Use the Web to Increase Numbers

A few years ago when newspapers began to implement online services the cries from the circulation department could be heard.

"Online will kill my numbers. Don’t we realize that this will replace print?!"

True, newspapers did experience circulation losses and some of the losses could be attributed to online acting as and replacing print as a delivery channel. Those newspapers that just slapped up their newspaper content as it appeared in the morning or evening editions probably faired worse than others did. Thankfully, it appears that a lot of newspapers have drifted away (although some still do) from the original cut and paste practice. And in case you haven’t realized, online sites in the newspaper world are here to stay.

So what’s a circulator to do? Embrace the Web as a tool to grow circulation. Preposterous, you say. Never happen. We’re doomed and there’s nothing we can do. Not true.

The Web site that you have at your newspaper should be looked upon as a vehicle to help enhance the newspaper brand as a whole. It should not be viewed as a substitute, but rather as a complementary product. And if viewed as a complementary product then there are opportunities to leverage the Web site as a way to increase printed sales. Here are some ideas:

• Use your Web site as part of the package to entice retailers to co-promote with you. In-paper promotion is expensive. Website space is cheap. Online has the marketplace intrigued. It provides an advertising outlet many of your single copy dealers want to learn about and experiment with. So design a co-promotion that will increase sales of your newspapers making online part of the "trade package" deal.

• Do you have single copy coupons online? Just print and redeem at the store of your choice (tell your dealers and show them a sample) and make sure the customer information (name, address, phone number) is required as part of redemption. This is also the start of building a database of customers to convert to home delivery (and it satisfies the ABC).

• Do you have a pop-up window for a special home delivery offer? Or a special editorial series or upcoming story? Check with your publisher about implementing the subscription part because it is a sensitive area. The offer or promotional pop-up doesn’t have to appear on the home page. Have the pop-up appear on the sports page or on any page that satisfies a potential market target for a home delivery subscrip- tion or single copy purchase.

• Can your customer relay a delivery, billing, or other service complaint via your online service? Think about it. Put a "service page" up online and you just created a 24-hour customer service line.

• Do you use your Web site to conduct customer, reader or subscriber surveys? It may be unscientific but Web sites provide a vehicle to capture some anecdotal data about anything; from the way your bill looks, to your missed paper redelivery, to you name it.

And there’s much more. So while a lot of the dot-coms are becoming dot-gones, and the world is trying to figure out how to make money from this new product, utilize the resource as a circulation builder.

Kane is vice president/circulation for The News Journal in Wilmington, DE. He is a member of the MDDC Circulation Committee.