Beyond Search: Social Network Optimization

Released by FirstDayStory on May 11, 2011
Archive Link | Facebook | Twitter

A recent Pew study indicates that while search engines still lead the way in driving traffic to online editions, social networks aren't far behind.  Socially networked First Day Story publishers have conveyed similar findings.

First Day Story online editions help close the loop between social networking exposure and that of your online edition.

• Like (for Facebook) and Tweet (for Twitter) buttons on every story page.
• Under-story comments that make it convenient for users to crosspost their comments to their social network of choice.
• Promotional boxes that display your recent Facebook or Twitter activity right on your home/story pages, inviting users to join your network.  (See a live implementation of promotional boxes here.)

Social networks add online traffic by both 1) enabling you to draw attention to your online stories when you want to, and 2) encouraging your existing audience to share links with their networks, thereby building your audience.

First Day Story, Inc. provides content management solutions to community newspapers and is an Illinois corporation.

Contact:
Larry Graf, (312) 602-5479

First Day Story Publisher wins online awards from state association

Released by FirstDayStory on April 27, 2011
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Congratulations to First Day Story publisher The Mountain Enterprise in Frasier Park, CA.  The Enterprise won two first place awards at the annual convention of the The California Newspaper Publishers Association.

• Best Website, and
• Best Online News Coverage

The Mountain Enterprise has been independent and locally owned for 45 years. Hometown Publishing owns the newspaper.

First Day Story, Inc. provides content management solutions to community newspapers such as The Mounain Enterprise and is an Illinois corporation.

Contact:
Larry Graf, (312) 602-5479

Corporate name change aligns with product

Released by FirstDayStory on March 7, 2011
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Rhinestone Solutions, Inc. has completed its name change to First Day Story, Inc.  All other aspects of the Illinois corporation remain unaffected.

"First Day Story has always been our flagship product and we're happy to now present ourselves as such," said Larry Graf, President.  "As we continue our initiatives to increase our brand awareness, we feel it makes sense to consolidate that awareness into one name for both the corporation and the product."

First Day Story, Inc. provides content management solutions to community newspapers and is an Illinois corporation.

Contact:
Larry Graf, (312) 602-5479

First Day Story introduces Kindle publishing for community newspapers

Released by FirstDayStory on February 10, 2011
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First Day Story now enables publishers to deliver news on Amazon's Kindle platform. This includes distribution to the market-leading Kindle e-book reader device.

First Day Story's Kindle service utilizes the copy and images directly from a print edition with the goal of complete and matching content. Publishing each edition to Kindle involves no additional work for newspaper staff.

"Because First Day Story and its publishers have always been committed to full content presentations for online editions, we are perfectly positioned for this exciting new opportunity" said Larry Graf, President of Rhinestone Solutions, the developer of First Day Story.

"Distribution by handheld devices will continue to develop quickly, both in terms of innovation and demand. And interestingly, the processes that are involved may end up, in effect, retrofitting online editions by promoting the basics of full content, purpose-native presentations and most importantly, a sustainable pay model."

Both single copy and subscription-based options are available on Amazon’s Kindle platform.

Since 2005, First Day Story has provided community newspapers with end-to-end web content management by offering both CMS software and full content updates for each print edition. First Day Story offers flexible subscription models for its online editions, including paid/free hybrids and free access for print subscribers.

Contact:
Larry Graf, (312) 602-5479
 

Socially network your user comments

Released by FirstDayStory on November 17, 2010
Archive Link | Facebook | Twitter

Social networking allows users to discuss and share with their chosen audience.

User comments allow users to discuss and share regarding a chosen topic.

We've heard about both at every convention for years now. Neither of these is brand new. The fact that they are merging is.

With the infrastructure in place, users can post comments under your stories, using either their Facebook or Twitter identities. This encourages participation by making it quicker and easier. Not only does this avoid forcing your users to create and remember yet another user ID and password for your comments section, but it often avoids the need to log in for comments altogether since many users are perpetually logged in to their social network site. When this is the case, it is only a matter of a simple click to “connect” the two.

This specific user-convenience has been one of the larger internet developments in the past year or so, and the benefits are not just for the user.

When a user connects and comments using their social network identity, they then have the option (often a default checkbox) to cross-post the comment to their own Facebook or Twitter feed – automatically including a link to your story page. This is where your topic meets their audience, and it could mean significant, literally exponential, increases in your online exposure.

Social networking and user comment functionalities both come with intricacies and considerations for community newspapers, but if your newspaper is in the process of adopting both, then there's only an upside in linking them.

See a live First Day Story comment implementation here.

Contact:
Larry Graf, (312) 602-5479

Facebook, Twitter and Community Newspapers

Released by FirstDayStory on October 4, 2010
Archive Link | Facebook | Twitter

When developing online editions or consulting for community papers, we often gain insight and create a unified strategy by correlating the roles and relationships of online opportunities with those that have worked best for a paper traditionally. We call it looking forward - by looking around.

As an example, let's look at the question of "how valuable are social networks?". Here are a couple aspects of traditional publishing that we feel best relate to the roles Facebook and Twitter are currently filling.

• Do you display interesting news above the fold on your front page?
• Do you distribute free sample papers?

You probably do both of the above in an effort to add some "push" to the promotion of your paper, literally getting the full (paid or unpaid) product in the faces of prospects. Facebook and Twitter allow you to do so online, better than anything has to date.

While online editions serve as a convenient virtual newsstand in almost every home in your community, we still need a way to induce consumption. With Facebook and Twitter both, we have access not only to a large and interconnected audience, but also strong calls to action, prompting users to "follow" us indefinitely.

In looking forward by looking around, we realize that this is where social networking thrives. From a promotional standpoint (as compared to distribution), a visit to your Facebook or Twitter site may be more valuable than a visit to your online edition.

Contact:
Larry Graf, (312) 602-5479