Doing more with less: making the most of resources across multiple media

One day in-company training course

This course is aimed at publishing houses who have some presence online and believe they need a cross-media strategy but don’t believe they have the resources to make it happen. This session examines what can be done with existing resources to create a compelling presence beyond print. The focus of this one-day session is on the web and other online media.
Designed for you

A successful day needs to include an understanding of the publishing/online systems in place/used by attendees so that we can discuss realistic solutions using available technology. Some information gathering will take place in advance of the session to gain an understanding of the web site and the systems that support it.

The session is designed for publishing management, EICs, and senior general management looking to extend existing print brands into new media with limited resources.

Preparation: Delegates should be prepared to discuss their current web presence/relationships. There will also be a questionnaire to fill in about the participants’ current web practice and technical set up in advance of the day

Outline

The nature of your existing print content

Info vs entertainment - what’s the split?
Who is your audience?
The commercial aspects – who is funding your publication?
Subscribers, newsstand sales, advertisers - what’s the split?
Why this matters for content planning
‘Content’ vs editorial - what’s the difference?
Why does this matter when planning a web presence

How web, email and print are different

Time read browsing. Linking threads and drill down
How your audience uses the web (different audiences have different expectations)
How information from one source may need to be re-presented/packaged for different media
Using email as an outward-bound editorial vehicle
Editorial ethics – Are they different online?
Using content from other sources. Why and what?

Production implications of cross media working

The nature of your production process
Daily/weekly/monthly
Working daily and hourly
Updating and building stories
Length and structure of online content
Connections between print and online publishing systems

Staff implications of cross media working

Getting staff to work across media
Don’t ask for more, ask for different…
Use and search out skills where it already resides in your teams(s)
Use the carrot of timely publication and exclusives to encourage commitment

Make the most of the print resources you’ve already got

Promoting a web presence in print
Cross references and linking between media
Promotions and marketing, cover mount CDs and booklets

What most often goes wrong?

Worry that web work undermines ‘core’ work (print)
Belief that web presence is benefiting others (ie different divisions of companies) and that it is an unwelcome chore
Lack of corporate commitment to online, especially in current climate
Solutions?

For more information on how we can help you organise your course, please contact us.