The Print and Web Strategy

Last weekend I was a speaker at the North Carolina Newspaper Operation Conference in Raleigh, NC. The topic was pretty straight forward, talk about the future of newspaper production. But the underlying message was many newspaper companies had refocused - focusing on the web first and print second.

This is a future focused idea that most companies need to consider, but there seemed to be a fundamental flaw in today's ideology. These companies are focusing the majority of their resources on web products, at the expense of the print product, rather than as a coordinated web/print strategy. The newspaper industry strategies are so focused on the Internet and wireless technology, the print product is left to blow in the wind.

Here's an idea - develop a Web/Print Strategy to cross promote products, communities, forums and delivery of content. Web and print is not an either/or proposition - the industry needs both technologies to be successful. Digital technology and advertising revenue is not established to the point of replacing print revenue. Today, online revenue accounts for 10-15% of a newspaper's total revenue, yet nearly 100% of capital and strategic initiatives are allotted to online development.

Today, both web and print need to compliment each other. A web community with a print product - where the bulk of the journalism and research is published in print with an online community to serve the people interested in the topic. Many newspapers have latched on to this formula by developing cross media platforms; containing web communities and niche print products to serve the advertisers and readers.

Until there is an all-in-one product for wireless and e-paper communication; the newspaper industry needs to leverage both web and print in new ways, which will require developing new products for both platforms to increase revenue.