Idea Exchange
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How to Thrive in an Online World. “TownNews.com is a great partner in this mad world.” ~ Ellen Driscoll, Director of Interactive Media, Keene Publishing Corp., http://www.SentinelSource.com Idea Exchange Our suite of revenue-focused tools will help your online edition be a rich, dynamic and profitable complement to your print product. We have surveyed our customers and captured some of their best ideas to help drive traffic and generate revenue for your site. These ideas are a compilation from our 1500 plus customers and what they are doing in the following areas: Editorial, Marketplace and Cross-Promotion. This document is constantly changing and evolving. If you have ideas you would like to contribute please contact Kelly Hendershot, marketing coordinator, at 800-293-9576 x1008 or [email protected] and we will include your idea in the next version. All of us at TownNews.com wish you great success! TOWNNews.COM 800-293-9576 http://support.townnews.com Thriving in an Online World Editorial Keep Content Fresh q Post fresh content throughout the day. q Complement print by posting non-print content, such as press releases, videos, photos, podcasts, eye reports, events, opinions and more. q Highlight breaking news, as it happens, in a breakout box on your home page. q Add timestamps to content. q Make sure your online obituary section is well-maintained. q Schedule Morning/Evening editions to cycle content. q Revenue Idea: Sell sponsorship to your breaking news modules. Make Content Accessible q Repeat words or phrases from your headlines within the article to improve search engine optimization (SEO). q Publish PDFs of your print edition online. q Increase special-section shelf life by posting them online. q Include sharing options (e-mail, print, bookmark, social network, etc.) for articles. q Syndicate content via RSS feeds. q Create e-mail alerts for Daily Headlines, Breaking News, Online Promotions and more. Allow readers to opt-in to the list(s) that interest them most. q Provide a mobile option. q Tag content. q Revenue Idea: Add a pay wall for readers to access PDFs of the print edition. Community Involvement q Include an online guest book. q Change online polls regularly, maybe even have the poll question relate to your top story or breaking news item. q Accept reader comments. q Accept and highlight user-submitted photos. q Accept user-submitted calendar events. q Accept user-submitted articles. q Accept user-submitted video and monetize it. q Post electronic forms to accept announcements: births, engagements, weddings, obituaries, etc. Include a PDF of the form for readers who prefer pen and paper submissions. q Revenue Idea: Accept forms via an online ad placement system. Share Your Ideas: Send your ideas to Kelly Hendershot, marketing coordinator, at [email protected]. Contact Us: For more information on this or any other TownNews.com product, contact your regional sales manager. Main TownNews.com Office: 800-293-9576 • E-mail: [email protected] 2.11.10 Thriving in an Online World Marketplace Banner Advertising q Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) standards can be found at www.iab.net. q Send, or personally deliver, weekly statistic reports to advertisers on how their ads are performing. q Change ad copy regularly. q Review online rates regularly. q Revenue Idea: Host an online sales blitz and learn how to sell online from experts. Remnant Advertising q Participate in a national advertising program. q Post house ads in unsold positions. Classifieds/Inserts q Post all display ads online for maximum exposure and integrate them with classifieds. q Offer online maps and directions for categories such as garage sales and real estate. q Accept online orders with real-time credit card processing. q Support online couponing. q Offer free, online-only classifieds (at least in some categories) with print up-sells. q Carry inserts online. q Distribute employment ads through a regional/national network. Online Yellow Pages q Check for accuracy of local business listings before each sales call to them. Share Your Ideas: Send your ideas to Kelly Hendershot, marketing coordinator, at [email protected]. Contact Us: For more information on this or any other TownNews.com product, contact your regional sales manager. Main TownNews.com Office: 800-293-9576 • E-mail: [email protected] 2.11.10 Thriving in an Online World Cross-Promotion Print to Web q Let readers know that more photos, videos and stories related to an article can be found online. q Print Ads to Promote Your Site: www.townnews.com/swat_information/swat_results/?keyword=Print q Print Ads to Promote Ad-Owl: www.townnews.com/solutions/ad-owl_results/?keyword=Print q Print Ads to Promote Special Sections: www.townnews.com/solutions/special_sections_results/?keyword=Print q Print Ads to Promote Online Yellow Pages: www.townnews.com/solutions/ypengine_results/?keyword=Print Web to Print q Post online ads to promote your print product. q Promote print-only content your next edition will include. Traffic Generation q Create a video tour of your