Learn how to initiate new ideas and make them succeed in the latest in a series of free e-learning courses sponsored by the Suburban Newspapers of America (SNA) Foundation. Innovation at Work: Making New Ideas Succeed is now available. The course is professionally produced by Poynter Institute’s News University division.

If innovation were sold at a store, out of a catalog or on the Web, businesses would snap it up because innovation is so difficult to define, design and, yes, divine.

The next best thing to buying this elusive process of inventing or introducing something new is the latest in a series of e-learning modules from the SNA Foundation: Innovation at Work: Making New Ideas Succeed. And, no purchase necessary — this 4th e-learning course sponsored by the SNA Foundation and produced by The Poynter Institute’s NewsU division is now ready for the taking at no charge, thanks to a generous grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Access the course at www.newsu.org/Innovation.

“Innovation is not something that always comes easily or naturally but it definitely can be learned,” says Susan Karol, Executive Director of the SNA Foundation. “This extremely well written course is chock full of information about how both organizations and individuals within organizations can start to look at their business differently and become innovative, a key in helping business forge new paths and make needed changes for a successful future.”

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March 3-5, 2010 — Orlando, Florida

Presented by SNA & SNPA — Only $395 to Attend

Plan now to attend the most exciting event scheduled for the newspaper industry in 2010 — a strategic revenue summit brought to you by two of the industry's premier associations, Suburban Newspapers of America and the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association.

Publishers and top level executives are encouraged to bring senior staff including Advertising Directors, Interactive Managers and anyone that is charged with generating revenue.

“Combining the SNA Spring Publishers' Conference and the SNPA Key Executives Conference into a single program that taps the strengths of both associations is a winning proposition on many levels," said Edward VanHorn, Executive Director of SNPA. "This joint effort will result in an exceptional conference program and an enhanced networking opportunity that will save SNA and SNPA members both time and money.”

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Matt Terenzio, Web Development Director at the Hour Company (CT).

By Deb Shaw
Editor, Suburban Publisher

Lessons on Real Time Web

As Matt Terenzio put it, when we talk about real time web, we’re talking about a change in the way the internet is used. “Twitter and others have set the table and the growing sentiment is that all services must catch up to become real time or become irrelevant,” says Terenzio, Web Development Director for The Hour Company in Norwalk, CT.

This very topic was the center of discussion when Terenzio presented at a recent SNA Foundation-sponsored webinar. He started his presentation by suggesting that he should have delayed talking for just a few seconds to see how many people got itchy... and to make a point. If a few seconds of silence occur in a real life conversation you think there’s something wrong and that’s almost the case in real time web — while a slight delay of a few seconds or even a minute is currently a natural aspect of the real time web, too much of a delay and the user is off to another source. A delay of many minutes is probably too long to satisfy user’s expectations — that’s the reality for today’s typical web user and newsrooms are wise to plan real time web strategies accordingly.

The speed at which web usage is changing is almost as fast as the flow of information on sites like Twitter. Social networks today are huge factors in the real time web and in driving traffic to your websites. While not the end game — and who knows what’s coming next — Twitter and Facebook are certainly active players in today’s user universe and they are valuable tools for newsrooms to attract users and to collect/distribute news & information. Become a pro at using these tools today and you will more easily adapt to whatever comes next because real time web is only moving forward.

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Clip or Click coupons are also a great way to MAKE money, especially if you're part of the zip2save.com initiative. If you haven’t yet investigated zip2save.com, e-mail tanya.henderson@suburban-news.org to find out how you can learn more.

By Deb Shaw
Editor, Suburban Publisher

The folks at Black Press know a good sales opportunity when they see one — they’re currently generating between $7,000 and $12,000 per newspaper each month by applying a systematic approach to a coupon wrap combined with the online shopping web site flyerland.ca, the Canadian version of zip2save.com, and there’s no reason why zip2save.com partners here in the States can’t replicate this approach with equally good results.

For those who haven’t yet joined the zip2save.com initiative, this ‘Clip or Click’ new revenue stream is just another of the many reasons that you should be on board with this important and innovative business enterprise. Learn more about zip2save.com by joining one of the informational webinars listed at the end of this report.

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Len Kubas spoke about modular advertising at SNA's 2009 Fall Publishers’ & Advertising Directors’ conference.

By Deb Shaw
Editor, Suburban Publisher

Editors Note — Len Kubas is President of Kubas Consultants, Toronto, revenue growth and publishing strategy advisors to newspapers and was a panelist at the SNA Fall Publishers’ & Advertising Directors’ Conference earlier this year. In a session devoted to Emerging Business Models for Community Newspapers and Web Sites, Kubas talked about a conversion to modular advertising which involves overhauling traditional newspaper rates away from charging by the column inch or agate line.

In a follow up to that presentation, Kubas answered a series of questions about modular advertising. The initial part of this article is printed in the November issue of Suburban Publisher. I asked the questions. The answers are straight from Len Kubas.

#1 You recently spoke at the SNA Fall Conference on the panel concerning Emerging Business Models and in particular, about the need for pricing reform in the arena of print advertising rates. What’s the basis for your call for reform?

This will surprise your readers, but NAA numbers prove that daily newspapers have been losing ad revenues since Q2, 2000 (“the tipping point”). The decline has been going on for nearly a decade. It’s not something that began three or four years ago.

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