How to get value from putting your archive online
Most media brands have a treasure trove of past product reviews, articles, interviews, pictures, guides and tips. How can you best exploit this online? Here are 5 tips to get you thinking.1. Value what you have got
Audit your archive, check out your competitors, talk to consumers to find out what is the hot property.
2. Work out how to tag it
Talk to consumers to work out how they might search, and develop a tagging system. Try to keep it flexible so you - or users - can add tags later
3. Employ a BYT* to rewrite for SEO and upload
SEO is the prize here, so it’s worth investing in tweaking the content before you upload it. (*BYT is a bright young thing).
4. Blog about your new content to drive traffic
If your archive is really unique (see tip #1) then when you tell people about it you’ll grow your traffic. Find ways to divert people onto your main site.
5. Find the money
Experiment with different business models: look for a sponsor for the free search facility; test paid-for PDFs for high-ticket items; offer free downloads for privileged groups such as subscribers; offer a paid-for advanced search service.
Do share your archive successes by clicking on the comment button.
Carolyn Morgan’s consultancy business, Penmaen Media, helps media brands grow in a digital world. Visit www.penmaen-media.co.uk for more info on how they can help you get more value from your website.
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Tags: archive, content, paid-for content, tags