Well, take today as a perfect example. While we enjoyed an excellent Friday last Friday, today we're down so far by about 1,000 hits. OK, I know there's still plenty of time to get 1,000 more hits for the day, that's cool. But here's where I make my point.
The Daily Times & WBOC like to openly mention their Websites get 3,000,000 page views per month. In today's Daily Times they provided a link to Salisbury News. IF, let me repeat, "IF" the Daily Times was getting so much more traffic than Salisbury News, our hits today would reflect it. We have monitored this in the past and I have even made posts about the absolute fact that even with the additional Press, we did not see a spike in our hots for that day.
So the Daily Times can go on and on about how great their doing but we know here at Salisbury News that we own the local market, or at least share the same customer base. Granted, it would have been nice, (honestly, it would) if we did see a spike, because we would have at least known there would be that much more business out there to be had. After three times of having articles where a link or address was provided, no spike, no additional traffic, time to start selling more ad space.
The cool part about knowing this is that we now know we have just as much to offer to the local business people as the Daily Times does. We're fresher, we're faster, we're more enjoyable and we're very bias, LOL.
It only took 4 years to compete and capture the entire marketplace. Now let's see what we can do by going to the next level and proving to those advertisers we can get them more traffic than they had ever seen from the Daily Times.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
18 comments:
Joe, respectfully you're gonna have to do more than a bunch of bunch of DSP press releases. As much as you are not going to like it, the Daily Fish Wrap does offer several local stories without all of the in your face stuff that you do. It's a turnoff for most people Joe. It really is. Now while I love your blog, you fill in with a lot of crap in my opinion. When you break a story, it's usally over top and you do a good job with those. You've just got a looong way to go to catch up to the print media, as much as you think you have arrived. In a sense you have, but you're not comparing apples to apples here.
Rock on though Joe! Keep on Gittn-R Done!
Perhaps you didn't soak in all I said in the Post. This is not the first time the Daily Times has linked to Salisbury News. Again, each time we did not see a spike in hits. While I respect your opinion, you can see these same press releases every single day in the Daily Times and WBOC, so why complain that they're here too. Also, we have a HUGE audience from Delaware and while the DSP news may not mean a whole lot to you, it means a lot to those visiting from DE.
You also need to remember another majoy issue at hand. Salisbury News is FREE, unlike the Daily Times. The articles we have provided Tuesday, yesterday, today and you will also see more tomorrow referencing the WBOE, well ahead of the Daily Times, so please don't tell me we have a bunch of filler stuff. The filler stuff is funny or entertaining. It may not be for you, so scroll past it and enjoy the rest, with all due respect.
Now take a moment and think about how long it would take YOU every single day to go out, take pictures, get stories, go to press conferences, fundraisers, buy cameras, pay for gas and maintainance, you get my point. It starts at 6:30 am every day and ends at 11:00 pm. ALL FOR FREE.
I have been doing this long enough to know, we own the market here locally. It's not going to grow much bigger. In other words, I'd be a FOOL to purchase ad space in the Daily Times with the hope we'd get a bigger following. If their numbers are any higher than Salisbury News, it's because they have more articles that pop up when you do a Google Search. I'm sorry but that doesn't help local business people paying for ads because some guy in California looked up "Graffiti" on Google, if you get my drift.
So we'll agree to disagree. Let me close with this. For those people who have advertised with Salisbury News, not only are they getting instant results. They're also getting customers coming in regularly saying they saw it on Salisbury News. Many advertisers have told me that never happens when they advertise with the Daily Times and believe me, it cost a whole lot more to run and ad there versus here.
I should also add, you don't like the Wildlife Photo of the Day? You don't like the One or Two or even Three Years Ago Today? What is it about the so called "filler" articles don't you like?
Here's a HUGE example of influence between the Daily Times and Salisbury News, as well as proof we receive more Internet traffic.
