HOW LOCAL NEWSPAPERS CAN EXPAND THEIR FOOTPRINT

Type :	Industry Articles
How Local Newspapers Can Expand Their Footprint BY KEITH KOCHBERG SPECIAL TO NEWS & TECH April 2010 It’s no secret that local newspapers in the current economy are taking a beating. Print circulations are down, and as a result the online presence of newspapers has become a hot topic these days. With more and more consumers flocking to the Internet to get their news, the prospect of capitalizing on web traffic is huge, and it may be the smallest newspapers for which the opportunity is the most significant. When confined to the printed page, local media outlets have historically been limited to local readers. In moving their content online, though, these publications are able to go beyond their geographical borders like never before, reaching new audiences regionally and even on a national scope. That means that these small papers now have the prowess to attract big advertisers – and open up a new revenue stream that could very well be the key to survival in this tough media landscape. Local trust Think you can’t attract a major national advertiser to your local online paper? Think again. Local newspapers actually rank highest in trust when it comes to online advertising. A recent study by the Online Publishers Association and Jupiter Research indicated that 56 percent of respondents found local online newspaper ads to be the most credible – more than ads on TV, web portals, yellow pages, and other sites. The same study showed that advertising on local newspaper sites also won in the category of “most likely to generate action,” such as making a purchase, visiting a store, or doing more research. And the web sites of any local media, be it newspapers, magazines, or television stations, were shown to attract consumers who spend more money online than visitors to other web sites. That makes local newspapers extremely attractive to advertisers in terms of the potential return on investment. What more could a business want than to appear in front of an audience that trusts its source, and is willing to spend money on the ads they see there? Yet despite this clear advantage, many local newspapers still have hyper-local revenue strategies that focus on generating hyper-local ad dollars – which means they aren’t taking full advantage of the growth opportunity that online advertising presents. Local isn’t bad; on the contrary, it will always be important to stay within the community and maintain strong relationships with area advertisers. However, soliciting and servicing national brands for advertising can complement a local effort – driving in both more dollars, and more subscribers. Create a robust channel So what can local newspapers do to create a more robust advertising channel that attracts and retains community and national businesses alike? Get your technology up to par.Make sure your ad serving capabilities can support different ad formats, target different geographical regions, and offer all the necessary tracking for number of impressions and clicks – the critical information that tells advertisers how well their ad is doing on your site, and if their ROI makes it all worthwhile. These technological capabilities are readily available and cost efficient, so there is no need to spend IT resources developing these solutions in-house. Create multiple opportunities for advertising.Go beyond banner ads and create a program that includes different types and locations for the ads on your web site, at different price ranges – such as sponsorships, text-based ads, and more. Some national publications have also started to incorporate newer techniques such as pushdowns, which expand downward when a user opens the page, fixed panel banners that scroll up and down as the reader does, and XXL boxes, which feature video and other interactive elements. Examine the national market with a local eye.Think about national advertisers that may be looking for local advertising – it’s easier than you think. Major restaurant, supermarket, retailer, and other chain brands often have national advertising budgets that need to be invested in building a local presence in specific areas across the country. These are a great starting point to take your advertiser base to the next level. Make your web site visible. To make your site attractive to national advertisers, you need to be proactive about generating traffic to your web site by employing a number of online marketing and advertising techniques yourself. Build a presence on the search engines through search engine optimization and search engine marketing, for instance, and look at other techniques like media campaigns or promotions to attract more readers to your site – whether they’re around the corner or across the country. Balance your editorial content accordingly. The fact is, national audiences and national advertisers may expect some level of national news, even from a local media outlet. Consider covering more national or global issues – just give it that local angle that only you can provide, appealing to a broader scope of readers while retaining your unique perspective and feel. In the end, national advertisers will come to you if you can put up the numbers, and give them the exposure they’re looking to achieve. But don’t forget – you still need to service your local advertisers, so it’s important to have an infrastructure in place for both types to fully benefit from this new model, and bring your newspaper to unprecedented levels of success. Keith Kochberg is CEO of iMarketing Ltd., a full-service online marketing agency that specializes in search marketing and online media planning and buying. He can be reached at kkochberg@imarketingltd.com .

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