Promise Media

Newspaper and TV stations favor news over other forms of content for good reason, but their feature content is vital for creating a broadly attractive Web site.

Imagine taking over management of a TV station Web site. The first inclination about content is to put stories from the newsroom on the site, along with plenty of video. But experienced managers of broadcast sites know that while their content may go live more quickly than a newspaper site, there are far fewer and far shorter stories. And video doesn?t get many plays.

The answer for such a site lies with strong, original feature content. Not only can it have long shelf life ? especially health, travel, attractions and recreation ? but it has higher appeal to advertisers than news. Likewise, newspaper sites are well-advised to pursue original feature content for the same reason ? long shelf life and advertiser appeal.

There is a tendency to dismiss feature content after trying it because a story typically doesn?t get the same level of readership in the first few days or even weeks after publication, especially compared to a news story. But it is shelf life that makes the difference. A news story typically has readership appeal on the first day and sometimes briefly beyond. But a package about state parks, travel destinations, major attractions, recreational activities and similar content will have readership potential for months and even years, and it rarely needs much updating. Some media sites develop as much as 30 percent or more of their page views with features.

The return on investment of labor in a feature story or section can be equal to or greater than a news story. Both TV and newspaper sites are well-advised to provide healthy doses of both kinds of content for the sake of both readership and advertising. Be warned: It takes months and sometimes more than a year for such a content initiative to develop momentum, but it leads to a more robust product, broader reach and higher revenue.