Cuban: lose the envelopes!

Say what you want about him, but Mark Cuban has an interesting take and makes some sense in this blog post that is now a few weeks old: http://blogmaverick.com/2009/04/26/1269/

Thoughts?

 

I'm not sure what he's talking about at the beginning. I've always paid for subscriptions with a credit card. It's easier for me and I get credit card points. Much better for the paper, too, as it makes me less likely to cancel and there's less paperwork to deal with.
As for the second part, the business about keeping the credit card on file and selling stuff to readers through it - seems like a great and logical idea with little downside. Which is probably why no one in the newspaper biz has thought of doing it yet.

 

How about only paid subcribers can post comments?

 

Cuban never fails to amaze me. In a good way this time, though.

 

Cuban is a hell of a businessman. I'd love it if he'd buy my paper. Of course, being that he's a hell of a businessman, no way in hell he'd do that.

 

<quote>Upload us a family picture and 500 words, and we will put it front and center on the front page of the Morning News along with the headline you pick and deliver it to your door for $25.</quote>

This is actually one of the more brilliant ideas I've heard in awhile. Do any places do this? If not, they should. It is the perfect gift for any occasion - Mother's Day, bachelor party, wedding, whatever.

I can think of 10 situations right now where I might have utilized such a gift.

 

I think that's how these ladies got this paper to put their picture in.

 

These are the kinds of visions that newspaper publishers should have had more than a decade ago.
I've always said their lack of ingenuity allowed Craigslist and E-Bay to exist.
The newspaper companies should have invented those sites, or bought them cheap after they were invented.
Alas, there are no Mark Cubans with the big chains. Or, if they're there, nobody listened to them.

 

Great idea too. It would eliminate the trash on the site. You could also charge for misuse.

 

How much does that fuck with print runs?

And newsprint ain't cheap anymore.

 

That's what I was thinking. Our paper did away with the early run because, apparently, it costs too much money to change plates.

So I don't think we'd be willing to do it for any Tom, Dick or Harry with $25.