Blogs and the future of sportswriting

That's why I am asking if papers can document that they are making more money because their reporters have online blogs. Ultimately the bean counters will want to know that, right?

 

I'd respectfully disagree with this. I'm not sure what good they are to the "paper*" but they are fine for "online*."

Using grrlhack as an example, if her "paper*" found a company who sells collegiate merchandise to advertise on her blog, wouldn't that be someone who wouldn't care where these hits are coming from?

Just plop a link to the store, or the college team's merchandise. Who cares if they are from Alabama, Florida, Georgia or France?

Or maybe a local company has some interesting or unique merchandise - this would be a way to expand beyond the local populace.

And heaven forbid the advertising department tries to lure in national accounts ...

* - again, I think we need to think of online and the paper as one instead of separate entities

 

I don't think you understand advertising, Lantaur. This is not theory -- newspapers eliminated huge chunks of farflung "vanity circulation" in the newsprint product because advertisers do not want to pay for it. And national advertisers are not interested in a 20,000-circulation anything unless the measurement of the demographic is scientific. As for college-related merchandise, there certainly won't be enough sellers to make it viable for us -- we are talking small change. Most colleges have an online store anyway and do OK without advertising with us.