The New York Times Joins the Social Marketing Movement
Categories: Education, Social Media Marketing
Written By: Webhead20
On June 4, 2009 The New York Times, in their “Practically Speaking” section published the article “Small Businesses Are Taking Tentative Steps Toward Online Networking” by Mickey Meece. That title in and of itself caught my attention because it’s right up my alley, talking about most of the people I end up working with!
Basically the article speaks about how Social Media Marketing has finally caught the attention of small businesses. How SMM has allowed entrepreneurs access to a huge online audience and the interactive component to marketing now allows businesses to create long lasting relationships with their customers. It covered all the points that I’ve been discussing with my clients! What a great article to link to and repost!
But what happened when I sat down to write this post was also very telling of the times we’re in. Originally I had found the article through a posting on one of my LinkedIn groups and followed the link. I briefly read the article and bookmarked it for future content for one of my blogs. When I went back to my bookmarked address a couple weeks later, I could no longer access the article. Instead I was greeted by the New York Times registration login page.
“For free access to this article and more, you must be a registered member of NYTimes.com.”
With the newspapers competing with 24 hour news tv and up to the minute news blogs, the question “are newspapers heading towards extinction?” is widely discussed. This is just one example of how these companies are capturing readers’ emails in hopes of keeping them as loyal customers as well as finding new ones. If the papers employ these social marketing tactics, using Twitter, advertising on Facebook, collecting registered readers, do you think they will stay afloat? Or do you thing that they will eventually become obsolete?
As I’m sitting and writing this, my friend Gwynn (who works for KCET-Public TV and is working on her laptop as well) suggested these stories to reference the newspaper vs online news debate. Ha! Social Networking at work! Pass it on! 
“Dying By a Thousand Papercuts” A journalist’s lament of the quiet death of the LA Newspaper Industry.
“Final Edition” A look at thriving small online news companies.
“Tomorrow’s Online News Today” A look at the fate of California news sources and some up and coming ones to keep an eye on.
Personally I’m torn. I have fond memories of lazy Sunday afternoons with the Sunday crossword puzzle, coffee and a bagel. Reading the comics or just getting ink on my fingertips after going through the whole paper. But an online version saves paper, printing and delivery costs. It’s easier to share articles and news with friends. And I can get instant news anytime of the day.
Please let me know what you think about the fate of newspapers!
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June 16th, 2009 at 5:29 am
I think we need to separate the fact that we, including me, love the traditional print format of the newspaper….which is like “comfort food”…much like old vinyl records which are having a rebirth despite I-tunes…so for that I hope print stays around…
so these same publishers who are now moving faster than ever online will likely morph, and transform…with free global content…and hyperlocal news..micro-payment systems..offering another set of values which will offer potential for subscribers..I am more concerned about the fate of the journalists..than I am
of the newspapers…Journalists, are often mis-understood for their writing talents, and what will become of them?
June 17th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
I agree with the nostalgia currency that newspapers have for many folks!
I believe that good journalists will be able to transition to digital form. In fact they have skills and contacts that many news bloggers will not have. It will be a question of how quickly they can turn around a story with quality writing.