3 Crazy Ideas For Newspapers In 2012:

Are They Really That Crazy?

1.Earn A Degree By Reading Your Newspaper:

A professor once said that if you read the WSJ cover to cover every day for a year, the knowledge gained is equivalent to an economics degree.

Local Newspapers can get accredited or partner with local correspondence schools that are accredited and offer instruction via a special section in the newspaper each week. Subscribers can earn a degree or certification by reading a section in the paper every week and taking additional correspondence tests etc. online.  Readers can even complete assignments  outlined in the paper, and send them in. Additional fees can be charged for degree processing etc. This could be great for circulation!

2. Small Business Self-Serve Support Centers:

Most newspaper locations have lots of open space from old press and distrinbution areas, as well as open office space. They are also open around the clock.

They not only maintain networks of computers loaded with software and tools equivalent to self-serve Kinkos/Fedex centers, but they operate many of the printing and copying facilities that small business use.

With the cost of hardware dropping, newspapers could easily setup a bay of computer/desktop publishing stations which local businesses can rent by the minute. VIP membership programs can be sold that include local advertising or custom publishing services. This could be a great lead generator for sales teams, they’d be passing by local business owners all day long as they walk in and out of the office.

3. Incentivize Editorial Teams For Traffic & Clout:

Page views are the oil in the online content world. Newspapers should develop incentive programs that encourage editorial teams to produce, manage and build traffic to their own blogs, articles and online sections. The editors of tomorrow will be engaging readers through social networks and blogs not just writing articles. They should be compensated for measureable results, not just meeting deadlines.

5 Directory Strategies For Newspapers

As newspaper groups continue to consolidate operations and sales efforts, there are more opportunities for them to capitalize on the scalability of the internet. Newspaper web sites on their own don’t drive much traffic. In fact, as a “local” content provider their audience is limited by definition. Local audience is very valuable though. As they continue to consolidate and form groups, the collective traffic and audience that newspaper sites create can really pack a punch if they employ the right strategies.

Directory strategies in particular are an area where substantial gains can be realized if they can think beyond the $25-$99/month enhanced listing model.

While it’s true that local directory listings are easy to bundle with print and substantial revenue can be generated from monthly listing fees, there’s real value in the platform and strategy behind directories when coupled with the scalability of the internet.

An effective directory strategy  for newspaper groups should include the following:

1. A Masthead Branded Solution: Directories should be embedded within the newspaper.com site and accessible via a subdomain or sub directory rather than a separate domain. This leverages the newspapers brand and credibility, builds trust, and creates a seamless user experience. This design also results in substantial traffic and SEO gains for both the newspaper.com site and embedded directory.

2. Self-serve Sign Up  and Upgrades: As SEO drives more traffic  to the directory and profile pages there will be more opportunities to engage business owners directly online. Self-serve also facilitates partnerships with other sites. Widgets can be placed on sites to drive sign ups from chamber pages, partner sites etc.

3. Promotional Tools for Businesses: Beyond the simple SEO optimized listing, there should be a back-end dashboard which allows business owners to not only manage their listing but promote themselves online this will build engagement and encourage usage of the platform. It’s very easy these days to incorporate Twitter and Facebook syndication tools for coupons and special offers. The product should be more of a self-serve promotional tool than a listing.

4. Lead Generation: As new businesses signup and complete their profile pages, an email should be generated and sent directly to local sales teams. This will provide a pipeline of warm leads which can be turned into more dollars beyond the free listing or enhanced listing fee.

5. Search Engine-First Approach:  Rather than being concerned about how much traffic is going to the directory from the newspaper site, the focus should be on search engine traffic. A platform/strategy that generates audience directly from search engines will win. The architecture and design of the platform should be focused on increasing search traffic, not site traffic.

While sales teams remain agnostic to a directories back-end in the short run, newspaper groups are faced with a tremendous opportunity to employ the right directory strategy and platform to generate much larger audience and revenue gains in the long run.

Digital First Restructures To Drive Digital Sales.

Digital First Media which operates Media News Group and Journal Register Company announced some key changes in their organizational structure which will allow the group to drive digital revenue. In addition to a number of appointments on the editorial and production side, the new structure includes a streamlined sales structure which will allow the company to bring digital products to market faster.

