Draw digital subscribers with newsletters
The Post and Courier of Charleston, S.C., is growing revenue by monetizing newsletters. During last month's P2P video conference call, SNPA members heard how the paper has changed its focus, added or redirected staffing to oversee all newsletters and craft daily news newsletters, and changed its sales approach.
If you missed the call, here's where you can catch up on this GREAT IDEA.
MOREHost a job fair online
There's revenue to be made with online job fairs. The last three events hosted by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram drew 41,000, 38,000 and 37,000 page views, respectively. The most profitable single event made $30,000 from 40 advertisers in 2011; the average is $15,000.
MOREVictoria readers sell their belongings through Bargains361
Bargains361 is like a consignment shop for readers who want to sell their items online but don't know how or have time. The newspaper handles the sale and earns a profit margin of about 35 percent.
MOREBranding high school football
Attach the newspaper's name and brand to the local high school football rivalry game, and you have the Citizen Tribune Kickoff Classic in Morristown, Tenn.
The two high schools serving Morristown and Hamblen County, the East Hurricanes and the West Trojans, play the game, sell the tickets and provide the concessions. The Citizen Tribune sells everything else, from souvenirs to Jumbotron ads to time-out sponsorships.
"They play anyway. We just make it a much bigger deal," said Mike Walker, sales and marketing director for the paper.
MOREReward teachers, raise revenue
For a newspaper that routinely writes stories about teachers and emphasizes education coverage, creating an Amazing Teachers recognition program was an extension of that commitment.
"There were good synergies in what we could do on the newsroom side and what we could do on the advertising side," said Orestes Baez, president and publisher of Holland Media Group and The Holland Sentinel in Michigan.
The program in its first two years has been successful enough that this year it will be expanded to nine other GateHouse Media newspaper properties in Michigan. The program allows the public to nominate outstanding teachers and a committee created within the company selects the winners, eight this year in Holland.
MORESNPA offers revenue and audience-growth ideas shared by members
The Times-Picayune's Hurricane Katrina ‘Then and Now’ project uses photography to demonstrate the city’s recovery. Read about this ... and more proven ideas ... in a collection shared by SNPA members.
More than a dozen members contributed to this collection, which formed a portion of the basis for a segment at the News Industry Summit in Charlottesville.
Order your copy from SNPA.
MOREHome-grown innovation
Palm Beach Sproutz mobile web-app proves to be a healthy idea!
MORESales staff more than doubles revenue goal with parent magazine
The initial edition of a new parent magazine published by The Index-Journal in Greenwood, S.C., brought in double the revenue that the paper was expecting! As a result, Lakelands Parent will be published at least quarterly. Initially, the plan was twice a year.
MOREErie Times-News drives ad revenue using LEAP audience modeling
For the Erie Times-News, LEAP Media Solutions' audience-based advertising revenue development program proves "data doesn't lie."
MORESelling the cultural deal
In 2014 The Charlotte Observer started what could be described as an extended brew pub crawl by selling cards that offered customers tastings at between 15 and 18 local breweries across the city. Phyllis Weber, who recently left Charlotte to become advertising director at The Roanoke Times in Virginia, recalls how well the promotion worked.
"This one totally surprised us," she said. The paper made $13,000 in incremental digital revenue, selling about 650 cards at $20 apiece.
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