How Do You Move From Print Advertising to Digital Advertising?

The following query was posed on LinkedIn by Mark Gordon, Webmaster at Prince William County Park Authority:

"We have a print magazine that we want to move to a digital format. Our current print magazine has advertisers that we would also like to take to the digital side. What steps would need to be taken to ensure that we charge a good price for this? We're not sure of the medium (pdf or other), but we would not be averse to having ads on our website (we currently only have google ads on our site. Is there something that speaks to the best way of doing this?"

My response to Mark:

First, and most importantly, you must ascertain if your target audience is READY for a move from the now-print version to a digital version of your magazine.

How? Ask them! You already have their attention with your print content, so develop a short survey and include it in your next edition. And, send the survey electronically, too. A great way to "test" your audience's acceptance of digital media. Sometimes the best information gleaned from a survey isn't related to a question and a response!

And, while you're at it, be sure to ask them HOW, if you should move to a digital format, they would want to receive it: via email with PDF of magazine attached, via email with link to website-archived magazine, via a reader like Zinio (with advertisers' interactive links), or a combination of media?

Be certain you have the email address of every current magazine recipient and reader. Again, ask for it and their opt-in in advance. (Think, too, about how will you reach readers that get an issue via pass-along.)

Don't push this one; you need to "pull" your audience along, providing what they want not what you want to give.

Plan to spend some money on obtaining email lists of prospective readers, too, in order to add/maintain value to your advertisers.

Making sure your audience WANTS a digital magazine is very, very important in today's social media frenzy. I can think of many magazines I currently read that I would unsubscribe in a heartbeat if they went digital-only. So proceed with caution to maintain readers AND advertisers. Depending upon your audience, perhaps you try to ADD a digital version to your current mix and test reaction/ readership. I've seen this done with great success. After you see your audience has not only accepted, but embraced, the new digital format, you can guarantee your advertisers with solid metrics and eliminate the print version (and all the related costs). And, for those few print-hangers on (and there will be a few), you have a solid reason for making the change, not just that YOU wanted to make the move.

As far as the pricing of online magazine advertising, you most definitely will be in a better position to maintain or even increase rates if you take some well-place steps FIRST to guarantee readership, stability AND growth.

From what source do you enjoy the news?

Read an 8/21/08 article from the AP By JEREMY HERRON which quoted a survey claiming that TV remains the top source of news even as online news grows. The Pew Research Center's biannual study also confirms that fewer Americans are reading newspapers.

So how does this all shake out? The younger you are, the more you tend to get your news on the Web. The older you are, the more likely you use traditional media such as TV and newspapers.

The Pew survey also shows that while there's a significant shift toward the use of online news, there's a large group of more engaged, sophisticated, affluent and highly educated people that use both traditional and online sources to get the news. Researchers refer to this group as "integrators," who spend the most time with the news on average.

This is the group that advertisers typically target which definitely helps explain why newspapers have seen ad revenues plummet as the spending shifts online.

Of those polled: 46% have a "heavy reliance" on TV for their news at all times of the day. This group is the oldest (average age 52) and least affluent, with 43% unemployed. They are unlikely to own a computer or go online for news.

Of those polled: 13% rely on the Internet for news. This is the youngest group (average age 35). 80% of this group is college educated and twice as likely to read an online newspaper than a print newspaper.

Of those polled: 25% say they go to an Internet site for news at least three times per week, up from 18% just 2 years ago.

Of those polled: 11% with just a high school education go online for news while 44% of college graduates surveyed say they read news online every day.

Of those who get some news from TV, most are opting for cable news such as CNN or Fox News Channel.

Readership of newspapers (those surveyed who said they read a newspaper the day before) has dropped to 34% from 40% just 2 years ago.

This new youth group and the shift among integrators to online news sources has led to this decline. The same trend is reflected in print newspaper circulation figures.

The scariest part of this survey? About 1/3rd of those 25 and under said they get NO NEWS on a typical day, UP FROM 25% in 1998. That's a trend going the WRONG WAY!


NOTE: The survey was conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. It polled 3,615 adults 18 years or older by telephone between April 30 and June 1, 2008 and has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.

