1871 Media :: News

1871 garners praise; our newspaper web philosophy

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 15:27:00 CST

We've been getting some publicity, recently, for our work with some small newspapers. Here are two links to recent articles:

Website lauded by California Newspaper Association
Smaller vendor yields large returns

This gives me a good opportunity to describe what we try to do for our small newspapers customers.
(What we recommend and what we actually end up doing for our customers is usually completely different.)

1. Free up your content:
No online subscriptions. Grow your pageviews and you'll have room for your advertisers when they want to go online. Have a decent subscriber center online where people can buy print subscriptions - but don't sell an "online only" subscription.

If you honestly think your free website is reducing your print subscribers, then just delay your newest articles and keep your online readers but make the freeloaders buy the newest stuff via the print.

2. Build a great search:
Convert all of your archives to the web, let anyone search for any article ever. Don't charge for it - again pageviews are key.

3. Your News:
Your news should be unique and short on the web. Don't waste space with national headlines. Link to Yahoo or get a feed of AP stories on a subpage. And keep the stories short - short attention spam on the Web.

Sports - again don't waste space with national headlines. Concentrate on the stuff no one else can cover: youth leagues, high school sports and adult sports. Get community members to post results - they'll do it for free.

4. Don't forget the Weather:
Who watches the 10/11pm news for the news? Have a great weather section: weather.com does a horrible job so take advantage and buy some great feeds of weather. It's one part of your site you won't have to mess with and it'll be very popular. (It's also great for activity-based ads).

5. Interactivity: Polls, photos and blogs:
Integrate flickr & You Tube and have people post photos and videos about the community. You'll need to monitor it carefully, but you could have a very cheap source of unique, local content.

Make a directory of local blogs. Have local readers submit their RSS feed for inclusion on the newspaper's site. Publish a 'teaser' and include a link to their posts. Monitor carefully, but it's a great win-win for the paper.
Polls: publish a ton of polls. People love them and they make great page views.

No Discussion boards. It's just inviting some racist to visit your paper.

6. Advertising:
Run an ad system that lets you publish house ads, your own ads via salesmen, and most importantly, lets you take ads from advertisers online.
Create a local directory that allows local businesses to place ads on the directory. Yellow pages are ok - but making your own database is better.

Also, create an advertiser's directory where every business that ever advertises gets mentioned. It goes along way with advertisers.

Google Ads probably won't make you much money. Our estimate is about $500 per 100,000 impressions.

7. Classifieds and Obits:
The web is stealing your classified revenue. Don't fight it - go with the flow. Make it easy for folks to browse and/or buy ads online. Make it clean, simple, very searchable. Craigslist is probably the best example. Make a separate site for your classifieds. Also, engage your classified manager - if they have a commision, let them make a commision in online sales as well to help encourage their participation (fire them if they fight it).

We also recommend making an Obituaries site for the obits. Get the local mortuaries to post their own Obits.

A separate real estate site is terriffic as well. Real Estate agents buy ads online in big numbers. Integrate the real estate site with Google Maps or similar mapping system.

We have more ideas that we'd love to share. Please contact us.

1871 & Feeds

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 17:44:00 CST

1871 has been working on a bunch of new "RSS Feed" related projects. Don't know what RSS feeds do? Well you can learn more by clicking here.

Feed.Us
This is our stand-alone RSS feed publishing system. We're set to launch on September 1. However, you can try out the 'beta' version today: www.Feed.Us.

Feed-based intranet sites
This project is for a PR firm that is publishing an internal newsletter for a large energy company. They'll be using Feed.Us to create a publish an internal, non-sensitive newsletter. The internal IT staff at the company doesn't have to do much - just post our html code on an internal server - it will 'pull' from our Feed.us CMS. Why we like it? It's simple, cheap and gets past the IT gatemasters. The PR firm is also going to be able to use Feedburner to monitor the stats.

Creating hundreds of sites for a retail organization
We've been working on a project to produce hundreds of sites for a large chain of service centers. The real problem was getting information about the service centers into our CMS. The answer? We'll be using an RSS/XML feed to automatically propagate the content (text, images, etc) of the sites from an internal database. Why we like it? RSS is a simple API that's going to save us hundreds of hours of manual content administration.

Stay tuned for more interesting projects from 1871.

Does Adsense work for you?

