US: social networks boost newspaper websites
Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on February 1, 2007 at 11:04 AM
As newspapers turn increasingly to their online editions, they are looking for solutions to engage their reader more efficiently. A model based on social networks – and their loyal readership - could be just what they’re seeking.
The most famous, and expensive, example of a newspaper organization interested in the business, was News Corp.’s high-profile purchase of MySpace in 2005.
Yet now online news sites and newspapers are considering to implement social networks’ actual format on their websites.
"But [social-networking sites] have tremendous loyalty, passionate adoption of your brand and very heavy repeat usage," said Steve Yelvington, internet strategist at Morris Digital Works, parent of Bluffton Today.
Exactly the type of reader newspapers are lacking right now.
Thus, since Bluffton Today gave the model a try, their reader retention has soared.
The Roanoke Times should unveil an edgy social networking site within a few weeks – ‘Big Lick University’ is a MySpace-style site and designed to attract college students in southwest Virginia.
The Bakersfield Californian turned its ‘Bakotopia’ youth-oriented website into a social hub, because it became so successful once it met local groups post their fliers online.
"We didn't go out to build a social network, but we ended up with something very much like MySpace," said Dan Pacheco, Bakersfield's senior manager of digital products.
The Bakersfield subsequently added more user blogs, profiles, forums: ‘social use’ of the newspaper website accounts for 15% to 20% of total traffic.
The social networking trend works, even for newspapers. There will always remain the question whether newspapers’ role is to provide such social network services and - assuming yes – how to do so. Notwithstanding those ‘mission statement’ considerations, social networking features have proved to be a valuable plus for newspapers’ online editions.
The main worry may now come from the other side. The MySpace-style social networking experts, that is MySpace, announced they were working on a new delivery platform, which could potentially be a powerful competitor for newspapers.
"We're soon going to be releasing a new product that focuses on news discovery and blogs," said Dan Strauss, general manager of MySpace parent Fox Interactive Media Labs.
Source: Advertising Age
Yet now online news sites and newspapers are considering to implement social networks’ actual format on their websites.
"But [social-networking sites] have tremendous loyalty, passionate adoption of your brand and very heavy repeat usage," said Steve Yelvington, internet strategist at Morris Digital Works, parent of Bluffton Today.
Exactly the type of reader newspapers are lacking right now.
Thus, since Bluffton Today gave the model a try, their reader retention has soared.
The Roanoke Times should unveil an edgy social networking site within a few weeks – ‘Big Lick University’ is a MySpace-style site and designed to attract college students in southwest Virginia.
The Bakersfield Californian turned its ‘Bakotopia’ youth-oriented website into a social hub, because it became so successful once it met local groups post their fliers online.
"We didn't go out to build a social network, but we ended up with something very much like MySpace," said Dan Pacheco, Bakersfield's senior manager of digital products.
The Bakersfield subsequently added more user blogs, profiles, forums: ‘social use’ of the newspaper website accounts for 15% to 20% of total traffic.
The social networking trend works, even for newspapers. There will always remain the question whether newspapers’ role is to provide such social network services and - assuming yes – how to do so. Notwithstanding those ‘mission statement’ considerations, social networking features have proved to be a valuable plus for newspapers’ online editions.
The main worry may now come from the other side. The MySpace-style social networking experts, that is MySpace, announced they were working on a new delivery platform, which could potentially be a powerful competitor for newspapers.
"We're soon going to be releasing a new product that focuses on news discovery and blogs," said Dan Strauss, general manager of MySpace parent Fox Interactive Media Labs.
Source: Advertising Age
Posted in :
1 TrackBacks
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: US: social networks boost newspaper websites.
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.editorsweblog.org/mt/mt-tb.cgi/1339
» US: Are journalists fulfilling their responsibility towards readers? from Editors Weblog - Print Journalism
An interestng article by Michael Massing debating whether US journalists are failing in their responsibility to produce hard nosed reporting and uncover the truth for their readers.... Read More
Leave a comment