Posts Tagged GrowthSpur
Media bloggers are watching TBD even before we launch
For a product that hasn’t launched yet, TBD is getting a lot of attention from bloggers.
Ken Doctor contrasted TBD’s acceptance of varying standards in our Community Network with the “Church of High Integrity” approach of traditional media organizations:
TBD’s approach is web, 2010. It’s a Society of Friends approach, and one being put into place not by starry-eyed newbies, but veteran journalists reinventing their craft on the fly. There’s risk there, of course, for Steve Buttry and Jim Brady in the approach. Undoubtedly, controversies will pop up on their watch, and their new practices will be dissected.
Mathew Ingram of GigaOm mentioned TBD in a post noting various “hyperlocal” projects in the works, and noting that others have failed:
Despite the entrance of heavyweights such as Patch.com into the market, however, it’s still not clear whether hyper-local blogging and journalism in general can generate enough revenue to make them viable as businesses in their own right. Anyone with a stake in that market will undoubtedly be watching TBD and Journal Register’s attempts closely.
Judy Sims mentioned TBD in consecutive posts speculating on the causes of death “if newspapers cease to be” (and we are neither predicting nor cheering for such an event). The causes, Sims said, will be failure to recognize the necessity of community and failure to focus on return on investment.
By the way, this message is not just for mainstream media companies. Pure plays such as Washington’s TBD.com and Toronto’s OpenFile.ca need to focus just as much (probably even more) on ROI if they’re going to support themselves with online ads alone. TBD is off to a great start (along with the Journal Register Company) by partnering with GrowthSpur. (Full disclosure, I’m on GrowthSpur’s advisory board).
David Rothman is offering advice aplenty (seven blog posts so far) both for TBD and for the Washington Post to “outgun” us (we’re hoping any competition won’t involve actual shots being fired):
- TBD’s Washington area news startup: Niche blogs wooed — but no signs YET of a hyperlocal nirvana
- TBD, meet NYC’s Westside Independent: Role model for SOME neighborhood blog affiliates
- Hyperlocal journalism and TBD: More coming on what makes a great ‘hyper’ site
- Georgetown Dish joins TBD blog network: Deja vu angles — in Washington Post’s backyard
- How TBD could use hyperlocal journalism to kick the Washington Post’s butt
- How TBD Web startup in the D.C. area will work with affiliate bloggers
- How Washington Post and New York Times could outgun hyperlocal sites like TBD and Baristanet
Shashi Bellamkonda blogged about the TBD Community Network (of which he’s a member) and our many appearances at Digital Capital Week last month.
TBD and GrowthSpur glad to work together with blog network
Posted by sbuttry in Partnerships on July 15, 2010
TBD is pleased to be working with GrowthSpur to help bloggers in the TBD Community Network develop a new model for local new and advertising.
Our friends at GrowthSpur announced their partnerships with TBD and Journal Register Co. on their blog today. The post describes well how we will be working:
GrowthSpur’s role will be to help the TBD network bloggers with ad sales, by providing them tools and training and assembling them into a local network in which they can sell each others’ ads. The first of the TBD bloggers are already on the GrowthSpur ad server and out selling ads to businesses in their communities. It’s been awesome meeting and working with dozens of cool, passionate bloggers in the D.C. area … We can’t wait to see it launch in the next few weeks. We think TBD is going to be a model for the future of modern metro news sites, and we’re honored to be able to help the bloggers make some money for their efforts.
We share the excitement. As we described in this blog earlier in the week, our relationship with GrowthSpur is a critical part of the TBD Community Network strategy.
GrowthSpur CEO Mark Potts has been a pioneer of digital journalism and a leading voice for innovation in the news business. We are pleased to be on the same team.