Thu, 07 Jul 2005 17:46:00 CST

1871 has talked to many customers about using Adsense to increase online revenue. We've been using Adsense for almost a year on our travel sites. The checks that Google sends are a nice monthly present.

However, for many publishers Adsense offers a conundrum. I found an interesting article about text advertising written by freelance writer Mark Glaser.

It's worth a look if you're considering adding Adsense.

For the flip side, Weblogsinc's Jason Calacanis wrote a nice piece about making $2000 per day with Adsense.

What is an RSS feed?

Tue, 05 Jul 2005 17:47:00 CST

We have had many customers and friends recently ask us about RSS. "Explain RSS to me - I don't get it," they say.
I'm going to try to give a nice, simple description of RSS and why it's helpful.

I've discussed it previously here and here.

RSS supposedly stands for "really simple syndication". XML.com has a nice technical overview here.

For 1871's typical customer, RSS is way to "distribute" or "syndicate" the content on your website to people have an "RSS Reader". RSS readers are similar to Microsoft Outlook but 'pull-in' feeds from other websites. MyYahoo is probably the easiest way to get started with an RSS feed. It's a web-based part of Yahoo. NewsGator is a downloadable software product that runs on your computer (like Outlook).

You setup an RSS reader to pull feeds from all your favorite Websites. My MyYahoo is setup to have RSS feeds with stock quotes and business news from WSJ.com, sports headlines from ESPN.com, movie reviews from NYTimes.com, and articles from Blogs. Theortically you could also get updates from UPS on where your packages are, Amazon could send a feed with book suggestions... eBay could update you that there are 3 new pairs of 1985 Nike Jordans for sale.

The beauty of RSS is that it all happens on one page. You don't need to visit several websites for all of your information - just one page on your reader. You also control the content... don't like the opinion piece on the NYTimes... delete the feed. And unlike email newsletters, there is no spam.

RSS is exciting and we believe it's going to be an important tool for updating your supporters, readers, members, etc with your organization's news.

1871 Media introduces Google Ad Words products

Thu, 12 May 2005 10:11:00 CST

1871 Media introduces new Google Adwords and Adsense services for marketers and publishers.

1871 Media provides simple, cost-effective Website and E-mail newsletter publishing tools. Our company's software eliminates the need for an in-house Webmaster or outsourced computer programming help. The software is simple to use, and requires only a Web connection.

1871 Media also operates a large network and Web guides for Caribbean travelers. Through our marketing efforts, 1871 has become experienced with Google Ad Words and Ad Sense.

Now 1871 is offering our to help customers create mulitple landing pages for testing Ad Words programs. 1871 will create several Website templates. Using our Web publishing software. marketers will be able to control the copy on each landing page. Email 1871 today to find out how we get this service started for you.
rick @ 1871media.com

The newspaper Website revolution

Fri, 01 Apr 2005 17:53:00 CST

We have compiled a list of links to relevant articles on the evolving impact of the Web on the newsroom. See also our reading feed for more articles about this subject.

Paid vs. Free: The Debate That Never Ends
Steve Outing from the Poynter Institute
as I see it, we're heading into an era when free access for the consumer is necessary for a general-news publisher to operate in the digital networked economy
Poynter Website

Craigslist founder to create community news source:
Editor and Publisher
"Newmark hopes to develop a pool of "talented amateurs" who could investigate scandals, cover politics and promote the most important and credible stories. Articles would be published on Internet sites ranging from Craigslist to individual Web logs, or blogs."
Article link

Wall Street Journal hires "free content" editor:
Media Bistro
WSJ increasing its focus on creating a "free" service vs. its normal paid online service.
Media Bistro website

NYT Online VP interview
Martin Nisenholtz discusses NYT's move to offer a paid service. Article is about half way down the page.
PaidContent.org article

Brian Timpone: Sacrificing Community for Circulation is a mistake
1871 Media, LLC
1871 Website Link

LA Times on the Greensboro News & Record's switch to a 'digital newsroom'
LA Times
This article talks about incorporating citizen journalism into the News & Record's reporting.
LA Times Website

JoinCross.com makes more news

Tue, 31 Aug 2004 10:25:00 CST

Rich Miller's Capital Fax recently reported on the Web efforts of 1871 Customer, JoinCross.com.

