We all have social media and digital best practices coming out of ears. But after thinking about how big media companies make their dough, I realized that, although there aren’t always the resources and staff and innovation teams at smaller papers, there are some simple, almost silly, tips smaller papers can take from the behemoths in terms of reader engagement. Things that make your organization seem relevant and savvy.

1. Go Vice

Ok, you don’t have to start covering the sex beat in your town, but start thinking outside the box. Vice isn’t just a magazine anymore, it’s also a production company, and a marketing agency. Is there a crime beat reporter who could easily start posting video reports along with his written one? Are there events or causes you could sponsor that you aren’t? Run a summer program where high school students can run their own vertical. Nothing is more niche than a local hometown. Be all over it. If there is a kinky sex beat, start covering it.   Read more

One of the most popular platforms for digital magazine distribution, Issuu, is finally getting a new look. With 70 million unique visitors each month via 11.5 million publications already in tow, the website is now transitioning from a place for magazines to get their name out to a place where readers can go to discover new material.

And with a new update that went live today, readers will be exposed to a lot more of what the platform has to offer.

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Ten years ago yesterday, one of the most important tools for digital publishing was willed into existence, one that has had an immeasurable impact on how we live our lives on the Internet. In fact, this blog wouldn’t even exist right now without it.

WordPress has entered double digits, and it serves as the production platform of more than 66 million websites, including some of the biggest websites out  today. And with its new update, WordPress 3.6, coming around the corner, it seems that it will only continue to grow.

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You remember Circa, don’t you? The mobile app that touts itself as the “best way to read news on your phone” is still growing, with its latest addition to the staff being Reuters’ social media editor Anthony De Rosa.

In a release, De Rosa said:

“There’s a huge opportunity to present news in a way that’s made for mobile. Nobody is thinking about this more than Circa and I’m thrilled to help move that mission forward.”

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It ain’t easy being in the media business these days, or so they say.  There are in fact lots of people allegedly, or actually, raking in digital dollars, according to this article from Fortune. They’re all content producers with a journalistic twist. They are all different in their own ways, but you can parse out some ingredients for financial success in the industry. 

Not surprisingly the top, profitable companies are: The Huffington Post, Gawker Media, The Awl, Business Insider, SAY Media, Vox Media, and BuzzFeed. 

So what sets them apart?

 1. Niche, Niche, Niche

Choire Sicha of The Awl says they only want to be read by ‘smart people,’ and as it’s grown, it’s added other niche sites to its cache, like the female focused The Hairpin. Business Insider lives off of business and technology news and gossip, straight from the mouth of editor ‘Wall Street bad boy’ Henry Blodget. Gawker peddles snark, and BuzzFeed caters to culturally in-tune Millenials and their parents. HuffPo is grandfather of all of them — they have the verticals and dedicated, SEO hungry, writing staff for everything. By dabbling in it all, they essentially cater to segmented, yet focused, audiences. All of these organizations are like the good old magazines of the paper days: each site has a distinct look, feel and tone, reminiscent of say, Sassy or even Spin. It’s no wonder that Jane Pratt is part of the profitable crew under SAY Media. All of this ties into the next thing profitable companies have in common…  Read more