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EDHAT ONLINE COMMUNITYEntrepreneurship & the Community WebDecember 6, 2009USC Annenberg
Presented by: Peter Sklar
Peter Sklar
• MA in Statistics from UC Santa Barbara• 80’s – developed POS software for PCs• dot.com years
– started early Internet mapping company– created and sold web design tools– designed and developed user interfaces– built an online community for web
developers
• 2003 – started Edhat Online Magazine
What is Edhat?
• Santa Barbara community website
• Started in 2003 with fun, original, local content
• A loyal following of people who love Santa Barbara
• In 2006, Santa Barbara News Press imploded
• Today it’s citizen news, public news, aggregated news, and collaborative news
• A place to discuss issues, share photos, ask questions, share expertise, and connect to others in the community
Market Leader
• More hits than any other website in town
– radio stations
– newspapers
– television stations
• We get 1 million hits/month in a market of only 200,000 people
• Local and repeat visitors
• Alexa Rank of 49,703
Keys To Our Success
• Persistence and dedication
• Fresh content all day long
• Always have the scoop
• No story left behind
• Happy and quirky
• Focus on readers, not advertisers
Citizen Ed
• What is up?
• Emergencies
– Zaca Fire, Gap Fire, Tea Fire, Jesusita Fire
– School Lockdowns
• News no one else covers
– Conflict at Botanic Garden
• Sharing & Caring
• Adding elements of traditional journalism
Readers Want To Talk About
• Should people be allowed to take dogs to restaurants?
• Cell phone etiquette at Coffee Shops
• Can the County cut down my Jacaranda tree?
• Should teachers take vacation days before Thanksgiving?
• Best type of space heater to buy
Revenue Model
• Local advertising
• Voluntary paid subscriptions
Advertising
• Traditional advertising
– not our primary goal
– no pay for promotion
– no Google ads
• Social Media Marketing
– We’d rather have businesses be a part of our community than have them be outsiders selling to our readers
Paid Subscriptions
• We sell community, not content
• All content is available to all users no matter what their status
• Benefits of paid subscription:
– No guilt!
– Chance to win tickets to local events
– Identity on the Edhat Comments Board
The Identity Experiment
HYPOTHESIS:
• Identity is an important part of community
• People will pay for it
RESULTS:
• Trolls got mad and left
• Paid subscriptions increased 33%
• Some people didn’t care
Summary
• Edhat is a major media player in the Santa Barbara market
• Edhat is friendly, accessible, and non-elitist
• Edhat is Community
• Edhat is unique
• Our readers love us - we’re counting on them to support us