==============
21st Century Thinking

For over a year, the Illinois House Republicans have been changing the way politics is done in Illinois. Their Caucus is more free and open than any other, their leaders have been a moderate voice of reason, and they've gradually introduced a very well done high technology approach to their message delivery process.

So far, they have a relatively small audience, but the Tom Cross internet revolution has most definitely arrived. It started with a crisp, well-executed website, JoinCross.com. The site is heavy on timely content to the point where eve some Democrats wonder if they're giving away too much information too fast.

Then came the "blog". Campaign weblogs are not new but the JoinCrossBlog was always a bit different. The blog is run by young, lower-level aides, who write almost as much about music as they do about politics. The blog is obviously aimed at young people. It doesn't focus on things like where Dear Leader gave his latest inspired speech, which is what too many campaign blogs end up doing. It's even earned the admiration of several private, Democratic-leaning blogs for its free-wheeling style and occasionally catty comments that probably shouldn't be published but are any way (occasionally, the old folks demand that the kids take down some of the more, uh, exuberant items).

A slick multipart Internet documentary featuring all of the House Republicans' Tier One candidates is being released in installments at a new website called JoinCross.TV. A political video game is in the works. The Cross guys are deploying a new "Voicemail Blog" at the national convention. Blogmaster Chris Rhodes is interviewing Republicans, and even one Reporter so far, and then uploadinf the audio files onto a nifty little website: JoinCrossVoicemail.com. Rhodes even recorded that Chicago-area political reporter saying the Cross/Topinka wing of the Republican Party is heading in the right direction.

Some may be disappointed that the JoinCross website hasn't pulled in bigtime campaign contributions. Their major spring fundraising drive turned out somewhat less than major. The Democrats point to this weakness as a good reason to not waste people and money on the Internet game. Plus, there's always the danger that the often free-wheeling Rhodes or one of the other regular poster might write or say (not that they have the Voicemail Blog) something that could cause Republican candidates trouble. But that's part of what makes this thing so fun.

It shouldn't be allowed to happen, but it is.

www.CapitalFax.com

1871 Media's customer makes nation-wide buzz

Wed, 21 Jul 2004 16:31:00 CST

Citizens to Elect Tom Cross asked 1871 Media to help them create DraftDitka.com. Little did we know that it would generate so much excitment.

Newspapers across the nation plus the Drudge Report helped send 5000+ unique daily visitors to the DraftDitka.com Website.

Read more below from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

GOP tries to draft Ditka for Illinois Senate run

CHICAGO -- In a measure of the Illinois Republican Party's desperation and Chicago's devotion to Da Bears, a movement is afoot to draft the team's brash, tough-talking former coach Mike Ditka to run for the U.S. Senate.

Ditka, a Hall of Famer who led the team to the 1986 Super Bowl and now spends most of his time on TV as a football analyst and pitchman for a casino and an impotence drug, has said it is an exciting idea, but he has not made up his mind.

Political spam as national pastime

Tue, 18 May 2004 06:34:00 CST

Aaron Russo wants your vote so badly, he's willing to spam you for it.

Last week, Russo, a Hollywood producer who is running for president as a Libertarian Party candidate, fired off thousands of unsolicited e-mail messages announcing his campaign and asking recipients to "help support Russo financially" with "automatic monthly contributions."

Russo, whose films include "The Rose" and "Trading Places," is not alone. Political spam has become a thoroughly nonpartisan communications technique, with Democrats, Republicans and third parties alike turning to bulk e-mail in numbers that are still small but steadily increasing. Two percent of all spam is political, according to statistics compiled by antispam vendor Brightmail.

Since Jan. 1, a federal law has regulated spam. But if you look at the law's fine print, you'll find a telling exemption: Our elected representatives made sure the restrictions don't apply to them. As a result, the Can-Spam Act covers only e-mail promoting "a commercial product or service," which lets political spammers off the hook.

Article:

http://news.com.com/2010-1028-5213287.html?tag=nefd.acpro

House Republicans turn to Internet to pick up money and seats

Sun, 11 Apr 2004 11:28:00 CST

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Competing against a Democratic majority with a huge advantage, Republicans in the Illinois House are turning to the Internet to drum up financial support that could help them close the gap in November.

House Republican Leader Tom Cross this week rolled out a new Web site and e-mail campaign that goes after political donations by giving people three reasons to give $3 each week to help a handful of GOP candidates in heated races.

San Jose Mercury News article