Why Newspapers Shouldn't Allow Comments

In reference to a thread online, "Why Newspapers Shouldn't Allow Comments" is a recent article I enjoyed on Gawker.com.

Here's my comments about comments:

While I'm a huge advocate of "free speech", value web 2.0, and believe wholeheartedly in encouraging and engaging citizens in open discussion, I'm beginning to agree with this premise.

Who am I? Not a "human resource recruiter or a second rate manager" as one commenter so eloquently and caustic-ly (his/her term) blasted me.

I'm a blogger, marketeer, communicator, PR professional and human being, just like you. Ok, maybe not JUST like you.

I need the written, the spoken and the visual to learn about what is going on around me, so I can make informed and intelligent choices for me, my family, my community, my world. I would hope others do, too, whether you're new to Hampton Roads (like me) or a life-long resident.

The Gawker.com article's main points:

• Comments are thought to be an added value to newspapers, developing into an interesting, intelligent discussion. But, they almost never become interesting nor intelligent.
• Deeply personal articles, upbeat news stories and the like end up unreasonably abused in comments.
• Comments have not become the modern equivalent of the letter to the editor, as hoped.
• Why does a news story need to be opened up for comments in the first place? It's news, not opinion.
• Perhaps newspapers should moderate comments, or at least require the use of full names, but this is a misuse of their time, time which is limited more and more.

Newspapers online comments do improve their search engine optimization (a good thing) and fuel bloggers need for content (a great thing). We need newspapers, in whatever form or business model they end up taking.

I did like this quote: "If you ever want to lose faith in humanity, read any comments section on the internet." Amen!

My personal and professional concerns with comments? Most people believe what they see in print (including online). I'm not as worried by the one or two negative comment-ers. I'm worried about the cascading effect those few have on the many. Please don't believe everything you see written in comments unless authored by an authority or, better yet, referenced with relevant sources.

I'd love to do some research on "most comments received". It seems the hot topics for comments tend more toward the US or Entertaintment Weekly versions of news such as hottest bartender, prom fashions or auctioning a bridal party position on eBay.

What can/should comments help us do as their part in social media? Communicate, Collaborate, Connect, Create, Collect wisdom, develop Community, Converse, all leading to the big "C": CHANGE.

If one makes comments online, here are a few guidelines:

(1) don't find yourself accused of "astroturfing" or "sock puppeteering". That's Web 2.0-speak; look it up. Google can help you

(2) don't say (write) anything that you wouldn't be willing to say to someone's face (my mother taught me that one, akin to talking behind one's back)

(3) if you're willing to say (write) some of the ridiculous or malignant things seen in comments, then please consider contacting Newport News' Achievable Dream Academy and ask if they could start an Adult Remedial Education program

Please keep the comments coming. Let's just all strive for interesting and intelligent!

Here's the article, if you care to read what denigrating comments got me going today. COMMENTS

“Is Newspaper a Dying Medium?”, the program

VP/GM of South Hampton Roads’ The Virginian-Pilot, Maurice Jones, spoke at HRAMA’s January ‘08 luncheon event. Due to overwhelming, positive response to the subject matter, the venue was changed at the 11th hour to accommodate the approximately 125 participants. (I was there, and here are my notes.)

The topical timing turn-out yielded a sell-out crowd as Landmark Communications (the Pilot’s owner) announced last week their intention to potentially sell all or part of the company.

Maurice quoted media research source, the Scarborough Report, to tell us that the answer is “NO, Newspaper is NOT a dying medium”. A historical timeline review revealed that new media is ADDITIVE, not substitutive. Radio did NOT replace newspaper, TV did NOT replace radio, the Internet did NOT replace TV, and so on, but each successive new media launched ADDED to the prior one. (The Pilot has been in existence since 1865!)

Changes today ARE applying pressure to all traditional advertising models, used to financially support media, though. Not just newspapers are affected. Pressures are from demand for greater ROI, media fragmentation, changing consumers (wanting more control, but having less time) and disruptive technologies.

What are these “disruptive technologies” facing traditional media? Cell phones, iPods, the web, PDAs, Tivo/DVRs, video games, VOIP, VOD, XM/satellite radio, etc.

Hampton Roads is a tech savvy community as evidenced by our extremely high U.S. rankings in such measurements as growth in usage of these so-called “disruptive technologies”.

