Be Your Community's Mobile Leader

Be Your Community’sMobile Leader

Steve ButtryOhio Newspaper Association

March 30, 2011sbuttry@tbd.com, @stevebuttry, tbd.com

Read more• stevebuttry.wordpress.com• @stevebuttry on Twitter• Slideshare.net/stevebuttry

What do you use?

• iPhone• Android• BlackBerry• Other smartphone• dumbphone• Game device

• iPod Touch• iPod• Other music• Kindle• iPad• Other tablet

How we use mobile devices

• Phone• Camera• Photo album• Email• Text messages• Calendar• Maps

• Tweet• Location (4sq, etc.)• Other social media• News on web• Other web use• News apps• Other apps

“Local news is going mobile”• 84% of U.S. adults have cellphones• 47% of U.S. adults get local news on

phone or tablet• 33% of U.S. adults pay for newspaper

subscriptionSource: 2011 State of the News Media Report

“Local news is going mobile”• 42% of cellphone & tablet owners get

mobile weather updates• 37% get info on restaurants, local biz• 30% get general local news• 24% get sports news• 22% get traffic/transportation infoSource: 2011 State of the News Media Report

Mobile audience is young• 70% of 18-29 (63% of 30-49) get local

news on mobile devices• 55% of 18-29 (47% of 30-49) use mobile

devices to find local restaurants, biz• 28% of 18-29 (23% of 30-49) use local

mobile coupons, discountsSource: 2011 State of the News Media Report

Attractive to advertisers?Audience for mobile local news has:• Income (67% of $75K and up)• Education (58% of college grads)• Families (64% of parents w/ minor

children)Source: 2011 State of the News Media Report

Tablet use growing fast• Penetration grew from 4% to 7% in just 4

months• Higher penetration with upper incomes• Projected use by 2012: 41 million

Americans (13%)Sources: 2011 State of the News Media Report,

eMarketer

Mobile opportunity

Source: Borrell Associates, “Mobile Advertising & Promotions Forecast”

Mobile opportunityLocal mobile ad opportunity is bigger than:• Newspapers’ 2009 ad revenue drop• Newspapers’ retail ad drop 2005-2009• Total 2008 newspaper classified revenue• Any newspaper classified vertical at peak

Sources: Borrell Associates & Newspaper Association of AmericaDetails: stevebuttry.wordpress.com

Mobile disrupts• Newspapers• TV• Radio• Music• Web• Photography• Video• Books

• Games• Mail• Phones• Wrist watches• Alarm clocks• Maps• Movies• Toys

Mobile is unique …1. Only personal mass medium2. Permanently carried3. Always connected4. Built-in payment channel5. Available at point of creative inspiration6. Best audience information7. Captures social context of consumption8. Augmented reality to mass markets

Source: Tomi T. Ahonen, Communities Dominate Brands

Mobile-first strategy• Text alerts• Email • Applications (phones & tablets)• Social media (tweets, check-ins, tips)• Location-based news, info & commerce• Easy-to-use mobile websites• Device-flexible (not device-agnostic)• Games (phones, iPads great for games)

Mobile news-gathering• Reporters with smartphones (shooting photos

& videos, tweeting & texting from events, disaster & crime scenes)

• Easy submission tools for the public• Curation of tweets, check-ins, tips, twitpics

App info• 13% of mobile audience (24% of mobile

audience for local news) get local news through an app

• 89% of those didn’t pay for the app• 1% of adults pay for local news appSource: 2011 State of the News Media Report

Driving• How often do you buy a car?

Driving• How often do you buy a car?• How often do you drive, gas up, service

car, park?

Driving• How often do you buy a car?• How often do you drive, gas up, service

car, park?• Connect drivers with information they

need daily• Connect auto services with drivers

Mobile social use• People who get local news online are

much more likely to use social networks (75%) than those who don’t (42%)

• They are almost 4 times more likely to use Twitter (15% to 4%)

Source: 2011 State of the News Media Report

@statesman case study

Crowdsource

Crowdsource

Say what you don’t know

Converse w/ public

Link to fresh content

Link to fresh content

Use hashtags

A mobile-first project

• Twitter hashtag• Photo contests• Text alerts• Liveblog• Crowdmap• Short code

Community going to distant event• User photos• Foursquare• Local ad sales• Mobile coupons• Collaborate w/ media in host city• Advance promotion

Tablet issues• Not just the iPad (Kindle, Nook, others)• May be able to charge for content• Is advertising a better opportunity• Beware of replicating newspaper

experience• Mobile, but also used heavily at home

iPad not necessarily mobile“On average, the Telegraph iPad app was

being used only seven times a month, when users – average age 47 – were unable to buy a paper. The devices were being left at home or at work – not being carried everywhere.”

Tim Rowell, Director of Mobile Product Development at the Telegraph, quoted by WAN/IFRA

Mobile: Everyone’s job• Executives emphasize mobile priority• Journalists focus on mobile news & info

delivery & presentation• Tech staff focuses on mobile apps• Designers focus on mobile design• Sales staff meets business customers’

mobile needs

What can small staff do?• Consume news on smartphone (including

editor & publisher)• Push press association to help w/ apps• Partner with local college or university

(mobile internships?)• Revenue share w/ developer and/or

advertiser

Mobile-first newsroom• Top editor stresses & shows mobile

priority• Every staffer with smart phone• Mobile planning, emphasis in meetings• Designated mobile leader• Work closely w/ tech & sales staffs to

pursue mobile opportunities

What can top leaders do?• Use Twitter on your phone. A lot.• Use Foursquare (don’t sync w/ Twitter) &

check in regularly (yeah, become a mayor).• Use several apps (including yours) on your

phone.• Lead company planning of mobile-first

strategy.• Appoint & empower mobile leader.

In meetings this week …• Plan mobile-first coverage of an event.• In routine planning meetings, ask about

hashtags, maps, short codes, Foursquare, Crowdmap.

• Change front-page meeting or weekly publisher’s meeting to a mobile planning meeting.

Questions?Ask questions now,

or later by email (sbuttry@tbd.com)

or DM (@stevebuttry)

Read more• stevebuttry.wordpress.com• @stevebuttry on Twitter• Slideshare.net/stevebuttry

In mobile-first strategy …

Don’t let obstacles become excuses