Note: This is one of a series of posts from the America East 2007 conference in Hershey, Penn. (See more coverage from the first day of America East .)
Online Classifieds Best Practices
Speaker: Tony Lee, Chief Alliance Officer and Executive V.P. of Adicio, Inc.
Tony Lee, chief alliance officer and executive vice president of Adicio Inc. in Princeton, N.J., outlined the top trends in online classifieds during “Online Classifieds Best Practices.”
Use free listings to create visual mass. Ottaway Newspapers in Campbell, N.Y., is inviting all listings into its database for free. “We want to build the largest database possible,” said panelist Kurt Lozier, director of Internet revenue development at Ottaway Newspapers. The goal, he said, is to then monetize the white space around the classifieds.
Savvy marketing wins. “If you don’t own some of the keyword terms in your market, you are allowing the competition to beat you,” says Lee.
In recruitment, deliver qualified candidates, not just listings. Employers who sign up for Phillyburbs.com’s recruitment service, are automatically offered five qualified candidates, said Bob Kellagher, corporate director of business development at Calkins Media in Levittown, Pa.
Video goes mainstream. Video must become part of classifieds, Lee said.
E-commerce is key. Making it easy for clients to post their listings 24/7 with a credit card is critical for online classifieds, Lee said.
Reverse publishing takes off. Newspapers need to drive online only advertisers into the print product, Lee said.
Networks are forming. Social, regional, national, cross-platform and more networks allow recruiters, brokers and auto dealers to communicate, Lee said.
We’re all getting older. The leading edge of baby boomers turns 61 this year. “Make sure you’re not forgetting to create and maintain classified products that appeal to this key segment of our audience,” Lee advised.
Create sales experts. “Recruit, train, retain and be ready to compensate sales people like never before,” Lee said.
-- Lisa Rabasca, Presstime Magazine