Media fragmentation has been a direct result. Just think: in the last 10-20 years, the U.S. has grown from 3 TV channels (NOTE: 4, counting PBS) to include cable TV and 250+ channels, 0 web sites to 100M+. There’s also the explosion in numbers of radio stations (even more when including HD and internet radio) and the preponderance of niche print publications available (some represented by V-P’s Targeted Publications + Media). Locally, we still have only 2 daily newspapers, Southside’s Virginian-Pilot and the Peninsula’s Daily Press.

The consumer audience has changed dramatically, too.

Newspapers as well as network and local TV/radio has lost reader/viewership. Cable primetime news has declined substantially since 2003 despite a 150+% gain in the five years prior. And, of course, internet growth continues to spiral upward.

According to Maurice, the question should be NOT “Is Newspaper a Dying Medium?”, but “What is a Newspaper?”

The definition is broad among adults (18+). Some circulation stats for the Virginian-Pilot: 47% read daily, 60% read Sunday, 72% read the paper at some point over the past week. Add 10% to any of these numbers for PilotOnline.com viewership.

In contrast, the 2007 Super Bowl reached an audience of only 42%, which is the biggest ad day on TV. Hmmm….

Every day at the Virginian-Pilot offers better reach than Super Bowl Sunday.

Recently, the Virginian-Pilot has accomplished a major redesign in print and online to meet and exceed the change in consumer wants and needs. The Pilot’s online offerings serve 1M unique visitors every month, representing the largest usage in all of Hampton Roads, not just Southside.

PilotOnline.com was ranked 6th best access in the country. That means there are only 6 other metro regions’ newspapers in the U.S. ranked better for online news access.

The Virginian-Pilot is not just a newspaper company. It’s news, information and advertising, too.

The definition of a newspaper has truly changed. Newspapers fuel consumer power, giving information to do what you want to do.

The Virginian-Pilot has been voted the best newspaper in Virginia 21 of the last 22 years by the Virginia Press Association (VPA) and won 3 Pulitzer Prizes. PilotOnline.com was one of the first newspaper websites in the country, and LINK (providing condensed news and entertainment) was one of the first free dailies.

The Pilot is journalistic excellence with a local impact, an impact which means something personally to each and every individual in Hampton Roads.

A few more stats regarding the Virginian-Pilot: most used ad medium, most valuable in planning shopping, best for bringing sales to consumer’s attention.

Newspaper is becoming agnostic. There are more geographically zoned products and more targeted publications such as the ethnically-focused MIX Magazine, launched August ’07.

The Virginian-Pilot is also the largest publisher of military newspapers in the country. Pilot Direct, V-P’s direct marketing business, is the fastest growing segment of the company. Following closely are V-P’s online products, such as HamptonRoads.tv, which is typically a difficult segment to monetize. And, they’re moving into mobile products as well.

The Virginian-Pilot, as an aggregated audience solution, reaches 93% of South Hampton Roads adults every week.

Newspapers are Alive, Well . . . and Changing

It’s still the most powerful media product in the market.

Questions? and, Answers

Yes. One day (in Maurice’s opinion) the core Virginian-Pilot product will be free versus the current paid subscription model. The ability to obtain free content is enormous, and the move in media is to “free”.

Yes. The production plants are undertaking green initiatives and building on these.

Yes. The Pilot is working on integrated “multimedia” sales and marketing packages for its diverse products versus the “silo” of sales teams by product used now. This is a historical and cultural shift.

Why are you selling? Publishing is only 15% of Landmark’s holdings. The Weather Channel is driving Landmark Communications’ decision involving the sale of the Virginian-Pilot. Think of it as “beach front property”; sell when the selling is good.

Are Print Catalogs Extinct?

The following is from an article by Kate Muldoon in DIRECT Magazine:

Excerpts from THOSE OF US IN CATALOG LAND SEEM TO BE IN A TIME WARP that causes us to think that print catalogs can look and work just like they always have. But we also don't hesitate to turn our sights to the future and predict that, with or without print catalogs, the Internet will be the road to sales galore.

