“Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one.”
– A.J. Liebling

What can one person accomplish using the Web? It’s astounding.

The American Society of Business Publication Editors proved it in a recent Webinar packed with tips from two pioneers of the do-it-yourself Web world.

These two each started successful Web-based businesses essentially on their own although with support from heavy-hitting collaborators who had come to know them in their earlier 9 to 5 lives. Their message: you—or your small organizational unit—can do what they did. Do it right, and your readers will do our jobs better and see the world more clearly as a result.

If you think I’m going overboard, see for yourself.

First, go to Junta 42. Joe Pulizzi, the founder, doesn’t care whether you pronounce it the way a Latino would (hoonta), or give it the European pronunciation (shunta). Pulizzi only wants to become your favorite go-to place for information about content marketing—or custom publishing, as it was called back in 1906, when American Business Media was founded. Of course, he’d also be very pleased if you signed up for Junta42 Match (“E-Harmony for custom publishers”) and bought his book Get Content, Get Customers.

ASBPE was thoughtful enough to summarize his presentation on their website, if you want to see his six rules for becoming a media mogul. But there’s a seventh rule, which is to deliver great customer service. I know he does that because I tried to open a guest post on his blog site and couldn’t, sent an e-mail to info@junta42.com, and got the post I wanted in less than two hours.

Of course, the post wasn’t very good. Most posts aren’t. But read Junta 42’s white papers. They’re free, and they are very good.

On to pioneer number two, Harry McCracken, the former editor of PC World who left “because I wanted to scare myself” (starting your own Web-based business will absolutely do the trick) and now manages Technologizer, which, he says, provides reliable information to 400,000 visitors each month.

ASBPE summarizes his tips on its website as well, but one worth noting here is of particular importance to publications and Web content managers: Be obsessive about understanding your traffic. What are people reading on your site? What do they like?

Studies to find out can be expensive, but worth every penny.

Freedom of the press only matters to those who have readers.

Congratulations

To guest blogger Ann D. Getman, APR, Principal of Getman Strategic Communications in Cambridge, MA, who was awarded the Diane Davis Beacon Award for lifetime achievement in public relations. She was nominated and elected by accredited colleagues in the Boston Chapter of Public Relations Society of America. The award was presented at the annual meeting in Needham on November 19.

Posted in Framing content in print and on the Web, Marketing and promotion