Buffalo News boosted digital sales by $600,000 with a new CRM and incentive contest. This case study shows how the initiative worked, including the CRM vendor, launch strategy, ongoing tactics and results. more

The Oklahoman, owned by OPUBCO, is reaping six to seven figure increases from its new CRM system, SalesTouch by AdMall. The system has also been adopted by the Southbend Tribune, Reminder Media, The Kansas City Star, Denver Post and WKEF-WRGT-TV. The case study shows how the system works, key concepts, pricing and revenue metrics. Required reading for LocalMediaInsider members. This vendor is an editor's pick. more

Red Wing Publishing in Minneapolis, Minnesota, publishes 10 community newspapers. Its new full-service agency model, Big Fish Digital, has put together a winning team of vendors. Learn from their experience of hiring the key executive, selecting the vendor mix, the pricing and packaging strategies, and products that have highest need and are most profitable. The full case study is below. more

At the National Association of Broadcaster's conference, a vast array of drones for sale were surrounded by curious onlookers in radio and tv management. Maybe not for purely business reasons. Let's face it, they fly a lot like remote controlled miniature planes that people operate above one hill at my favorite park every weekend. Rachel Maddow flew one on her show. When not killing people, drones are fun. But can they really be useful for covering local news? more

Public radio station KBIA, licensed by the University of Missouri, is using drones to cover environmental and agricultural stories. Scott Pham, content director of KBIA Missouri, acquired a grant to experiment with using drones. Here's the results, including equipment needed and costs, links to how the coverage was incorporated in stories, and lessons learned. more

After launching a new digital subscription paywall in the fall of 2011, the editorial staff at the York Daily Record wanted to increase and improve online coverage. YDR decided test whether iPads for newsroom reporters, in addition to iPhones which they already had, would make a difference, and how much. The results have been astounding: 50% more video is being uploaded by reporters to the site, and the team has transitioned into multi-media journalists. Here's their iPad launch strategy, keys to success, results, and best practices in the field. more

For journalists in the field, a laptop and an internet connection are typically no longer enough to convey the complete story. Personal communications devices with a few extra pieces can often transform the story. Here's a basic tool kit for the field, composed of ten tools, with strengths and weaknesses. Included are top brands and why for phones, tablets, light packs, mono-pods, audio and power extension. more

Best practices for five top newsroom apps used by York Daily Record are explained here, including links to tutorials and related best practice uses around the country. The York Daily Record has been recognized by the Newspaper Excellence in Cyberspace awards for its application of social networking and online campaigns, and received a Pennsylvania Newspaper Foundation John Fisher Internet Vision Award. Included in the case study are GeoFeedia, Storify, RebelMouse, ScribbleLive and Scribd, with tips from editor and digital content expert, Buffy Andrews. more

A variety of models allow media company to monetize events listings. When selecting a platform, take into account the whole events strategy. Here are some factors to consider: 1. What kind of … more

A key initiative for the New Orleans monthly OffBeat Magazine was revamping a weekly email newsletter, which now yields an estimated $52,000 annually. Here's how the company put the program together. more