Using Community Management to attract more readers

It’s easier than ever to read news online. Most newspapers have a good portion of their content online. But are they engaging with their readers? Have they explored the many opportunities of interacting with the readers & the benefits of doing so?

My husband has been reading the regional newspaper online for almost 10 years. There has been no reason to have the paper copy delivered. The online version opened up the option for readers to comment on certain articles.

My husband enjoyed adding his thoughts to articles & reading the comments. This was allowed for three months before it was discontinued for unknown reasons.

The economy is hitting the newspaper industries hard & there are many layoffs. Many papers are putting up websites. In addition to the websites there are many ways that they could have staff interacting with their readers. This would offer further sustainability for the newspaper & retain more of their valued staff.

Here is a list of ways that you could draw in more readers and get them involved:

1. Opportunity to comment on articles – people love the idea of being involved with the topic. This takes ‘Letter to the Editor’ to a whole new level because people are responding not only to the journalist but also to each other.
2. Voting – readers can choose which articles they find the most value in & rate them. This allows visitors to browse the most popular articles.
3. Offer a variety of options for sharing articles – readers like to share an article by email with family & friends. What better way to spread the word about your publication & build readership?
4. Ask readers for their ideas – Invite your readership to provide their ideas and even guest write articles for you.
5. Give your articles legs – make it very easy for your readers to share the articles on social networking sites. People love sharing their favorite articles in this new way.
6. Friendly to read on all devices – ensure that your articles are friendly to read on handheld devices. This will allow people to read & comment from wherever they’re at.
7. Mobile community – this is a relatively new space but it’s growing at an exponential rate. Explore how your publication can be involved in the shift.

As times change so must businesses. Newspapers have many opportunities because their readership will continue to be loyal, they just want to be part of the conversation.

Connie Bensen is the Community Manager at Network Solutions, and her work is widely recognized as a key resource for Community Managers. You can (and should) find more of her work on her blog.