Local Visibility

I read a post today on the Kelsey Blog that discussed Yahoo!’s goal as it relates to verticals and marketplace. Their goal is pretty simple- Be #1 or # 2 in every key vertical area.

I believe along with local news, vertical content is an area that local media companies can dominate in. At the local level we own the content, understand the local market dynamics, know most of the businesses and have a locally focused sales force. Who knows more about agriculture in Aberdeen, spas in Tuscon or farm equipment in Reading than the local media company? No one does!

These niche verticals can even get more relevant if media partnerships can be formed allowing the user to see snippets of the 15 minute broadcast special on how farming has changed in the last 50 years in Aberdeen. Of course, this can be accomplished by simply linking to the broadcasters site but it’s a much cleaner approach to use embedded video or YouTube to present the content. A relevant and informative content mix is key. The goal is to be the dominant source for your niche content.

I come from the sales side of the business but I am a true believer that we need to build up the user base before we begin targeting advertisers. If you are going to rush into monetizing the site it will be extremely important to control the advertiser’s expectations. The advertiser will expect the world because of the enthusiasm of the sales executive. High expectations and less than impressive results will lead to a typhoon size churn rate that will be hard to control.

I would suggest focusing heavily on audience development for the first 90-180 days followed by a targeted advertiser awareness campaign.

Nothing helps a sales executive close more deals than a strong user base and business owners that have a working knowledge of the product.

Remember, in small market America, the business owner and the reader/user are one and the same.

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