Web Tips

• Statewide coverage has been scaled back (which is pretty much everywhere)
• Innovative j-schools want to explore multimedia (which is happening more and more), and
• Independent print pubs want to get in on the game, but can't afford to open their own multimedia shop in-house.

How else are you distributing your content aside from your site?

Klawonn: I have created an iTunes podcast for some of our MP3s where users can download some of the interviews from stories and one-on-one "debriefings" I have by phone with my correspondents -- sort of a takeoff on what NPR does.

In what ways are you connecting with the community you're covering?

Klawonn: I've started doing my Editor's Blog on camera and out in the community. Each month, I'm going around to various independent, locally-owned businesses in Arizona (mostly Phoenix for now) and doing a vlog from their store that I screen personally. They host it in exchange for a quick plug. Most of them end up linking to me, which helps with SEO and gets the word out in a grassroots way. So far, I've got interest from a top-tier physical therapy clinic, coffee roasting house, hobby shops and a few others. (The hobby shop owner has 2,500 Web subscribers she wants to refer to The Zonie Report.)

What advice do you have for people interested in starting something similar in their states?

Klawonn:  First, chat up your colleagues. Is this a good idea? If they created this, how would they do it? If they were a reader, would they surf this? Join some online journalism groups to network, track the latest trends or ask for tips on storytelling techniques.

Second, know the competition. Find the largest papers, and then find where they do not have bureaus. Are there regional or rural newspapers in the area? Find out what all of these are offering on their Web sites. Do they have video? Audio? Multimedia packages? Or is it just AP's national video service for AP subscribers? Find the multimedia and geographic holes.

And finally, spend some time surfing the stories on these Web sites -- from the major dailies on down. Pay close attention to the topics covered and, more importantly, the number and tone of comments posted on those stories. Use this as an unofficial readership survey of what people want to know more about. Then focus on those topics exclusively. Make those your landing pages. Make it your goal to own those topics and build your brand around them. Then offer RSS feeds to rural/regional newspapers in areas of high-bandwidth that may be starved for unique online content. This builds traffic.

What lessons have you learned from this project that would be useful to other online journalists?

Klawonn:  First, be judicious with the multimedia elements you use to tell each story. Ask yourself if it's totally necessary to have a reporter-narrated photo slideshow, an interactive map/graphic, streaming video AND a whole bunch of Flash. Don't get starry-eyed over the possibilities, because it can ruin your budget and bog down the user. Think of quality over quantity.

Second, give the page design space to breathe. Everyone knows they can go to the major metro daily and see a zillion links. Use more thumbnails and quick, punchy text to lure readers deeper into the site's landing pages. When they get to those pages, try using large photos to link to stories instead of/in combination with scannable headlines. Show them you are offering a different, deeper user experience.

Use an e-newsletter service to update your core base of subscribers. Make it more personable and conversational than the e-mail blasts from the metro papers. Bank your best stories and send them out every week or two instead of daily. Why? People are inundated with e-newsletters already, and you are offering stories that take longer to absorb. Give them at least a week to really surf the latest stuff.

And finally, it took me two years to get here, so be patient with the results. You're exploring the new media frontier. Don't give up. The covered wagons will follow in time.