The new sales structure includes a team of 5 Regional Ad VP’s and 6 Regional Directors reporting up to an EVP of Sales and SVP of Local Digital Sales. There were also some key appointments in the area of National Sales and Extended Audience Sales.

With over 800 products in 18 states, the focus on Local Digital Sales is the most exciting part of the move. While most newspapers have been focused on driving local digital, it’s been challenging to keep up with all of the new products and competitors that have entered the marketplace.   The restructure will allow Digital First to move quickly in the local space by streamlining product deployment and sales execution.

The company is also moving quickly to execute on some key local revenue opportunities which they’ve identified across all markets.  Digital First will begin rolling out the first set of initiatives next week which include social, local and mobile advertising solutions for SMB’s.

It’s refreshing to see that the days of the interactive product blitz are over at Media News Group. As we’ve stated before It will take common digital metrics, products,and accountability to fully integrate digital into legacy sales teams and this new structure from Digital First is a step in the right direction.

Adobe’s Tablet Publishing Suite Takes A Slice Out Of Publisher Margins.

Just as publishers are settling in on the hefty fees they have to pay for distributing content on Apple and Google devices (30% and 10% respectively), they were dealt another blow this week from Adobe.  With the release of Adobe’s Enterprise Publishing Suite, publishers can more easily produce tablet applications using Adobe’s Creative Suite. Neglecting to offer specific pricing, the company is offering custom quotes to mid-large sized publishers based upon the following fee structure:

1.Monthly Platform Fee: This is a monthly service fee that publishers will pay to access hosted services, produce branded content applications and access prebuilt analytics reports powered by Omniture, Adobe’s Online Marketing Suite. There’s been mention of $699 per month as a starting point for publishers.

2.Per-Issue Fee: This is a fee that’s paid each time content is delivered into applications created using the Adobe Digital Publishing Suite. This means that if publishers produce a daily issue they would be charged a fee every day for every subscriber who downloads new content. This fee covers the fulfillment of content into the app. These fees will start out at .15 per download and may decrease as volume increases.

Following the lead of Google and Apple, Adobe is trying to get a piece of the pie from content producers as well. If you add the 30% Apple fee to the .15 per-issue fee that Adobe charges, content producers would have to charge $1.50 per week just to break even. This is 50% more than News Corp is charging for The Daily. To deliver content daily on Google devices, the break even point is $1.17 per week or 17% higher than The Daily.

I’ve played with the Adobe pre-release for a couple of weeks now and it’s well worth the $699 software as-a-service monthly fee allowing publishers to more easily produce tablet apps directly from inDesign, but the per-issue fees are a little hard to accept.

Fortunately for publishers, there are other options. WoodWing Software, for example, has beat Adobe to market with their suite of tools which also publish tablet content directly from InDesign. While their setup and install fees may be a little higher, they are not asking for per-issue fees or charging monthly fees for hosted services. I’ve had the opportunity to tinker with their tools as well and they are just as powerful as Adobe’s without the monthly/recurring overhead.

While I’m a staunch Adobe evangelist, I have to disagree with their strategy on this one. I wish they would stick to what they’ve always excelled at, developing powerful publishing tools.  They should leave the content business to publishers or there won’t be enough business left to buy their tools.

Whatever the case, I think it’s clear that the tools are there for publishers to do it right this time and possibly turn the industry around. They need to take a tablet-first approach, and learn to create content experiences on new devices. This can’t be done with outside developers, the technology has to be embraced and become a part of the newsroom.

What Local Newspapers Can Learn From News Corp’s The Daily

1. Get back to the basics: While many newspapers are chasing the latest digital revenue ideas in an effort to stay alive, Murdoch has gone back to the basics of news gathering with The Daily. The application accesses location data but there are no fancy directories, mobile coupons , check in features or even the ever popular “Deal of the Day” programs that many newspaper companies are chasing lately. The Daily has gone back to the basics: charging readers for news. It would serve local newspapers well to start thinking about returning to the basics without the printed medium. The advertising gizmos will come after the new audience net is cast.