The Daily Times put up an on line article about the State turning down the MOE request with County Executive Rick Pollitt and the WBOE.
Salisbury News ALSO posted an article about it this afternoon/evening.
At this very moment, Salisbury News has "46 comments" the Daily Times has "ZERO!"
Don't piss on my foot and then tell me it's raining. Do you get it now???????
Oh, if you doubt me in any way, here's the link to the Daily Times article and ZERO comments.
http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20090515/NEWS01/90515019/1002/WICOMICO+++2+million+Maintenance+of+Effort+request+denied
I don't subscribe to the Daily Times and I also don't watch WBOC. I can get their content FREE as well just as I do yours so the Free thing doesn't really cut it. Part of the reason newspapers like the Daily Fish Wrap are going down the tubes because you can read it free on the net. Look I'm not knocking you Joe for what you do. I'm quite amazed to be honest. Please don't take this as some sort of attack, I'm just trying to offer some constructive criticism. To think you "own the market" is a little ambitious on your part. You've certainly got a piece of it but for all the hits you say you get daily, other people are getting their news via WBOC, WMDT and the Daily Times. People tune into you for the shock value you offer and sometimes Joe, honestly your credibility takes a hit because you rush stuff out half assed with little fact and only rumor. You've got to admit that you've done this on numerous occasions. Again, not knocking you. I for one would like to see your blog grow into something other than the shock media that it is from time to time.
My cap is tipped to you for the job that you do. It really is. I just think before you give yourself too much credit, that you can look at things objectively and realize that things aren't really as you portray them. Thats all. Thanks for listening....like your blog, all of this advice is provided free of charge! LOL! Nite Joe!
As I said earlier, we'll agree to disagree. I do respect and appreciate your opinion, that's why it got published. I never felt any of what you said was an attack. However, I will say this. We NEVER claimed to be journalists, we're Bloggers. We do break news sooner than most anyone else, most of the time. I would like to ask you to please provide ANY story we have published where we were wrong and did not correct? You'd be standing on much firmer grounds if you'd stop saying we have done so by providing evidence. It makes me seriously wonder which one of the three, WBOC, WMDT or the Daily Times that you work for?
Nah...I don't work for any of them Joe. The helicopter story comes to recent memory. It was full of half truths. I am pretty sure there are more but am tired and gonna head off to bed. I think you can still be a blogger, a journalist, reporter whatever it's just a title. To publish responsible, fact driven stories makes you credible and you would really seperate yourself from the other guys. OK...NOW I'm gong to bed. I appreciate the banter Joe. Just keep your mind open to others ideas and opinions. Their like a$$holes, everybody has one but if you take a bunch of him and put them together, I think you could use them to really make this thing take off like a rocket for you. G'Nite!!!!!
We have covered the helicopter story at least three times. Use the search box and type in helicopter and you should find all of them that way, perhaps more.
The research that went into the latest story was done by Beezer, one of our contributors. Trust me on this, I can assure you his information is more accurate than the Daily Times. I found it extremely funny when the DT's stated "a blogger" contacted the Feds, yet they wouldn't put up who. Just because the DT's says it in print doesn't mean they're accurate. In time you will learn this to be a fact. When I started Salisbury News, everyone thought I was full of crap. It took a few years until everyone started to realize what we were saying was true.
You have to take each story and decide for yourself which one you want to believe. Nevertheless, we broke that story probably 3 years ago. Funny, the DT's finally comes out with something three years later and it's news. The only reason they did anything is because we sparked the FEDs interest. Again, that's influential. I have enjoyed this and I welcome your coming back with more examples.
Again, It is commendable that you have found a marketplace for this commodity that you sell. It's a great way for you to get your message out and for others to express their opinion, when you allow it. I do believe that this product is in a different category than the Daily Times or the WBOC or WMDT pages. There sites are for news, as opposed to this one which is more about opinions on the news. Not that one is better than the other, just a statement of fact.
