Are You Taking Online Media Seriously, Yet?
Excerpted from John Kremer’s Book Marketing Tip of the Week
March 24, 2009
I would like to take this opportunity to give you my “2 cents” on print
vs. online media, as it currently stands. The landscape of print vs. online
media changes monthly, believe it or not. A year ago, we didn’t view
online media as equal to print media. It’s become blatantly clear to me,
over the past several months, that online media exposure is just as
valuable (if not extremely more) valuable than its print counterpart. I
don’t want to come across naïve in any way; I know that online media
outlets have been gaining speed for several years now. This is not a new
thing. However, I felt like it was time to discuss the state of the issue now.
The latest obituaries from the print media, as of mid-March 2009, are:
Rodale has closed Best Life, the Men’s Health spin-off which was aimed
at older men.
The Seattle Post Intelligencer, the 161 year old Hearst newspaper, has
printed its final edition, and from now on will be a Web only newspaper.
Seattle follows Denver (Rocky Mountain News) in being the second major
US city to lose a daily newspaper.
The Tucson Citizen will close after 138 years of publishing.
I’ve been convinced by a few trends/facts lately:
1. It’s a fact that many people ONLY get their news and features online
now and no longer subscribe or take the time to read a printed page.
It’s more convenient, more accessible, quicker and less expensive to get
your news online. Sad, but ideal, examples are the closures of many
long-running publications across the country. We’re hearing of print
publications closing shop nearly every week. It’s really boiling down to
advertising dollars and subscriptions: fewer people subscribe to the
printed version because they can get the same copy for free online.
Therefore, why spend the money? And, advertisers see just as high
numbers with online readership as the printed version (or higher) so
that’s where they are putting their advertising dollars.
2. Online versions of newspapers and magazines can run a “tighter ship”
by only producing an online version. They can exist with fewer staff, less
overhead, and, of course, save a great deal on printing and mailing costs.
When budgets are getting cinched up everywhere we look, these are
sobering facts for those who have produced a printed version for so long.
3. Consumers who didn’t bother to get their news and information via
the Internet a year, or even six months ago, are doing so now. Even
those who were Internet-phobic when it comes to trusting Internet retail
are coming around and buying books online and doing more and more
purchasing from their computer. Some explanations are: quicker, easier,
less hassle than a brick-and-mortar store, finding sales online, saving gas,
and the list goes on. I have to admit I’m one of these people! I didn’t
shop online for purchases such as books, gift certificates, etc a year
ago and I do now.
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