2. Separate the venture: The Daily was not rolled out as part of The Wall Street Journal or any other publication. It was built from the ground up with dedicated editorial and development resources. Too many interactive ventures at local newspapers are bogged down by legacy newspaper staff and management. In an effort to save costs, projects are spun off using internal resources at newspapers, they ultimately become under-resourced as focus shifts to the core in times of financial distress. Most newspapers are operating on a month-to-month basis which hinders their ability to execute on long or even mid-term projects. Rather than focusing on online-only ventures, they are constantly looking for ways to tie online to the core which ultimately takes interactive departments down with the ship. Local newpapers should create new business units for interactive ventures and make efforts to resource them independent of print operations.

3. Content is not king: The Content “experience” is worth more than the content these days. I admit that I’m more of a sales guy than a content guy, but The Daily content itself is not as impressive as the experience of exploring it on the iPad is. In fact, it’s missing topics like technology and business that cutting edge iPad users might find attractive. It seems like The Daily is geared toward the masses with “News” topics like John Hinckley Jr’s love life and “couples only” parties of NFL wives. In fact, it seems like editors are using online content activity to determine which topics to cover. Many of their topics seem to align with top trends on Twitter and Google. The Daily content is also available for free without the bells and whistles of the device if you’re willing to work a little. This is possible because the articles can be shared via links to web-based versions. Some enterprising readers have even taken the initiative to index content from The Daily on the web, making it easier for non-subscribers to access content without the experience. Check out this site to see for yourself: http://thedailyindexed.tumblr.com/ . It’s as if News Corp is not really trying to put a wall around the content, but rather the experience of consuming it on tablet devices. Perhaps local newspapers should do the same and strategize more about content delivery than content access as they search for pay wall models.

4. Get ahead of the curve: With approximately 20 million iPads in the market, News Corp. is taking a risk on acquiring 2.5% of current iPad users to break even on their admitted operating cost of $500K per week. It’s obvious that they’re getting ahead of the curve here. Local newspapers can follow this lead and develop similar content acquisition and subscription models. If they can muster the resources to develop the platform, it will cost local newspapers much less to serve larger audiences on tablet devices than it does to deliver in print. There are also more opportunities in crowd sourcing and social networking that make it less expensive to acquire local content. Local newspapers can start asking themselves how many subscribers it would take at 99 cents a week to support coverage in a local region. This is a well calculated risk that needs to be taken given the impending growth of tablet devices and migration away from print. People are still hungry for local news, they’re just looking for a more convenient and interactive experience, which tablets provide.

What’s Next For Newspapers and Yahoo!?

Newspapers and Yahoo! have made significant strides working together over the past few years. In the area of online display ad sales, newspapers have sold over $120 million dollars in premium ad positions across the Yah0o! network. Advertisers have also benefitted greatly from the extended local reach provided by Geo-targeted ad inventory. While there were some tough challenges at he beginning of the partnership and still many wrinkles to iron out, it’s clear that the partnership is working.

But what else can newspapers and Yahoo! do together to take on Google and Facebook? Can they take their partnership even further? Are newspapers willing to leverage their coveted local content on the Yahoo! network?  Can Yahoo! help provide the technology infrastructure that newspapers are scarmbling to develop? Is Yahoo! willing to explore pay models around content along with newspapers?

These are all questions that it would be helpful for newspapers and Yahoo! to discuss further. When their partnership began, Facebook was playing second fiddle to MySpace and tablet computing was just an idea. The pace is only going to speed up in the coming months. Assuming that they are able to take their partnership to the next level, the following is a list of ideas that newspapers and Yahoo! might consider:

1. Content Management:

Yahoo! has clearly positioned themselves as a content management company and a curator of content. Many newspapers are still struggling to upgrade their current content management systems. They are building development teams and purchasing expensive software platforms in search of a flexible and powerful content management platform. Yahoo! already has this. Why couldn’t newspapers make use of Yahoo!’s content management technology. This could save Newspapers millions of dollars and allow Yahoo! to have easier access to valuable local content.

2. Yahoo! Contributor Network:

Newspapers can take advantage of the content contribution platform that Yahoo! recently launched. They can employ the platform and monetization model on local news web sites. Contributors on Yahoo! can offer their content on Local News sites.  Newspaper editors may even choose to publish appropriate content from Yahoo! contributors in local print editions.

