When a survey of advertisers told the Palm Beach Post "stop pitching us products" and help us go digital, Palm Beach Post decided to create an internal ad agency. In its first quarter of operations, the "agency" conducted 55 "brain-storming sessions" for clients that resulted in 22 advertising campaigns and a collective growth rate of 90%. Here is how the department was put together: more

There are a few must-have technologies to grow digital sales that all local media companies should have in their arsenal to do what interactive media does best: targeting and conversion-tracking. more

One of the more lucrative categories in the local marketplace is healthcare: From large hospitals and clinics to plastic surgeons and chiropractors, the healthcare industry supplies a stable source of somewhat recession-proof local and regional advertising. One approach is compete for this category is to develop health-related niche sites and channels. How much money do these sites make and what are the advantages versus simply running a campaign or contest? Here are three examples, all of them profitable, in different markets using different strategies. more

The local media sales force of the future will be comprised of digitally savvy experts able to tailor suite of products and services to deliver measureable results for clients. Legacy media will be an important but smaller portion of total revenues. But only a few, companies, are moving at sufficient pace to accomplish this transformation in time to replace diminishing legacy dollars. Among them, Hearst Newspapers' Chron.com stands out. Typically the beta site for new product launches, the site's sales force is the number one in sales in the Yahoo Consortium. VP of Digital Sales, Stephen Weis, shared his strategies in transforming Chron.com sales culture with us. Here are ten key take-aways from that interview: more

What do top reps do prior to going on a call? Here's a list of information about the client that top reps find out before each appointment, and the sources they use. It only takes a couple of minutes to be prepared. Better is better. more

Customized shopping sites developed by the Evening Post Publishing Company include elements of business directories, coupon sites and dining guides. Each is a standalone site, but relies heavily on newspaper site promotions. Together four sites generate $400,000 a year, and growing. Here's a close look at ShopBrazos. more

BCLocalBiz.com, a directory launched at Black Press in April 2010, is designed to compete directly with IYP’s in its local markets. Project manager Jason Naidu's team started with a database from Axiom, loaded into eDirectory software. The software mapping was enhanced to identify hyper-local neighborhoods and communities, allowing a user to refine their search. A home page widget also promotes featured listings, and with 115 sales in the first quarter. Here's an analysis of the site. more

The Riverside Press-Enterprise has jumped into selling social media services with both feet. Their model, eMediaWaves.com, launched officially in June, 2010 and sells a DIY platform that allows small businesses to create a blog that automatically posts to other social media. Here's how they set up the new program. more

A typical city weekly carries 20 to 60 restuarants a week, and hundreds for a dining guide and a couple of thousand a year. And these are all migrating to digital services. The key to selling restaurants online is to have “the big idea” for the campaign, whether it's digital or broadcast. With digital advertising, however, the every campaign needs to have a great concept. Here is a list of advertising concepts that get results for restaurants. more

Gannet-owned Shreveportimes.com has three or four local online initiatives a year. These have to be chosen carefully and tested for interest from the marketplace. After talking to potential advertisers, a recipe-based food channel launched with $36,000 in pre-sold sponsorships. Here's how they did it. more