How to be successful in Local publishing
There has been a mini-buzz around the blogosphere sparked by the massive headcount reduction at BackFence.com.
Being successful in local publishing doesn’t require a magic pill or some Web 2.0 (groan, I hate that term) formula.
I grew up in Loogootee, Indiana (pop. 2,500), which happened to be the largest “city” in Martin County. I didn’t have any photos of Loogootee, so I posted an old country music program to show what a wonderfully hick town it is.
The local newspaper “The Loogootee Tribune” is a very profitable venture, and was recently purchased by a local entrepreneur, Larry Hembree (my brother’s high school classmate).
The paper has not changed much in the last several decades. The front page always includes minutes from the city council, obituaries and highlights from the local basketball team. The revenue model includes such standards as classifieds and display advertising, but it also includes highly profitable “turkey pages.”
“Turkey pages” are pages that congratulate the basketball team on winning a tournament, or recognizing a local business leader on his retirement, or some other “event.” The ad sales reps ask local businesses and individuals to show their “support” of whoever is featured on the page. I don’t know the cost, but it’s low enough to capture several dozen advertisers who collectively pay more than the page costs to run.
A comment on The Local Onliner by David Chase, owner of a hyper-local site called SunValleyOnline.com hits the nail on the head regarding successful (translation: sustainable) local publishing.
- Focus on providing valuable local content (births, deaths, bake sales, city council minutes, etc.)
- Run extremely lean so that your hurdle to cover costs is very low.
- Pay your dues by sticking with it long after the initial burst of enthusiasm has worn off.
Over time, community involvement will increase and advertisers will follow. Using a variety of mini revenue sources, you can develop a property that has legs and will continue long into the future.
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