The editorial staff has been generating enormous website traffic increases with "seen-on-the-scene" photo galleries. They take minimal effort and produce more unique views, which introduce more people to our products. They can be promoted in print and on social media channels as well. This was a simple change in how we cover community events. Instead of shooting just pictures of the event, we turned the cameras on the crowds attending the events. Two of our most popular galleries were our parade galleries from the local festival parade and the county fair parade. We have added some additional customers through our social/web/print campaign that were basically doing nothing with us before. We have also increased our Web ad sales, improved our ‘WOW’ deals (like Groupon) and have sold several sports and community involvement contests. Since the digital rep has joined on, we’re up to seven paid advertisers at $500 per year, but we have set a goal of 20 before the end of the year.

1. Mark Rhoades - Publisher
Enterprise Publishing Co
Blair, Nebraska
• 13 weekly newspapers in
Nebraska & Iowa
• 25,000 + combined paid
circulation
• 9 websites, 6 TMC products
• 40,000 + combined free
distribution
• Centralized printing plant
• Specialized Marketing Division

2. Our ideas
• “Seen on Scene”
• Creative Digital Outlets (not
just selling button ads)
• Newsroom Changes

3. Seen on scene
An idea to gain followers on social media while at
community events

4. How it works
• At least one reporter (usually two) dedicated to
taking photos of the crowd during the parade or
event.
• Immediately after event, we upload a gallery to
Facebook and invite people to view it and tag
their friends and family members.
• This is strictly a PR play, and a way to gain more
followers on-line.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.
10152180447186274.1073741829.47472656273&type=3

5. The Results
In the last week …
!
• We gained 68 new followers
• Reached 40,000 people with our posts (That's up
1,376.6% from the previous week)
• Engaged 5,800 people with likes, comments and shares
• Web traffic reached over 8,000 for the gallery (most are
around 800)
!
Our Gateway to the West parade watchers gallery
reached 15,816 people and it continues to get more likes
and shares by the hour!

6. Creative digital ideas
gain followers, increase website traffic, and generate
revenue

7. Why these things are important….
Social media traffic / interaction leads to new followers
More followers mean more eyeballs
More eyeballs = more opportunity to sell
yourself and drive traffic to your website
More traffic = Easier sales, higher rates, more ads,
more MONEY!

8. Contests
Promote in print and on-line
Readers submit
photos of their Dog
Go on our website to
vote for the cutest
We sell sponsorships and draw
a random winner for prizes,
and cutest pup also wins
http://enterprisepub.upickem.net/engine/
Welcome.aspx?contestid=141034

9. http://enterprisepub.upickem.net/engine/Welcome.aspx?contestid=126922

10. Revenue Contests
Free to anyone
Prizes donated from
sponsors
Basketball & Football
Weekly prizes given
during football season
Publish winners in
newspaper and on
Facebook each week

11. Revenue Contests
Hoops Challenge Football Contest
12 regular sponsors @ $80
3 major sponsors @ $235
Total revenue = $1,665
12 regular sponsors @ $239
2 major sponsors @ $459
Regular season revenue = $3,786
Bowl Game Contest = $2,169
Total revenue = $5,955
Combined Revenue = $7,620

12. Local business offers a
deal of at least 50% off
Limited time available
Sometimes limited
number available
No fee to the business
Revenue is split with
restaurant (50/50)
Daily Deals

13. Daily Deals
150 Deals Sold @ $10 per deal = $1500
Revenue split 50/50 = $750 to newspaper
One deal per month = $9,000 annually
One deal per week = $39,000 annually

14. Directory Sites
http://myhometowndining.com/restaurants/
Offers an alternative to a website for a small business owner
Post photos, hours, menus, etc.
Yearly commitment so that the site stays consistent
Could potentially coincide with a print directory in paper

15. Digital “agency”
Started this in 2013
Perfect for small businesses, who want to be on-line
but don’t have the time or knowledge
Our company controls their social media
presence on their behalf
We charge a monthly fee, with a 6-month
commitment required

16. Butch’s Deli
Started a business Facebook
Page... over 425 Likes
Set up Hometown Dining Page in lieu of website
Designed their brochures, in-store menu boards, take out menus, etc. to look the same
Handle all e-mail marketing, social media, etc. for the business
As business picked up, they started to advertising in the newspaper too
2012 money spent = $249; 2013 money spent = $3,341

17. Design studio
• Common concept for large,
daily operations
• Starting with one designer,
with a goal of having at least 3
within a year
• Idea was to let the designers
design, and the reporters
report

18. Since Implementation….
Reporters have spent more time
experimenting with alternative story formats
Have been more willing to go out and cover
a breaking story, regardless of time or day
Working with on-line editor to become better
trained at shooting (and possibly editing) video

19. THANK YOU!