new site or redesign and post it on your home page. q Online Ads to Promote Ad-Owl: www.townnews.com/solutions/ad-owl_results/?keyword=Online q Online Ads to Promote Special Sections: www.townnews.com/solutions/special_sections_results/?keyword=Online q Online Ads to Promote Online Yellow Pages: www.townnews.com/solutions/ypengine_results/?keyword=Online Community q Ask local businesses, like the Chamber of Commerce, to link to your site. This creates inbound links, improving search engine optimization (SEO). q Promote your site with flyers at local businesses, radio spots and billboards. q Communicate the benefits of your site to advertisers via mailings, phone campaigns and faxes. q Make sure area non-profit organizations know they can promote their events on your calendar. Share Your Ideas: Send your ideas to Kelly Hendershot, marketing coordinator, at [email protected]. Contact Us: For more information on this or any other TownNews.com product, contact your regional sales manager. Main TownNews.com Office: 800-293-9576 • E-mail: [email protected] 2.11.10 Site Examples: Ad-Market Ad-Market is your all-inclusive marketplace and classifieds solution, providing viable revenue opportunities, such as line ads targeted to specific categories; the ability to add a flat or per column fee to post display ads online, bringing in sustainable new revenue; and the ability to upsell liners or display ads to Top Ads. Classified Marketplace Bloomington Pantagraph - Bloomington, IL Group: Lee Enterprises Classified Categories Paper Type: Daily Circulation: 43,330 URL: www.pantagraph.com/classifieds Best Practice: The Pantagraph does an excellent job of making Ad-Market a complete marketplace. Incorporated are quicklinks to Top Ads, Liner Categories, Milestones and ad placement links. Daily News - Bowling Green, KY Group: Independent Paper Type: Daily Circulation: 20,157 Search Functionality URL: www.bgdailynews.com/classifieds/real_estate_for_sale Best Practice: Bowling Green makes it easy for their readers to find the home of their dreams by displaying additional search fields. They also post display ads in-column with classified liners. Sioux City Journal - Sioux City, IA Group: Lee Enterprises Paper Type: Daily Circulation: 38,740 URL: www.siouxcityjournal.com/classifieds Best Practice: Customizing the category icons like Sioux City Journal has Interactive Features done is easy and is a great visual way to drive traffic to the different sections. PDF Display Ad Converter Sidney Herald - Sidney, MT Group: Wick Communications Paper Type: Weekly Circulation: 3,300 URL: www.sidneyherald.com/classifieds/area_shopping Best Practice: Sidney Herald’s Area Shopping section provides additional PDF Display Ad Converter reach to prints ads. Text is automatically extracted from the PDFs, allowing readers to search for them. Learn more about Ad-Market at www.townnews.com/solutions/ad- market. Contact Us: For more information on this or any other TownNews.com product, contact your regional sales manager. Main TownNews.com Office: 800-293-9576 • E-mail: [email protected] 2.11.10 Site Examples: Ad-Owl Ad-Owl is the perfect 24/7 classified ad submission solution. The easy-to-use interface lets advertisers create, schedule and pay for their ad online. Supported are real-time credit card transactions, layout customization and the upsell of borders, graphics and reader product photographs. Bubbles Farm & Ranch Guide - Bismark, ND Group: Lee Enterprises Bubbles Paper Type: Bi-Weekly Shopper Circulation: 38,000 URL: www.tinyurl.com/ad-owl-bubbles Best Practice: Farm & Ranch Guide is very detailed in their package descriptions. They include packages for sister publications, outlining rates and discount options for each. Eeyore Times-News - Twin Falls, ID Group: Lee Enterprises Eeyore Paper Type: Daily Circulation: 20,240 URL: www.tinyurl.com/ad-owl-eeyore2 Best Practice: Generate more revenue and make ad submissions fun for your readers. Times-News provides their readers with graphics they can use to spice up their ads. Friendly Skies Argonaut - Marina Del Rey, CA Group: Independent Friendly Skies Paper Type: Weekly Circulation: 42,021 URL: www.tinyurl.com/ad-owl-3 Best Practice: The Argonaut clearly defines their liner policy, accepted credit cards and refund policy on the landing page. Managing expectations early means fewer problems down the road. Peekaboo South Plains Star - Abernathy, TX Group: Campus Connection Peekaboo Paper Type: Weekly Circulation: Unknown Learn more about Ad-Owl at URL: www.tinyurl.com/ad-owl-peekaboo www.townnews.com/solutions/ad- Best Practice: Thinking outside the box, South Plains Star takes advantage owl. of Ad-Owl’s payment processing to accept celebrations — anniversaries, births, engagements, etc. — and obituaries. Contact Us: For more information on this or any other TownNews.com product, contact your regional sales manager. Main TownNews.com Office: 800-293-9576 • E-mail: [email protected] 2.11.10 Site Examples: BLOX CMS The BLOX Content Management System offers easy, yet powerful, administrative tools to manage audio, video, photos, rich content and articles on your site.