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News Bonners Ferry proving its reach
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| April 6, 2011 |
by Mike Weland
Publisher
In more than 20 years of covering Boundary
County news in some form or another, I have most
often differed with the people I worked for.
They're in business to sell advertising, and I
am, too. All media is.
I'm different in that I am an editor, not a
salesman. While I need and would welcome
advertising, it's my thought that what makes the
advertising work is the breadth and reach of the
news published. You have to give your
advertisers value. To do that, you have to be
read.
To do that, you have to put news first.
That is and will always be my focus as publisher
of News Bonners Ferry. An honest reporter here
will not be fired because an advertiser, if we
ever get one, doesn't like the implications of a
well-written and factual article.
Without advertising support, News Bonners Ferry,
in it's first month on-line, is building a
foundation as an honest, unbiased and trusted
source of news.
In March, our first month of publication, News
Bonners Ferry, without fanfare, was read by
1,120 unique visitors, accounting for 24,998
"hits" on our website. The average was 81 unique
visitors and 806 hits per day.
Six days into April, we're averaging 100 unique
visitors per day, and 1,052 hits. As the numbers
continue to improve, News Bonners Ferry is going
to rank higher with the major search engines as
a trusted source of local news, available 24-7,
365 days a year.
If I can continue to publish, News Bonners Ferry
is going to provide what potential advertisers
need; readers from around the world who might
well need what advertisers offer. Most
publications put advertising first. News Bonners
Ferry puts timely and accurate local news first.
Our readers thus far aren't only from Bonners
Ferry, though the majority are. Many of our
local readers have shared our link with friends
intersted in our community far away. We've had
people visit our site from Seattle, New York,
Sheridan, Wyoming, Puyallup, Washington, Las
Vegas, Oklahoma City, Arizona, Florida and many
points between. We've had visitors from Japan,
Canada and Europe. All in just a month.
And as word spreads via people sharing news of
our site with friends via email and social
networks, the number of readers will grow.
As publisher, it's my belief that if I can
provide readers a trusted and timely source of
news, I'll be able to offer those who choose to
advertise on these pages true value for their
dollar.
But before I worry about that, I have to earn
the trust of readers and the community, and
become a trusted outlet for your news. I value
news over ads, and if it's honest news, it will
be published on this site, be it a news story, a
community event listing, a wedding, an obituary.
The news has to come first.
I thank everyone who's visited these pages, and
even more the many people who've shared news. It
might take time, but the advertising support
that will keep this site in publication will
come to see the value in supporting this
endeavor and the value it can bring to their
business.
After all ... advertisers and business owners
are readers, too. |
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