Newspapers Must Charge for Online Content

By Mark Evans in Media 4 Comments Tags: , , ,

As the newspaper industry grapples with how to embrace the Web and remain financially viable, I’ve become increasingly convinced newspapers must charge for content in some way, shape or form.

To some, this is a strange approach given premium services have been a failure, which is why most newspapers are still trying to drive online revenue through advertising. Meanwhile, more newspapers are disappearing or becoming streamlined, online-only operations.

The biggest argument against the ability for newspapers to charge for premium access is consumers will turn elsewhere for the newspapers they want.

In many respects, this is accurate, which is why newspapers need to focus on charging for value-added content (columns, features, archives, editorials, inside access) that aren’t available through the Web.

Of course, many newspapers may not have the luxury of offering content people want to pay to read. But I think some the world’s leading newspapers such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Telegraph and The Guardian can successfully pull it off.

If you look a look at the blogosphere, for example, it’s the major newspapers that attract the most links. This suggests newspapers are writing the most interesting content, which should be a pretty good indication it has some value.

My theory is the major newspapers will start to introduce premium services soon. Janet Robinson, CEO with the New York Times Co., said earlier this week that premium services are being explored that are “centered on a metered model and a Times membership model with special offerings.”

Meanwhile, the Financial Times has quietly launched a new system whereby online readers need to register. There are two free packages, as well as premium packages that sell for $3.49 and $5.75 a week.

You have to know media mogul Rupert Murdoch is watching carefully, and it’s only a matter of time before the Wall St. Journal, the New York Post and The Times launch premium services.

If the New York Times, Wall St. Journal, Financial Times and others go premium, it will likely encourage more newspapers and magazines to offer premium services as well.

The pendulum is slowly starting to swing from free to fee. It’s not going to be widespread or swing all the way back to fee but the free-for-all is coming to an end for many major publications.

For more, check out VentureBeat and ValleyWag, which talks about New York Times Silver and Gold packages that could be sold for $150 and $300 respectively.


The Tip of the Social Media Iceberg

By Mark Evans in Social Media 5 Comments Tags: ,

A blog post with the catchy title – “Do You Think Social Has Jumped the Shark?” – caught my eye recently, mostly because I would adamantly suggest “Not at All”.

To the author’s credit, they concede that as an “early adopter”, they’re inclined to feel that things are only shiny and cool until the mainstream adopts them as well.

That said, it is important for early adopters/social media enthusiasts/the digerati/blogosphere to recognize it’s still early days for social media even though many of their friends and colleagues are actively using social media tools and services.

This was illustrated by an Anderson Analytics report that suggests about 110 million people in the U.S., or 36% of the total population, use social media regularly.

While impressive, it also means that 64% of the U.S. population doesn’t use social media on a regular basis. (Hat tip to Social Media Today for providing the report’s highlights).

The Anderson report also found that:

* 61% of social media users are under age 35
* 55% of social media users are female
* 29% of Facebook and LinkedIn users say they could “probably do without” the popular networks
* 35% said they could do without MySpace
* 43% could live without Twitter
* 12% said Twitter was most valuable
* Under 35, people rely on social networks for “fun” and contacting friends
* Older consumers use them to stay in touch with family and friends
* 75% said Facebook was their most valuable network, 65% who cited MySpace
* 30% said LinkedIn was their most valuable network

What do you think? Has social media jumped the shark?


What’s In Your Twitter Toolbox?

By Mark Evans in Uncategorized 9 Comments Tags: , , ,

I love using Twitter but rarely go to Twitter.com because there’s so many useful third-party services that have emerged using Twitter’s API.

Here is is what’s in my Twitter Toolbox:

1. Tweetdeck: By far, the most useful and user-friendly way to use Twitter. Tweetdeck has captured about 20% of the publishing market because it’s an easy way to quickly see what’s happening through the use of multiple columns.

A recent upgrade to Tweetdeck made it possible to post updates on multiple Twitter accounts. It would be great if Tweetdeck also added a way to see multiple accounts.

Others: Tweetie is pretty good, although the UI needs some improvement. I’ve really tried to like Seesmic but it hasn’t stuck so I’ve stayed with Seesmic’s predecessor, Twhirl.

2. Scoopler/Twazzup: When it comes to search, it’s a toss-up between Scoopler and Twazzup. Both services offer not only search but other features such as video, images, top contributors and most popular links.

3. Mr. Tweet: There are lots of ways to find new followers but Mr. Tweet stands out because it provides the most information about the people who you could follow, making it easy to add to expand your Twitter empire.

