Successful managers are always looking for ideas. And sometimes, they find great ideas in articles – or from people – that they don’t always agree with. That’s why I want you to read Steve Outing’s piece on making online profits. There may be some things that don’t apply to you; there may be things you don’t think you can do right now; and there may be a few things you just disagree with you. But Steve gives 12 ideas, and I’ll bet that there are one or two that will work for you. It’s worth checking out.
Category: Paid content
During the last few months, we’ve seen more and more newspapers make plans to begin charging for online content — despite the lack of success most have had with paywalls. You may be considering the same thing. But before you do, take five minutes to read Michelle McLellan’s blog. She asks five questions that any newspaper should ask before it erects a paywall. This one’s worth your time.
The CUNY Graduate School of Journalism has been looking at new models for online news lately, and speaking with online news operations all over the country. In doing so, they’ve provided a great list of ways people are monetizing online content. There is a great deal of information in here, and anyone with a website should check it out.
Steve Outing’s latest column on E&P’s site goes into detail with a persuasive psychologist on the psychology behind paid content. His expert is Dr. B.J. Fogg, an expert in how technology can be used persuasively and the head of Stanford’s Persuasive Technology Lab. “Often, it seems like the CEOs of newspaper companies are talking only among themselves,” Outing writes, “and not thinking about what the online news consumer wants — or is willing to accept.”
Chi Town Daily News, an online-only Chicago news source, is telling readers how much each story cost them to produce. Donations help support the site, and within the statement at the bottom of each story that tells readers how much the story cost, there’s a link to donate.
Categories
To charge or not to charge
So you’re wrestling with the issue of charging for your Internet product. Do you want to do it? If so, how much? And if you charge, do you charge everyone, or only those who don’t subscribe to your print edition? If that’s the discussion around your newsroom, you’re in pretty good company; The New York Times is talking about the same thing. This article will show you what the Times has come up with.
Kevin Kelleher gives a good overview of the free-vs.-paid content argument, then presents his case that this is definitly the wrong time for newspapers to begin charging for online content. Here’s a sample of this thinking: “For the sake of argument, let’s say that news sites are routinely charging readers in five years. By then, the economy may be substantially healthier than now, and advertisers will be looking for sites with large, loyal readerships to sell their ads on. But that won’t include newspapers. They’ll be catering to that 10 percent of their online audience willing to subscribe. The rest of the Web will have long stopped linking to—and talking about—their stories. The dollars will flow right past the newspapers’ pay walls. And then they’ll really be sorry.”
Kevin Kelleher gives a good overview of the free-vs.-paid content argument, then presents his case that this is definitly the wrong time for newspapers to begin charging for online content. Here’s a sample of this thinking: “For the sake of argument, let’s say that news sites are routinely charging readers in five years. By then, the economy may be substantially healthier than now, and advertisers will be looking for sites with large, loyal readerships to sell their ads on. But that won’t include newspapers. They’ll be catering to that 10 percent of their online audience willing to subscribe. The rest of the Web will have long stopped linking to—and talking about—their stories. The dollars will flow right past the newspapers’ pay walls. And then they’ll really be sorry.”
Take a few minutes to read this E&P article and to watch the short video, and you’ll get a great summary of the various points of view—and arguments pro and con—in the free vs. paid online content debate.
An article in Advertising Age reminds newspaper publishers that they might want to be careful about how high they build their pay walls, because online advertising revenue is still climbing. “Digital ad revenue won’t replace the print revenue newspapers used to wring out of near monopolies, but digital ad spending at newspaper sites won’t keep falling beyond next year,” according to the article.