3. Yahoo! Search Quick Apps:

Local news should be integrated into Yahoo! as a Quick App. Newspapers are sitting on a goldmine of archived content that can be integrated into Yahoo!’s search platform. This tool would allow users to access location-specific news on-the-fly.   Whether it’s news from 10 years ago or 10 minutes ago, users will be able to search for local news by location through Yahoo!

4. Niche Audience Opportunities:

Newspapers are the experts at creating content for niche audiences. Yahoo! and newspapers can team up to launch national audience-based content offerings around niches like Prep Sports, Moms, and Baby Boomers. Much of the valuable content produced for niche print offerings never makes its way into the digital world. Yahoo! can extend the breadth and reach of niche local content for newspapers.

5. Yahoo! MyBlogLog Integration:

Some of the highest traffic areas on newspaper sites are blogs maintained and updated by local journalists. Newspapers should integrate their blog platforms with Yahoo!’s MyBlogLog services which will not only increase the visibility of blog visitors and their behavior, but will increase traffic for newspapers as their blogs are discovered in Yahoo!’s communities.

6. MyYahoo!/Personalized News:

Serving up millions of different home pages each day, Yahoo! has created a perfect platform for personalized news offerings. Local news can be integrated into MyYahoo! and users can be given the option to “subscribe” for custom or complete e-editions offerings that they can print out and take with them.

7. Multi-Platform Development:

Newspapers are struggling to deliver content on mobile, tablet and desktop platforms. Just as developers are getting the hang of HTML and flash development, new advancements like HTML5 are making cross platform development easier. Yahoo! has the expertise in place to convert and enhance newspaper content offerings for multiple platforms at a much a faster pace.

 

8. Directories & Search:

Rather than creating their own directory platforms, newspapers can offer directory listings and local search advertising packages that are “powered by Yahoo!”.  Listings on Yahoo! can appear on local newspaper sites and newspapers can sell listings and search products to local print clients.

9. Email Marketing:

Newspapers can use Yahoo! opt-in email databases to sell e-blast campaigns to local advertisers. Currently, newspapers are struggling to maintain and build their own databases and many are simply buying lists from email brokers and reselling to local businesses. Yahoo! can offer a fresh supply of emails for local newspapers to market.

10. Small Business Services:

Newspaper’s maintain “on the street” sales teams that market Yahoo!’s small business services like Domain Name Registration, Web/Email Hosting and e-commerce services. Newspapers can become preferred resellers of these packages to local businesses and can bundle these services in with existing offerings.

11. Web to Print:

Yahoo! can offer small businesses the opportunity to build and place local print ads online. Just as they are offering domain and hosting services, Yahoo! can offer local print advertising to small businesses.  Advertisers can build and place ads in local newspapers through Yahoo!’s web site.

12. Vertical Sales Opportunities:

Both Yahoo! and Newspapers are deeply engaged with Zillow on the Real Estate front. Yahoo!  should explore more revenue opportunities that take further advantage of the newspaper sales force and local relationships. What local directory, display  and targeted advertising programs can be offered to local real estate agents and brokers.

Mobile Application Payment and Subscription Models

So you’ve just created an application to deliver your content on mobile devices. Should you give it away for free and build an audience? Should you charge a subscription? Should you charge a one-time fee?  How about offering access as part of a print subscription? How about a combination of some of these? There are thousands of paid mobile apps that are generating revenue with various payment and subscription models. The following represents a list of the most common payment models for mobile applications along with links to live applications employing each model.

1. Demo or Lite Version:

Allows consumers to try applications with limited functionality and content. Users of the Lite version can upgrade by purchasing a full, unrestricted version of the application at a later date. The idea here is to reach a large audience initially by providing a no risk way for consumers to try the application. Application users are encouraged to “try before they buy” with “Lite” versions of the application. Once they are comfortable with the value of the app, they can download the full version for a fixed fee or subscription.

Example of Demo/Lite Version Content Apps:

News India Lite-Free/News India Plus $1.99

News Canada Lite/News Canada Plus $1.99

2. Pay-Per-Download:

This is perhaps the most popular method of charging for mobile apps. A fixed price is set for the application and once the user downloads the app, they have full access to all the content and features. The paid application may or may not include advertising. This model has been most successful when coupled with a “Lite” limited access version of the application that users can download and use for free.  One of the best examples of the deployment of this model in the content business is the CNN iPhone Application which can be purchased for a one-time $1.99 fee from the Apple App Store. Users pay a one time fee for unlimited access to news content on their phones.

Example Of Pay-Per-Download Apps:

CNN App For iPhone $1.99 one-time fee.

3. Pay-Per-Issue/Edition Download:

Pay-Per-Edition models simulate a subscription by providing an expiration on pay-per-download apps. Consumers are asked to download and pay for another edition of the app towards the end of its expiration. For example users could pay $12.99 for the 2010 edition of their local newspaper application. On January 1st, 2011 they will be required to download the 2011 edition if they wish to continue accessing content.  When employing this method, developers will often reduce the price of the app as the expiration date approaches.

Example Of Pay-Per-Edition Apps:

MLB.com At Bat $14.99 for annual access to MLB content.

The Washington Post - $1.99 for annual access to The Washington Post content.

4. In-Application Subscription:

Apple’s in app purchasing capability, launched last year allows publishers to offer applications free to consumers while generating revenue by giving them  the option to purchase content though i-Tunes within the application. This has become a popular option for organizations to charge subscriptions for content delivered to mobile devices. Users download a free version of the app and then can upgrade by choosing various subscription options from within the app using the iTunes payment mechanism.

Example of In-Application Subscription Apps:

Slacker Radio -Free Download with options for 4 mo subscription@ $19.99 and 12 mo subscription@$47.99

5. Out-of-Application  Activation:

Out-of-App activation models allow consumers to purchase an account (username/password) from a WAP site and then return to the app to login. This model allows app developers to by pass Apples iTunes payment system but makes it more cumbersome to purchase, as users must leave the app and return with credentials. Though users are able to download the app for free using this model, they are not able to access any of the content or use any of the apps features without a username and password.

Example of Out-Of App Activation Model:

Wall Street Journal-Mobile Reader -Access to the content in the App requires registration or $1.50/week subscription via WAP site.

6. Out-Of-App Payment:

Similar to in-app subscriptions, this model allows consumers to access limited amounts of information and features within an application and purchase additional levels of access thought payment mechanisms outside of the application platform. This model often requires complex development to authenticate users accessing content behind a pay wall. The model may also sync up with web-based pay wall systems so that paid subscribers can access content on multiple platforms. Several vendors including Paypal have been experimenting with these types of mobile payment models. The goal is to provide users with a seamless purchase method that sends them back to the application. Both Apple and Google maintain development restrictions which could cause applications using this model to be rejected.

Example of Out-Of App Payment Model:

Touchnote -Free to download with Fees to send a post card

Mobile Strategies For Newspapers

2008 was the first year more portable devices than desktops were sold. In 2009 portable sales continued to grow much faster than desktops worldwide. In 2012, IDC predicts, there will be 285.7 million portable devices sold worldwide, compared to only 156.6 million desktops. When technology actually works, real habit changes occur. The daily habit of reading the printed newspaper is on the decline as a more connected culture is developing different content consumption habits. Content on-the-go through mobile devices is on the rise. As determined from strategy sessions across the company, the time is now for newspapers to aggressively pursue a mobile content and sales strategy.

In the short run, many newspapers along with select vendors have already begun to release and sell mobile products and services around these emerging habits. A comprehensive strategy around content delivery and audience will allow them to more effectively take advantage of opportunities and grow more long term sustainable revenue. The right strategy will also position newspapers to grow along with the expected explosive increase in mobile devices and usage over the next 24 months.

With sustainable revenue as the goal, newspapers need to enlist the entire organization behind their mobile strategy. Starting with newsroom, journalists need to learn to package content for delivery on mobile devices. Technology and legacy IT departments need to engage and develop mobile delivery schemes and mobile applications for portable/mobile devices. Sales teams need to become small business trainers and consultants, helping businesses to adapt and take advantage of mobile advertising and sales opportunities. Production teams need to start developing and designing for smaller screens. Resources need to be shifted so that newspapers can more aggressively pursue mobile opportunities.

