Why it's more important than ever to read local news (Part 2)

In Part 2 of examining how local newspapers can improve — and why it’s the responsibility of news consumers to want to read local newspapers to become vigilant local citizens — let’s take a look at where the local ads have gone and shifting reader focus.?

Remember the multiple sections of ads — as well as pages of local classified ads — that used to appear in local newspapers??

Advertisers are weary of the cost associated with printing thousands of pages of ads only to miss the newspaper insertion date or have newspaper print subscribers toss them in the recycle bin.?

It’s going to take someone to approach the big advertisers with a great printing deal to get those advertisers back in front of newspaper readers’ eyeballs.

The same goes for classified ads. Yes, there is value to having local readers see your classifieds, but the pricing structure needs to change. Mom and pop trying to sell a 1950s outboard motor aren’t going to pay the same rates as a local real estate company trying to rent or sell that house down the street, or that company downtown who’s trying to hire five people.

It’s going to take someone with a dynamic pricing structure — even offering some free classified ads — to get those people back in the paper. If there’s more demand for classifieds (meaning ad lineage goes up), more people will want to read them and more people will want to advertise in them.

Smart publishers who are tracking how often — and when — their advertisers are buying classifieds will be able to charge premium rates for certain times of the year, and low or free rates for other times. TV broadcasters have done it for years with political advertising — why can’t newspaper publishers do the same thing with classifieds?

Remember — many of the same people who complain about classified ad rates won’t bat an eyelash at paying $75 for an eight-course fancy-schmancy meal at their local restaurant because it’s locally-owned. If it’s pointed out to them that their classified ad is being read by 10,000 people each day, they can do the cost-per-person math.

And if you as the local newspaper can give them a deal on that fancy-schmancy restaurant meal through a coupon or a newspaper discount card, that sale is 10 times easier.?

Readers are shifting their focus

We’ve all pulled out our phones when we get a couple of minutes to go online to get information. This is nothing new to the newspaper business and many newspapers have adapted because of it, making their websites phone-friendly to grab those consumers. ?

I used to pick up papers when I was still a weekly (and twice-weekly) newspaper managing editor. I wanted to see not only how they were adapting, but also what they were doing to try to adapt it to my local market.?

Red Eye in Chicago was one such publication. Someone ran the numbers and figured out commuters were a large untapped market. They were correct — at least for a little while. Eventually many of those untapped news consumers also migrated and now Red Eye lists local events.?

Those readers are out there for local newspapers, just in a different way.

What if local newspapers could tap into the local demand for coffee? Suggestion: What if publishers or general managers approach the owner of a popular local coffee shop with a stack of papers and ask them to sell a paper for 50 cents with each coffee or pastry, or develop a special price for a paper with a small coffee??

Chances are the coffee shop owner would have to get part of that sale, but think about the way it is now: Someone buys one copy of the local paper and it gets passed around — until someone sees something they want to rip out of the paper.

It’s in the best interest of the coffee shop owner because the coffee shop will get more revenue from selling papers — and nobody will fret about things being ripped from the store’s copy because everybody can have their own copy! ?

Chances are, newspapers will sell more copies of each issue than if they’re sitting on the newspaper’s front counter.

Why? You often have a captive local audience enjoying a cup of coffee with nothing to do. Put a newspaper in their hands instead of that phone and you’ve got an engaged local news consumer.?

The author worked as managing editor for the Sun Prairie (WI) Star for 33-plus years until 2023, and currently works as a freelance writer for the Middleton Times-Tribune. He currently is the Chief Innovation Officer for his company, 608 Beacon Enterprises LLC; learn more online at www.608beaconenterprisesllc.com .