Joe, I like your blog and respect all of the hard work you are doing. But, the fact that your blog is so opinionated and full of attacks on others will keep most advertisers at bay. The way Dawn Tilghman was treated about the political signs in front of her buisness is an example.
I will continue to enjoy your blog, but for now I will not even consider advertising at any price, I think in the end it can only do harm.
I also do not agree with posting art and not citing the owner/source; it is flat out wrong and illegal in some sitiuations. There are alot of great local photographers and many would love to share their work on here if they were given credit. This is just one way of turning a continual controversial occurance into a very positive one.
Joe is Joe, and this site is what it is. It certainly doesn't fit into the 'box' that people have used to define 'journalism' or 'news media' in the past, but we're not in the past anymore. And that's great, because we're no longer at the mercy of a lefty-dominated propaganda machine. The emergence of the blogs and alternative media is a good thing, but each person must exercise due diligence to research things and choose carefully what to believe (rather than just drink the Kool-Aid as they've been doing for the last half-century.)
Joe is a mess, but since they've gotten him to start taking his medication, he's doing much better now! ROTFL!!
Keep up the good work, Joey. And maybe you can give your buddy Eric at Signatures some good rates on ad space-- he cut my hair and did an EXCELLENT job the very first time-- thanks for the tip on him.
I view SBY News, Daily Times, and WBOC daily. But I usually get on SBY News more. The main reason is I enjoy reading the comments. SBY News gets alot more comments then the DT or WBOC. I find them very entertaining. Especially if the article is about Bush or Obama. The liberals get so worked up.
anonymous 7:58, How about Howard Stern, Grease Man and the likes of such. There's a line to get advertising on their shows. Quite frankly we have been advertising on here for local companies for months now and we have a list of them to contact when we're ready to go into full swing, many of which already regularly advertise in the Daily Times.
You can respectfully claim you don't think many will advertise but guess what, you're wrong. We have toned this Blog down over the years to an acceptable point. Trust me when I say, we reject hundreds of comments per day. If you think what you're seeing is bad, come visit the office for a few days and see how many really nasty comments come in.
This is the time of year to expect a slowdown though, finally some nice weather. People like to get out more before we sit inside from the blistering heat.
I know myself, I've been busier and it's nice to get some sun and breeze. Get some things done outside of the house and in the yard, it's the the perfect weather for getting something done outside or out on the water.
If Sbynews had obits I would never read the Times again!
Overall,when you consider the fact that Joe is NOT getting paid for this,AND he is doing most,if not all of the legwork (going to local events,breaking news,etc),all I can say is when does he have time to sleep?
Joe,did you clone yourself?LOL
I do have to say that Joe does indeed put together a good story. The other stations and papers have journalist with bacheloer degrees and still they can't report the ACTUAL news. Plus most of the stories on the news are directly from this site. The other day i was watching WBOC at the scene of an accident and i saw Joe way in the front taking pictures. This site is definatly a good source and Joe has my respect.
I like the blog, read it daily, and think what you report is. mostly, worth the time. You have shed light on major issues facing the community that the media outlets ignore/don't know about/choose to underreport. I like your work, and hope you continue.
Personally, I think posts like this one ("hey, look how great I am") are only self-serving, and seem a bit desperate. Yes, the media outlets in town do the same thing, and it is just as bad, but if you are railing against their methods, why do the same thing they do? Just do your work and do it well. The showboating is unnecessary, and taints the rest of your blogging.
Come on. Howard Stern and Grease Man? Joe, what is the direction of your website. Is it to get the local news faster than all other, or, or, ? Anonymous that referred to filler stuff, I agree with that assumption but, lately your blog site has been much more interesting and frisky. You are covering good news along with controversial stuff which heightens our curiosity and gives us the inside truth with your perspective. This in turn, makes us want to turn on our computer and see what out of the normal news that you do not see in papers along with the reactions from all of us opinionated slugs. Get that spark going again, you are the man!
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