industry buzz

Digital Offerings
According to this BizReport article and the Magazine Publishers of America, the magazine industry has seen a huge increase in the total number of digital offerings, with 62 new initiatives this year alone. These digital extensions exist to entice online users to pick up the print publication, and run the gamut from online content to blogs to podcasts.

National Geographic's Traveler magazine has launched an interactive blog for those readers who want to be able to search archives and post photos or comments about their own trips.

This TV Week article reports that Scripps Networks is looking to expand its online presence through the purchase of Recipezaar.com, a user-generated recipe and community site that features more than 230,000 recipes.

Magazines from the Windy City
Every summer the Chicago Tribune publishes its own list of the top fifty magazines of the year. This year's list is out and it specifically focuses on magazines that also have a web presence. This list covers everything from "Home Life" to "Travel" to "News." Take a look for yourself, you may discover a few new titles to visit online.

Hyperlocal News Reporting
This article from The Washington Post reports that the paper has launched its first of several "hyperlocal" resource sites, in an attempt to become the dominant local news and information resource. These community-focused sites will combine "traditional reporters and photographers with bloggers, videographers and extensive databases on schools, businesses and churches." Check it out at LoudounExtra.com.

Disclaimer: Access to some sites may require registration.
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diamond in the rough

Building Relationships with User-Generated Content
by Judy Kirkland

Serving members means building relationships. User-generated content (UGC) could make the difference to your success. It's the foundation of Web 2.0—what Internet guru Tim O'Reilly defines as "openness and participation." Wildly popular websites like You Tube and My Space demonstrate how UGC builds traffic and relationships. It can build businesses too: browse MySpace for friends' profiles and you may also come across the blog of the Humane Society of the United States, or a profile page for Wendy's square hamburger, part of Wendy's "good to be square" advertising campaign.

On your own website, UGC can advance your nonprofit's educational goals, boost event attendance, and much more. It can also be a fast and inexpensive way to expand member services as you strengthen your group's voice, clout and financial base. But, a successful incorporation of UGC on your site means an even balance between freedom of speech and filtered content. This white paper by eModeration highlights the concepts any organization should take into consideration before allowing UGC on its website, including community guidelines and user differentiation.

Here are some successful examples of integrated UGC:

Sharing: Health Central offers a great model for using UGC to connect members with advice or shared experiences. Click on Bipolar and you link to articles by featured experts plus advice from people coping with the disorder.

Content: Associated Content provides ready-to-use original video, text, audio or images. From a user review of a new treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome to a video clip of how lupus has affected the life of a pregnant woman, it's easy to connect with content that readers value.

Education: Want to educate, inspire, and involve? Take a page from a GE Healthcare website filled with photos people have sent in showing themselves engaged in healthy activities.

Fundraising: Senator Barack Obama's website allows user participation and donations. The "MY" features tab allows users to connect with other Obama supporters, send messages, and even create fundraising events (like a DC group's "Bid on Your Crush for Obama" auction and mixer).

click here to suggest a trend; image above by David McGlynn.

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