I’ve now spent the last 9 years helping Broadcast & Newspaper build their Web business. Recently, I’ve been speaking to local Tribune advertisers about the benefits of online advertising. The response has been exceptional. See pics above.
What have I personally learned from traveling the country and spending time with traditional media companies? Alot.
Lesson #1. Not every TV, Radio and Newspaper will be successful in the local online space; no matter how big their offline success has been. The biggest reason for why many will struggle, is that they have yet to accept the fact that the local media business has changed forever. No longer can they rely on tactics and methods that have served them well over the past 50 years.
Lesson #2: Newspapers are currently in the best position to dominate the local online space. Why? Because they are doing more than just talking a good game. They are taking serious action. Hiring online only staffs, training, and total transformation of sellers and managers into multi-media experts. Newspapers have already realized that they are in the local news and information business, no longer just in the local newsPAPER business.
Some in TV and Radio still believe they are just in the TV and Radio business.
Lesson #3. As wireless, hi-speed Internet becomes the primary way that local audiences access information, audio and video will continue to play a larger role. Listening to online radio and podcasts will be as easy as touching a button on your cell phone or wifi enabled I-pod. Surprisingly, much of this audio content will NOT come from traditional Radio sources. Rather, it will be produced by those not pressured by the day to day burden of running a Radio station. Watch for Newspapers to really step up their audio and video productions capability. Speaking of which…….
Are you familiar with Michael Rosenblum? You should be. He is currently installing a MOBILE JOURNALISM culture into the Newark Star Ledger. Yup. He is training the print reporters to use video.
It turns out that they’re both in the same business. Newspapers and local TV news stations.They both go out into the community, find stories, process them and then distribute them back to the community, charging for the ads that accompany them.And as both papers and TV move to the web, they begin to find themselves running into each other. In terms of stories. In terms of content. And in terms of advertisers.In the end, probably only one will survive. But which one?
Click here to read more from Rosenblum’s excellent Newark adventure.
