Using Facebook/My Space pages to attract young readers

I know of at least one good-sized metro that recently launched a Facebook group thing of some sort - you can become "a fan" of the paper, and sort of read it through Facebook.
Last I looked, it had about 45 fans, half of whom work there.
So, while I'm sure there is some application for spreading a newspaper's news via Facebook, I'm not sure we know what that is yet. Still, can't hurt to try.

 

I don't know if the ideal application exists, but if you hire the right techie, they could create a facebook application that will do what you want.

 

I think the idea is sound and worth exploring, but I see two main stumbling blocks here:

1. For it to really work, you have to do it right, and that means dedicating resources to it: Hiring programmers to create apps, putting in the money to market it, dedicating staff hours to maintain it, etc. Would a newspaper actually dedicate the appropriate amount of resources to such a project, considering that the industry's general MO for any attempt at innovation is to add more work for already thin staffs, or "re-train" their workers? A 1-week workshop isn't going to turn a prep writer into a programmer.

2. Even if a newspaper does pour enough resources into this to make it work, will the paper move swiftly enough to keep up with the speed at which the Internet changes? Considering how quickly Facebook has gone from obscurity to a huge cultural phenomenon, who's to say what will come along to steal its niche and audience in another year or two? Can newspapers change directions fast enough to stay current with consumer habits, or will they be caught in a situation where they would have sunk a lot of resources to develop apps for a site that would have become passe by the time newspapers actually start making full use of it?

 

when's the last time you saw a teenager buying a paper out of a vending box?

 

I see Capt's points. It is a good idea in theory, but the one guy most papers have doing tech stuff doesn't have the time to keep up the site. The community sites are about constant communication between users and friends, and the IT "department" might have time to launch it but not for upkeep when the website needs tending to.

If you wanted to do this, it would be the reporter setting it up and maintaining, and probably doing it on your own time. With blogs and web stuff, I've found that editors often don't appreciate the time it takes to do things. That doesn't mean don't do it, it just means be realistic about what you're getting into. Because a dead newspaper "friend" might do more damage than not getting on the site.

 

When it the last time you've seen anyone buying a paper out of a vending box?

One person on my block still gets the paper. What should surprise no one is that they're senior citizens...

 

So we should really be printing more photos of grandchildren to get readers. Nice full-color pics of beaming, above-average kids with a caption that names all living local relatives.

And puppies.

 

As long as they work really hard

 

Aren't all the kids above-average?

 

The average-and-below try just as hard as the above-average, so let's not forget them.

 

My old paper has Facebook and MySpace pages for its weekly entertainment tabloid. Seems to be pretty effective at connecting with the people who are interested in the nightlife, weekend social events, etc. and getting the word out about events that are being co-sponsored by the tab.

Also the teen page (before it was killed) used a MySpace as a nice little web gathering place for its contributors, as well as teens who were fans of it.

 

facebook and myspace have gotten out of hand as it is. I think I had a seizure last time I loaded a page. All the videos, songs, graphics and applications are too much too handle.

Computers crashing!!!!!