Well…yes and no. It's true that electronic marketing can be a very good thing. Some catalogers report that, by far, most of their new customers come from constantly tested and refined search engine marketing programs. The downside is that often, customers acquired online don't spend as much. One possible reason is that we aren't adapting our print catalog strategies well enough so fresh customers can learn how and why they should keep buying.

Electronic marketing certainly seems to be the be-all and the end-all. In its 2005 Multichannel Retail Annual Trend Report, Abacus notes that Web site sales will surpass catalog purchases within the next 19 months. The Financial Times reports some analysts claiming that push e-mail has the potential to address a global market of 400 million users. With more and more companies such as Panera Bread, and cities like Orlando, FL and Philadelphia offering or planning to offer Wi-Fi for free Web access, the number of those able to go online will only grow.

Then there are the newer electronic sales avenues — bluecasting, for one — that have the potential for grabbing such audiences as commuters passing an area where video ads are beamed from billboards into their Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones. Sounds farfetched, but Direct Newsline reported in August that a firm in the United Kingdom pulled nearly 15% response using this sales method. As Apple has made available a video-ready iPod to its already 16 million-plus users, who knows if this won't be another way to reach new customers. And don't forget podcasting. It could be an interesting opportunity for catalogers with excellent editorial content on their Web site (like L.L. Bean) to create subscriptions for audio versions of that useful information.

All good reasons why it would not be insane to think print catalogs are indeed dead.

Nevertheless, here's why print catalogs should get stronger than ever:

Catalogs are free
A new mindset is dawning. Why pay if you can get it free? The Internet — which easily leads us to free audio and video downloads, podcasts, and information and services of all kinds — has helped convince Americans that getting things gratis is not only possible, but actually is becoming a requirement. Beyond the Web there are free newspapers, video (just set the timer to record what you like), product reviews, samples, etc. Catalogs, which can offer credible information on how to dress or decorate, what to give for gifts, solutions for the office and more, are like free magazines that provide a quick and simple way to obtain those very same items.

Consumerism is growing worldwide
An increase in advertising is one sign that a country is ready to buy more goods. Based on recent numbers in the Financial Times, agencies are betting that consumerism will grow in emerging countries. (“Worldwide [advertising] spending will rise to $406 billion this year from $386 billion last year.”) The countries being targeted are Brazil, Russia, India, China, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia. Many catalogers already have had some experience in Japan and Europe, and to some extent can use that knowledge to tap into new markets.

Granted, the ability to reach consumers in these areas naturally varies. Just two positive examples: (1) Brazil has had a thriving direct marketing business for years; (2) India's Department of Posts is attempting to meet customers' needs by considering adding e-post, by which consumers can access low-cost Internet service or have e-mail messages delivered to their door.

Catalogs make it easy to dream
The Internet is grand for finding something you want when you know what you want. But browsing by calling up electronic page after electronic page doesn't feel the same as comfortably sitting back and flipping the pages of a paper catalog and dreaming about what you might want in your life — and then having the choice of buying those things almost any way you like.

Catalogs are portable
OK, many new types of electronic communication are portable too. But really, what kind of detail can you see on those little screens? Yes, they'll get bigger, but never as big as those luscious printed catalogs you can pop in a bag, briefcase or pocket.

But we do have to rethink what our catalogs need to look like and offer. To encourage online customers to order more frequently, we may choose to adopt some of the strategies used by companies that mainly employ catalogs as traffic generators. Retailers have long known how to create and produce breathtaking catalogs whose main purpose is to drive you to their stores. As electronic marketing continues to grow, we should be seriously considering adding Internet-aimed, traffic-generating catalogs to our mix. As vendors often pay or offset the expenses for these traffic generators, there's little reason not to test the concept.

What does a traffic-generation catalog look like? More often than not it's printed on the glorious high-quality, high-weight paper you'd love to use but never have been able to afford. It has far fewer pages than a catalog and sometimes promotes a special event. Its intent is to create enough pleasure and excitement through mood-enhancing photography and tantalizing copy to get consumers to make the move to the Web or store — and buy!

KATIE MULDOON (kmuldoon@muldoonandbaer.com) is president of DM/catalog consulting firm Muldoon & Baer Inc. , Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

Katie Muldoon's book, Catalog Marketing, is considered the industry bible.