

A few final things I’ve learned from The Joplin Globe is that they have taught me the true meaning of community resilience, workmanship, and brotherly love. Most importantly, their devotion to the community as journalist is admirable.**
**


How to Cover and Manage a Newsroom During a Crisis

The share of digital newspaper advertising is free-falling from 16.2 percent in 2005 to a prognosticated 7.9 percent in 2014.

Despite those bleak predictions by Nat Ives, newspapers reach more than a third of web users in today’s online world. That is great news for the industry as well as for the advertisers.

It is clear however that newspapers will have to reshape the way they conduct business online to succeed in attracting significant revenues in the future.

Newspapers have for years been stuck on the banner-advertising model, while other online services have been delving into multiple options such as local coupons, production services, ad networks, auctions,  exclusive offers, content networks and more.

The New Revenue Model Mosaic is a term used by professionals in the field to describe a new form of an agency model for online newspapers. To compete, it seems newspapers will have to evolve into virtual advertising agencies in the sense that they will need to offer more than just the hackneyed banner.

What does this all mean?

Now more than ever newspaper advertising representatives must go out to market more as ad consultants offering multiple products to include direct mail, Zillow, SEO, banner, SMS messaging, Facebook, Twitter, mobile, applications, geo-targeted emails, coupons, products, offline services and more.

They will need to research their advertisers to develop the optimal approach and types of products that offer the most benefit to each client. A staid financial institution for example will not likely be interested in Twitter or Facebook. A car dealer on the other hand may well be attracted to and benefit from these social networking services. A bank likely will concern itself more with stature, whereas an auto dealer is not bound by such constraints and can benefit from the wider and more diversified reach that Twitter and Facebook can offer.

Overall, the future of online newspaper cannot be discounted. The market-share charts can certainly be corrected to reflect an upward trend despite Mr. Ives’ dark predictions. The availability of other services broadens newspapers’ value to its advertisers and clients.


Blog

Empowering the Community

Revenue Opportunities Through Email Marketing Initiatives ✉️

Perception Is Everything

How to Cover and Manage a Newsroom During a Crisis

There’s Still Hope for Digital Newspaper Advertising 🗞️