4. TwitPic: For posting photos to Twitter, TwitPic is, by far, the leading way to do it with more than 1.5 million users.

5. Bit.ly: Not only a great way to shorten URL but you can also use it to post updates on Twitter.

6. TwitterFon: A great way to use Twitter on the iPhone. I’m also a fan of Tweetdeck and Reportage.

So, what’s in your Twitter toolbox?


A Chat With @Twitter_Tips

By Mark Evans in Social Media No Comments Tags: , ,

As you’re probably aware, I’m enthusiastic about Twitter – not only as an active user but an interested observer of all things Twitter, which explains why I started a Twitter-focused blog, Twitterrati, last year.

One of my favorite Twitter resources is @Twitter_Tips, which generates an impressive flow of updates about interesting, valuable, cool and entertaining services, as well as news about Twitter.

I decided to see who was behind @Twitter_Tips so I sent them a DM, and before you knew it David and Sarah had agreed to a Q&A. The post, which appears on Twitterrati, pretty long but well worth the time.


New Look for MET

By Mark Evans in Blogs 5 Comments Tags: , , ,

For a long time, I’ve been thinking about creating a “personal portal” that would tie together all of my digital activity – blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Friendfeed, LinkedIn, as well as my business, ME Consulting.

There never seemed to be enough time to actually make it happen until a casual conversation with a friend, Seth Singer, who told me all that really needed to happen was a redesign that provide a consistent look for all of blogs/Web site, and make it easy to showcase everything.

What Seth, who runs Think Thirty Three Inc., created is impressive. The design has a great look and feel that’s really user-friendly. What I’ve noticed in particular is how much traffic is now being driven between each Web site.

My popular Nortel blog, All About Nortel, for example, is attracting a lot of visitors to Mark Evans Tech, Twitterrati and ME Consulting.

So, what do you think? Any suggestions and/or feedback on the new design?

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My Must-Have iPhone Apps

By Mark Evans in Apple/iPod 9 Comments Tags: , ,

iphone apps.jpgOne of the reasons that I finally climbed on board the iPhone bandwagon after being a long-time Blackberry user was the number of applications available so you could personalize your mobile device any way you wanted.

After a few months of being an iPhone users, here’s a list of the apps I used on a regular basis:

1. The camera: Although not technically an app, it’s the iPhone’s “killer app”. For the most part, it eliminates the need to carry around a digital camera. Sure, I’d like to see a camera with more mega-pixels and a zoom but for everyday, on-the-go photography, the iPhone camera rules the day.

(Note: The popularity of the iPhone camera is one of the reasons why someone should buy TwitPics, which makes it easy to post photos on Twitter)

2. Byline: After waiting for Google to come out with an iPhone app for Google Reader, I was happy to learn about Bylines, an RSS reader that easily synchs with Google Reader so you can read blog posts on the fly. Many people contend the Web version of Google Reader on iPhone’s Safari browser works well but Byline is a superior experience, as well as a deal for $1.99.

3. Tweetdeck: Although a little buggy and prone to occasional crashes, Tweetdeck is a great way to use Twitter on an iPhone. For anyone who uses Tweetdeck on the desktop, the nice thing about the iPhone apps is it pretty much has the same look and feel.

I’m also a fan of Twitterific because you can easily manage multiple Twitter accounts. And I’m keen on Reportage, which gives you a different view by putting the focus on the people you follow as opposed to the never-ending update stream.

4. iDrive Lite: A valuable and easy way to backup, share and restore all your iPhone contacts.

5. CardStar: One of cooler applications that I’d like use more often, CardStar CardStar lets you easily store, manage and use your reward, club, and loyalty cards on your smart phone. It creates barcodes for each program so you can swipe your iPhone as opposed to having to swipe a card.

6. Evernote: I just started using Evernote again as a tool to clip Web sites and make notes – something invaluable for anyone who goes through a lot of online content, and needs a way to store and archive it.

For what it’s worth, here are some iPhone apps that I expected to use more:

1. WordPress: Blogging from the iPhone can be a challenge given the iPhone’s keyboard is useful but not user-friendly. If I’m going to be publishing updates on the iPhone, it will be for Twitter rather than a blog.

2. Read It Later: On the desktop, Reader It Later is a great way to bookmark articles and blog posts for later. On the phone, it doesn’t have the same kind of utility.

3. Freshbooks: I love Freshbooks, an online invoicing service that has become a key part of how I run ME Consulting. On the iPhone, however, I want more than just a tool to track time.

What iPhone applications do you use regularly? Any must-have iPhone apps?

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