News Room Strategies:
1. Training on Mobile Content Creation: Newsrooms/journalists need to be equipped and trained to categorize, tag and store metadata on current and archived content. As we move away from a “push” environment and towards a “pull” environment where content is being pulled from connected devices, it becomes more important for newspaper to have their content properly tagged and categorized. Newspaper also have vast archives of valuable content that can be leveraged if they can find a way to curate and filter it for delivery on mobile devices.

2. Training on Mobile Content Delivery: Email, texts, tweets, video, audio and interactive databases are the preferred methods of consuming mobile content. Newsrooms need to be using more of these tools in their day-to-day operations. Journalists should be trained in using interactive content delivery tools and databases. Rather than simply writing a story, they can be publishing interactive content/context applications for mobile devices. If there’s a major event or story in the area, they can build tools to allow readers to follow the story/event.

3. Using Social News, Social Networking and Social Media Sharing: Newsrooms need to develop strategies and best practices around social media tools which allow them to generate content as well as engage new audiences. Tools like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flikr need to be used with a more clear strategy on audience development. Mobile/citizen journalism, UGC and crowdsourcing are all great sources of timely local content. Newspapers can act as a filter for local UGC content.

Technology/Integration Strategies:
1. Mobile Application Development: In house or outsourced developers who can quickly create and deploy category specific mobile applications—Prep Sports, Obits, Calendars, Classifieds etc. The opportunity is in the niches with mobile. Rather than simply mobilizing existing web sites, newspapers can build niche mobile applications and become mobile pure play leaders in niche markets and verticals.

2. Mobile Site Conversion and Development: In house or outsourced developers who can convert static web and print products to robust mobile sites. The right WAP sites today function just like mobile applications. As development tools improve, it is becoming easier to build more functional mobile web sites that do more than just browse.

3. Mobile Delivery Applications: IT departments need to coordinate and assist in delivering news content to mobile platforms. Custom applications need to be built to move content easily from legacy platforms to mobile platforms. The industry is moving to slow in this area. Rather than wait for updates to existing CMS and publishing systems, IT departments need to provide workarounds allowing for easier distribution of content to the web and mobile.

Sales Strategies:
1. Business Outreach/Training: Sales teams need to become the experts on mobile opportunities, training and educating business owners on how newspapers can help them reach mobile audiences. Mobile apps and sites today are like the web was 10-15 years ago, businesses are just starting to engage and understand the opportunities.

2. Location Based Advertising Programs: As more devices are released with native GPS capability, applications around content allowing users to “Shop Nearby” , “Dine Nearby” will connect local consumers and businesses. Sales departments need to organize and build presentations around location based opportunities. New pricing models need to be put in place, as these programs will be much more effective than traditional display advertising.

3. Transaction Based Revenue: Rather than ad-only revenue, tools can be provided to allow business to conduct sales over mobile devices for a small transactional fee or percentage of purchase. Perhaps newspapers can become the “mobile Paypal” solution for local businesses.

Marketing Strategies:
1. Community/Educational Message: Just as sales teams will be educating businesses, marketing departments need to educate the community on how newspapers serve the mobile audience. Communicate all the information and resources available using our mobile sites, platforms and products. Educate the novice mobile users on how to access content.

2. Tech/Trendy Message: Marketing department should also find a way to let the tech savvy audience know what’s now available to them and how to access it. Communicate all the ways that mobile content can keep them up to date and on the cutting edge.

3. Local Partnerships: Trade with local phone retailers and auto dealers to make our mobile content available with every purchase. Free mobile E-edition with every phone, or free Local News application pre-installed. As free wifi proliferates an the cost of connection devices drops, opportunities will open up to bundle content with device purchases.

4. Mobile Opt in Database Development: Text messaging today is what email was 10 years ago. It’s still the tip of the iceberg for txt messaging and it’s already outpacing email as the preferred method of communication for younger audiences. Along with email, marketing departments need to engage in an aggressive mobile opt-in acquisition programs, allowing LANG to build its local, mobile database.

“The Word Is Alive”

Five iPad Ideas For Newspapers

Apple’s launch of the iPad today offers real opportunities for media companies.

It’s not the gadgets, but the habits that media companies need to watch in these times and as we saw with the iPhone, when technology works radical habit changes follow.

