7 Tips on building a new news website
If you want to know how to manage your own news website you must first commit yourself to learning how to manage a news website. It sounds a bit of a cliche but the fact remains that simply launching a website in the current age isn’t going to be enough to get more sales, or eyes on your brand.
If you want to launch, manage and grow a new news website in the 21st Century you’re going to have to come up with something a bit special. Here are seven things you can do to ensure people are visiting and engaging with your news website.
1. Commit
First and foremost you’re going to have to commit yourself to the website. The actual cause of the website and getting as much news, content as is humanely possible on the website.
Not only that but the website will need to be informative, written in a consistent and particular tone and finally its going to need you to put in more than just 9am — 5pm.
Be prepared to commit and go all in across all of your facets.
2. Not all about the press
When you get an email that has a press release do you think you’re the only news website within your area to get that press release? Of course you aren’t, it has been passed around multiple other news websites before it finally landed on your desk.
What this means for you is that the likelihood several of those websites will have published that same article on their website is quite high. Which means by the time it's got to you, is it really news?
Also a lot of the news websites out there will simply copy and paste the article without adding or rewording certain parts, this could present you with an opportunity to really give your personal take on a story.
Be prepared to put things into your own words, mix it up and have some fun,
3. Local or national
When you start your news website its going to look pretty empty if you don’t have any articles to share. So you’re going to need to make some contacts both locally and nationally.
Pop along to networking events, turn up to business, community and charity events, perhaps a new business is opening in your local area — turn up to its launch event.
Decide on the topics that you’re going to report on. I’ve often found that if I have an interest in a certain topic I can add my own spin to the subject matter.
4. Budget
If you think your news website is going to survive without some investment, unfortunately that isn’t true. Like any website or any good business for that matter it is going to require some initial investment to get the website up and off the ground.
I’m not just talking financial here either. I’m talking time, it can take months years even for your website to become the go to place for local or national news.
A lot of it depends on how much time and financial investment you want to put into your new venture.
5. Sell Advertising
Every good business needs an income and for your news website its going to be no different and its going to need a lot of income to warrant your time.
There are hundreds of ways in which your news website could generate revenue from pay walls to the good old Google Ad Sense, banners and even referral marketing.
Essentially what I’m saying is whatever method you choose, start selling advertising as soon as possible.
Here’s the next problem selling advertising isn’t easy or cheap. Your website is one of billions out there, so what is your USP?.
6. Promote! Promote! Promote
Once you’ve built your website and got it live with a few articles you’re going to need to promote your website day and night.
I’m not just talking social media here, sure there are billions of users on social media, but what’s wrong with good old fashioned bill boards, advertising leaflets, sponsorship, events and more?
Essentially promote your new news website in anyway you can.
7. Get innovative
Reporting on local and even national news has changed significantly in recent years. However don’t let that stop you from becoming a little more innovative with how you report news.
You could develop your own news app, perhaps you’ll integrate video into your website for a new campaign celebrating local businesses.
Whatever you choose to do, go for it.
8. More than just words
Lastly owning and managing your news website is more than just words. You will already know that a lot of the papers, at least here in the UK, often have political affiliations or will show more support for one political point of view than another.
With your news website you get to choose the “lifestyle” if you will of your brand. You don’t have to affiliate yourself with any kind of political faction but you do have to give it some kind of lifestyle for others to engage with.
Remember your news website is far more than just a collection of articles, it will be a place where you will sell your brands lifestyle.
Don’t believe for a second that setting up, running and managing your own news website is an easy or simple task, it isn’t. Managing your own news website can become a 24 hour job and very expensive as you begin to drive more and more traffic to your website.
Robert Haylor
