Thursday, January 23, 2014

Morgan County Citizen Leads in Print And Digital Market Reach

About that argument that the internet is taking over newspapers? PURE BALONEY! Our local newspaper is beating the internet at its own game. Not only is the Morgan County Citizen the most read print newspaper in Morgan County with 40,000+ readers each week, it also has the region’s largest website (www.morgancountycitizen.com) garnering 55,000+ individual visits EACH MONTH! And that does not even begin to reflect The Citizen’s exposure on social media platforms. The fact is this: The Morgan County Citizen has managed to be the Number One choice for print readers AND the Number One Choice for digital/web readers for local news. Facts are where the real truth resides. When you think it through, it’s really not that surprising. Where are people going to get their news about the Madison, Bostwick or Rutledge City Councils, local legal announcements, school board news or Morgan County High School's wrestling tournament? There's only one source: The Morgan County Citizen. Sure, regional papers and radio stations have stories about our county. But for the uber local coverage local readers crave? It’s the Citizen. As to the internet: You had best know what the Sam Hill you are doing before launching a digital- platform-only marketing campaign. Especially if you are a local business depending on local customers. Consider this: “The amount of content being published online is growing exponentially and content marketers are partially to blame. In June of 2000, there were fewer than eight million websites. Today that number is greater than 750 million, according to Netcraft.com, and shows no signs of slowing down. This means that it will be harder and harder for marketers to cut through the noise in order to get their content read. Great content goes unread everyday on the Internet.” – Social Media Today Beyond websites, social media is becoming more and more cluttered and fragmented, making it just as difficult to reach a sustainable target audience. The net-net is this: Businesses -- especially those who rely on local consumers for 30 percent or more of their sales -- must create a marketing plan that incorporates a myriad mix of message delivery vehicles from newspapers to digital platforms. But, you have to be smart or you’ll waste your money. Only select the delivery systems with the highest consumer reach for your target audience. And, don’t forget: You still can’t beat a personal meeting, a hand-written note or friendly lunch meeting. Relationships require a variety of communications! Dianne Lively Yost is Co-owner of The Morgan County Citizen and Lake Oconee Living Magazine. She is also a seasoned public relations and marketing professional with a career that spans 30 years.

No comments: