Steve Outing, “Stop the Presses” columnist and online media consultant just launched a new site aimed at those looking for ideas to increase news website readership and make money.
Not all of Outing’s recommendations are earthshaking, but the comments will probably prove to be the true goldmine.
On a post about showing the numbers associated with “most emailed” stories to show weight and scale in addition to popularity, commenter Dave Bullard notes that the numbers are also a form of audience approval. Bullard writes:
“Perhaps you find a place on the home page for comments from readers, as in, ‘This is a great resource! Beats the paper six ways to Sunday. Keep up the good work!’
“Rotate those comments, and reinforce them by sending the commenter a little piece of branded swag.”
The editorial side might hate it, but think about the last time you went to a movie because your newspaper’s reviewers gave it a thumbs up.
Get in on the ground floor and join in the discussions.