Surviving transition from Print to Digital advertising: tricky for some, profitable for others:
If you ask the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, or many others, times are hard for print publication ad sales.
Those ‘per column inch’ classified ads pricing schedules have given way to free internet classifieds; real time news has replaced next day news.
But not everybody has been left behind: case in point: RISMedia (Real Estate Magazine) is more profitable than ever, with a brighter future, thanks to making the transition early: (more…)
10 Most Important factors for Internet Marketing: Updated for Social Media and WEB 2.0
For number 10 in this updated series that was so popular the first time around, I must repeat something that seems obvious to me, but is seldom followed: everything must work together for online marketing success; which means that the architect of the system – the guy in charge must be well versed and take into consideration all these factors: let us review the most important factors: (more…)
Innovation Is Key to Mainstream Media’s Survival
According to SFgate.com, the San Francisco Chronicle is cutting staff by 25%. Yep, 25% folks. That’s huge. That means nearly 80 reporters, editors, photographers and other newsroom staff will be let go in addition to 20 other employees.According to Chronicle Publisher Frank Vega,they’re “not getting into any specifics at this point. It’s fairly common knowledge that we have had a tough financial row here for several years. As we continue to evaluate our situation, unfortunately continued belt-tightening is necessary.”From the article posted on SFgate.com:”Vega declined to say whether the paper is continuing to lose $1 million a week, as Hearst attorney Daniel Wall stated in court in November during a hearing on an antitrust suit filed by San Francisco businessman Clint Reilly.”
This is one more example of mainstream media continuing its slow crumble. We won’t see it disappear altogether for a long while yet, but we’ve all seen this happening to print media for years, as the internet and its user-base has become far more robust and advanced. This is old hat I know, but its more relevant than ever right now.
Though many papers, magazines and other types of print media are segueing into the online arena, they aren’t producing any significant kinds of online revenue models, so they continue losing money.
What print media needs to do is stop holding on to tradition so tightly and release their fear of the new. They need to concentrate on creating sites that cash flow and are monetized; there are many, many ways to do this. They need to pry themselves out of stagnation and get creative, supplementing their print media with an online source of revenue. Many print magazines and newspapers have been very successful in this respect, but they are the innovators of their breed, not the average.
A great example of this innovation can be found in one of our recent clients, RISMedia. One of the leading real estate news and business development sites, they have struck an excellent balance between success online and off, embracing the future of social media and the web while still maintaining their considerable influence offline.
9 in 10 parts: Open Source vs Proprietary Solutions: buyers beware of vendor blues:
One of the most important considerations when purchasing products, services and/or software solutions for a website is the reliability, versatility, and loyalty of the vendors on which this important facet of your business depends.
There is much misinformation and scare tactics are common among vendors who have an ax to grind: they seek to scare you and keep you in the dark to control you and your purchases by keeping you ignorant and/or dependent on them for your technology.
Custom written, proprietary solutions have this disadvantage, and, unless you are a huge company with the resources to own and replace if necessary the personnel on which such an application depends, I must recommend that you use only open-source solutions. The problems with proprietary solutions are many: (more…)
8 in 10 parts: 3000 hits but no deals – a strong call to action: a reason to buy now:
In times past, when fortune 500 companies actually trained some of us lucky salespeople from scratch, they taught us that there are only three things we are ever selling: three things we must establish in a sales presentation to make a sale:
- Today is the day: urgency is absolutely essential to get people to act, especially when it comes to spending money: if there is no reason to buy today, I will often put off the decision.
- This is the place: if we do not establish that our company is somehow unique and the best to buy from, we may be making a sale and paying a competitor the commission when the prospect goes shopping after already deciding to buy from our presentation.
- I am the guy (gal): nobody wants to do business with someone they do not like. This is why some people are naturally good at sales, while others must learn skills to accomplish mediocre results. If they like the product or service, but not the salesperson, they will buy from someone else.
Websites are no different from an in-person presentation in this regard: the goal is to get an inquiry; by phone, fax, email; the sale is to get somebody to inquire. The prospect will only respond if you can establish the above three requirements in the time allotted, which, online, may be precious little (often a fraction of a second) (more…)
