Posted on Thu, Apr 22, 2010 @ 10:32 AM
You're a TV station, right? All this stuff about Facebook and Twitter and even your web site itself... that's all just extraneous busy work that makes sure you keep up with the fads. Right? Uh, we don't think so.
Maybe you saw the good news this week about about the economics of the Internet (a TVB/Borrell study just out says local online ad revenues for TV stations is expected to increase 21% in 2010). But this isn't about cash flow. It's about your identity as a dominant provider of content.
We think the stations that survive to the next stage of this industry's evolutionary cycle will be those seen as powerful and reliable information providers ... seen by the consuming pub.jpg)
lic as being better at it than the other stations in town. WCCO in Minneapolis will likely be a survivor. Check out this blog from MinnPost.com that takes a look at how WCCO has such a strong online presence. Here's an important excerpt from writer David Brauer's blog:
WCCOers -from reporters and weathercasters to producers and promotions people -just seem more jazzed about the future than your average news organization. Twitter seems to crackle with station personnel chattering about the station's latest efforts, seeking and seeming open to feedback, talking up interesting efforts they see elsewhere. Almost every organization has such folks, but ‘CCO's cadre seem to have achieved critical mass, emitting an esprit de corps enthusiasm more authentically charming than those hoary "we all love each other" promos.
Brauer made note that WCCO is the only station that has an easily recognizable "digital mastermind" as a driving force. About three weeks ago, the CJ&N Newsletter distributed an article to our clients looking at how two local TV stations, WNEM in Saginaw and WJZ/Baltimore, have made huge strides in signing up Facebook fans (WJZ now has more than 44,000 fans!). Based on our talks with the news directors of both stations, we realized one thing the two stations had in common was a sharp and progressive digital content manager.
To have a strong digital identity in your market, you must first have a strong digital identity inside your own TV station. Your long-term survival could depend on it.
- Mike Anderson