Newspapers in particular have been victims of changing habits with the move toward a more connected world. While reading the paper every morning is still a habit for many, declines in readership are indicating that younger readers are adopting different habits of consuming content. Content-on-the-go is what they’re looking for and the iPad with its large screen and web functionality overpowers the E-reader. More importantly for this next generation of video game jockeys, the iPad offers the opportunity to make reading the newspaper fun. The degree to which Newspapers embrace this technology and begin to develop more dynamic content delivery strategies will determine their future with tomorrows consumers.

Well some of the concepts that follow are not “new”, tablet technologies like the iPad are extending them to new levels. Here’s a list of 5 ideas newspapers can consider to take advantage of the iPad and consumer habits that it’s driving:

1. Mobile Journalism: The days of taking content back to the office for editing are over. The right mobile device will provide you with all of the tools necessary to capture, edit and publish from the field. The iPad with it’s 1024 x 768 resolution offers the display capabilities of a high end laptop at a fraction of the weight and cost. Even without a built-in camera, the 30 pin connector and camera connection kit makes the device easy to add high end video and photo capture devices. Within the next few months we’re sure to see case-like camera and video accessories that latch on to the iPad at the connector, essentially turning the device into a camera. Apple has also released a keyboard dock which allows for a typing experience that seasoned journalist can appreciate. With 3G and WIFI baked in, content can fly from the device to the newspaper or other mobile devices within minutes.

2. Finger Functions: With its large touch screen, tablet technology employed by the iPad is even threatening the use of the mouse as our primary navigation device. This provides newspapers with an opportunity to bring some fun back into content delivery. Rather than using the device to view newspaper websites, newspapers can build content apps with creative navigation schemes. Tap twice to follow a story, slide photos within a frame to see the next one in the gallery, stretch a chart or graph to change its units, drag an ad or coupon off the page to save it for later. It’s just a matter of time before users will be able to program their own navigation commands like: outline the shape of an “S” to go to the sports section, or draw a “B” on the screen to switch to business. Tablets are ushering in a new era of finger-based navigation that opens up new doors for interacting with content.

3. Ramp Up The Video: In April 2009, Internet users viewed 16.8 billion videos, a 52 percent increase over April 2008, according to comScore. It’s expected that video advertising will be a $1.5 billion industry by the end of 2012. While still a relatively small percentage of total and local online advertising, online video represents an enormous opportunity for newspapers to grow digital media revenue and audience. The iPad has arrived in the right place at the right time. There’s no substitute for the emotion and detail that video brings to a news story and the iPad is perfect for watching online video . The device also allows users to easily move between wide-screen and full-screen with a double-tap. Along with ipTV, the iPad provides more reason for newspapers to invest in building out their own video content channels.

4. Pad-vertising and App-vertising: Advertising is content on the iPad. There are more opportunities for advertisers to interact with consumers using the touch screen interface. Newspapers need to reinvent advertising units and sizes for tablet displays. Ads will become more interactive. Users will be able to communicate with advertisers and request more information without leaving the ad unit. Perhaps newspapers can get into the app-vertising business by deploying mini content applications that are sponsored by local advertisers. Though this version of the iPad does not come with native GPS capability, location-based advertising campaigns will become the norm for local advertisers as tablet and mobile devices proliferate.

5. Provide Local Free WIFI: If it’s not clear by now, the iPad reinforces the fact that we’re headed towards a constantly connected culture and free regional WIFI access is on the horizon. Some cities have already integrated free WIFI into their communities. It may sound like a crazy idea and it’s definitely a shift from the core business model for newspapers, but newspapers should explore the possibility of becoming free WIFI providers in their communities. As the cost of the technology decreases and bandwidth increases every year, there’s more opportunity to become a local access provider than ever before. Furthermore, it’s become apparent that in a connected culture, digital content is considered free and is readily shared. Newspapers could try becoming the network in their communities rather than trying to charge for their contribution to it. By becoming wireless providers in their communities, newspapers are essentially becoming the plumbing for local content flow. This opens up huge opportunities to monetize with targeted advertising as users login from local access points. It also provides opportunities to monetize around registration data and grow circulation. Just imagine, FREE WIRELESS brought to you by The Daily News.

Did You Know 4.0-Mobile is the internet tool of the future.