The main Flex staff have come together to find a solution. In the unlikely event out petition fails I still see this as a blessing in disguise. It is evident that nation newspaper are finding it hard to monetize the printed edition of their publications while online revenues lead. This may be the opportune time for Flex to pivot as I feel this could be a great opportunity.
We need to make better use of the web and form a plan to monetize it as soon as possible.
10 things Flex can do to Thrive & Survive:
What can we do to our Content to add value?
Make 'em Famous:
All Flex section editors should have own blog/ column within the website. Take a look at what channel 4 do to here. Why can't all of our main editors should have their own opinion pieces too? Same topics with different perspectives encouraging readers to join the debate.
Exclusive Content Interviews:
Each year more and more famous celebrities descend onto Falmouth to perform at the Stannery or Princess Pavilions. It does not take a genius to think that we should be getting photo-shoots, exclusive interns and videos. Behind the scenes footage off the above should be featured on the social media sites while live twitter updates are sent.
Crowd-sources Journalism
When Falmouth Beach Hotel was on fire there was no way what Flex should not have had the scoop along with other local newspapers. Journalist & Photographers should have been sent to get photos and investigate while live updates were sent over social media. Collaborating with local papers such the Paket and others
Go Truly Digital:
Flex Online:
Flex App: HTML 5 location based app. If you dont know why this is good then read this.
Flex TV; Youtube channel for recording open mic night, local businesses interviews,
Flex Podcasts/ radio: online radio station created by students.
Flex Info-graphics: Look at the success of Good Mag and Visual.ly giving people relevant information.
Link Print & Online Content:
Print edition is tailed to long run visual driven stories with more personal stories. Online is tailored to short snippets and real time journalism. We should have been taking advantage of this.
- - interviews with several victims in story.
- - emotive photo shoot of victims, photos of event.
- - look at individuals effected; macro view of micro issue
- - direct reader to further content larger scale issue online
- - direct reader to social media updates
+ news web:
- interactive info-graphic for context, integrate with social media snippets.
- video clips of event by amateurs, news.
- direct reader to content smaller scale issue in print
- direct reader to social media updates
+news social:
- real times updates on fb & twitter
- updated timeline linked to social networking sites
- encourage discussions on social media
- encourage readers to submit own photos of event
- direct reader to further content larger scale issue online
- direct reader to content smaller scale issue in print
Revenue: How can we create new revenue streams?
Email/ Subscribers & Flex Online Accounts
Freshers fair will result in the signup of almost 2,000 students. Who can have a online "Flex Account" and take that to advertisers. Once there are a certain amount of signups these numbers can be passed on to potential advertisers. We also allow readers to make an account (a quick and simple e-mail signup allowing them to fill in the rest of their details at a later date) where they can customize the content that appears in their feed.
Push Digital Revenue Streams:
Advertisers: How do we prove that advertising with us is profitable?
Design & Measure Success
Now understand I am not an advertising student or potential advertiser but just because advertisers are advertising does not mean they know what they are doing. I have seen many poorly designed ads (looks too down market) as well as ads disguised as content (patronising to readers).
One; Have an advertising/ design/ photography team make the adverts for the paper, this would obviously incur a cost but the clients should be ensured of a return on their investment.
Two; measure the success o the advertisement and report it back to the client and boast in newsletters.
Three; Offer advertising packages such as "Advertise online and get a free add in print", give them value for their money and do them a favor.
Four: Sponsored tweets (and other social media commentaries). You get what you "tweet" (pay) for.
Link Web, Social media, E-mail Newsletters:
Using social media channels most associated with our demographic; Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter and Youtube to add value and drive traffic to the website. Meanwhile sparking debates on social media sites to gain student opinion. One e-mail newsletter would be aimed at students; advertising, valued content, etc while another was aimed at advertisers and potential sponsors; media pack, advertising rates, special deals and such. Smashing Magazine has a post on E-mail Newsletters with Subscribing to. If we study things like these as well as other student newspaper we can begin to add value and by extent generate revenue in the long run.
Why is this post so financially orientated?
Honestly I dont know. A part of me always wanted Flex to be profitable as that would feel more like a success because currently I don't think we are taken seriously and I feel pulling in revenue would would give us a bit of a spine. It is very hard to monetize a printed paper and I clearly have ideas on how to monetize digitally. It can be tested quickly, easily and changes where as any kind of experimentation in print always felt like a risk.
Where Does This Leave You Omari?:
For me this is really disappointing. I have put a lot of effort into the student newspaper ove the past two years and I feel as though its been for nothing. In a sense it has and in another it has not. I have learnt a lot about publishing, the production process. However while I was working with print I should have been working on my digital skills. I am currently studying Digital Animation at University College Falmouth and I am good at it however the gap in my skills i in web design I feel. I should have learnt HTML, CSS, Java and PHP a long time ago, this one of my biggest regrets as I don't really know what I was waiting for. But I do not get down about it, I see a brilliant opportunity because for now I will have to take back seat until I have the skills to help so I plan to spend some time along with my third year of my degree learning the above languages.
I has so many ideas for the paper too than I should have put forward last year instead of waiting:
Film Issue (November): Cornwall Film Festival, James Bond: Skyfall competition/ review ,
Digital Issue (April) : Augmented reality cover, AR easter egg hunt, Social media tips,
Alumni Issue (May): where are graduate now, interviews, ect
Graduate Issue (June): interview/ profile, photos, work showcase, ect and many others,
In some ways a part of me felt the paper would always end with me. They would have found it hard to find someone to replace me, not in terms of skill, but in terms of commitment and the amount of time it takes to do these things. I do not think I am the best designer that worked for the paper but the other chose to take a back seat some out of feat of failure and theory to focus on their studies.
I feel like I was just getting my head around the print production process, streamlining it while coming up with ideas for digital (see above). Now the team must learn the digital production process and we should all be aware that it not as simple as: write >> find and image >> upload to Wordpress.
Regarding Dan Simpson as Editor-In-Chief, he has faced a similar issue too. It is about trying to find a place for everyone online now. I can aslo understand how the journalism student currently running the blog becoming defensive as there was not much intrest in online until the print edition failed.
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