12th October 2010
Post
A newspaper the perfect vector for a mobile news strategy. This section outlines the readers experience with AltNewsweeklies. As always, feedback welcome:
Reader Experience (RX)
While some technologists envisioned an iPadian future of tablets delivering newspaper subscriptions, the reality is that most people will have a phone in their pocket and the tablet in their living room. Until prices for tablets reach netbook levels (sub-$300) there’s still a huge opportunity that the 500 year old newspaper can provide.
When a reader picks up a copy on an AltWeekly from their favorite cafe, eatery or street box, they have the following attributes:
- They’re already mobile: The reader is already away from his or her work or home and is also away from a desktop computer.
- They have the same content: Readers have the same content in the newspaper as is in on the website. They’re also able to access the content without having to plug it in or find a WiFi signal. It also continues working if you spill coffee on it.
One thing a reader can’t do with a newspaper is share or comment on an article they find compelling with their circle of friends instantly. Many AltWeeklies provide the online reader with a way to share articles with their friends using Facebook, Twitter or some other services. In the 18th century, American newspapers deliberately left blank space in its pages so subscribers could annotate and otherwise append their ideas and “news” to the newspaper. AltWeeklies are missing out on the enthusiasm that the newspaper reader might have in commenting and sharing an article by making them wait until they get to their desktop computer.
