Modular Home Page OverviewFebruary 2012

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How you use Core Publisher for your site depends on: What your station goals are What your online audience needs What your team’s capacity is for creating and managing

digital content

The new modular home page enables more flexibility in how you can implement your strategy

Core Publisher: One tool that supports many strategies

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A framework for station site strategies

Providing the best experience and tools for my radio audience

Creating a unique local content destination thatgrows digital audience & engagement

Size of Newsroom

OverallStation Goals

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Our first pilot focused on one approach to Digital News Focus that we called River of News

Providing the best experience and tools for my radio audience

Creating a unique local content destination thatgrows digital audience & engagement

Size of Newsroom

OverallStation Goals

Digital News Focus

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Skyboxes for featured stories

Navigation focused on news categories

Links to ongoing coverage

Blog-like “river” of latest local stories and selected NPR stories

Most active stories

River of News home page example

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Optimized for creating a unique local content destination with modest resources Creating original content (e.g., news, music coverage)

that’s not on the air Focusing on fresh daily content targeted at a digital

audience Ensuring radio-oriented needs (e.g., stream, schedule,

program info) can also still be met

Strategy: Digital News FocusImplementation: River of News

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River of News is a successful approach, but not the only path to Digital News Focus

Providing the best experience and tools for my radio audience

Creating a unique local content destination thatgrows digital audience & engagement

Size of Newsroom

OverallStation Goals

Digital News Focus

St LouisRiver

of News

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Now we introduce another way to accomplish Digital News Focus – using Modular Home Page

Providing the best experience and tools for my radio audience

Creating a unique local content destination thatgrows digital audience & engagement

Size of Newsroom

OverallStation Goals

Digital News Focus

St LouisWTSMModular

Home PageRiver

of News

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Flexible layout and blocks to focus on news

Hand-selected lead stories

Your latest stories

Station announcement

NPR latest stories

Your reporters/contributors

Latest stories by category

Local program promo

News: ModularHome Page example

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Optimized for creating a unique local content destination with modest resources Creating or featuring daily original content (e.g., news,

music coverage) targeted at a digital audience Ensuring radio-oriented needs (e.g., stream, program info,

announcements) can also still be met Provides more flexibility for meeting station business

requirements

Strategy: Digital News FocusImplementation: Modular Home Page

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Now we have 2 ways of implementing a Digital News Focus strategy

Providing the best experience and tools for my radio audience

Creating a unique local content destination thatgrows digital audience & engagement

Size of Newsroom

OverallStation Goals

Digital News Focus

St LouisWTSMRiver

of NewsModular

Home Page

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Core Publisher also supports the strategy of stations not able to adopt Digital News Focus

Providing the best experience and tools for my radio audience

Creating a unique local content destination thatgrows digital audience & engagement

Size of Newsroom

OverallStation Goals

Radio Focus

Digital News Focus

WTSTSt LouisWTSM

Riverof NewsModular

Home Page

ModularHome Page

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Same flexible Modular Home Page tool, but now supporting a variety of radio-focused goals

Rotating promos for events, programs, people, announcements

Local program promo

Station announcement

Live stream emphasized

Your latest stories

NPR latest stories

Radio: Modular Home Page example

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Optimized for creating the same high-caliber experience that listeners expect from the on-air broadcast Providing the best radio info and tools (e.g., audio

stream, schedules, playlists, program info) Raising audience awareness of radio content (e.g.,

programs), station announcements, or local events Provides flexibility for meeting station business

requirements Can also feature editorial content – broadcast related,

original digital news, NPR, etc.

Strategy: Radio FocusImplementation: Modular Home Page

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Core Publisher makes it easy for Radio Focus stations to manage a dynamic home page

Content to manage by hand on a regular basis

Set it and forget it – content will come in automatically based on your new posts or other content already in the system

Modular Home Page management

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Modular Home Page can support both site strategies

Providing the best experience and tools for my radio audience

Creating a unique local content destination thatgrows digital audience & engagement

Size of Newsroom

OverallStation Goals

Radio Focus

Digital News Focus

WTSTSt LouisWTSM

Riverof NewsModular

Home Page

ModularHome Page

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MODULAR HOME PAGE DETAILS

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User group of stations to discuss needs (last fall) Survey of stations to prioritize needs Pilot with a couple of stations so we could learn what

works and get the kinks out Preview functionality added

How we created the Modular Home Page

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New 3-column page grid New content blocks to

support varying stationand user goals

Admin interface for controlling where blocks appear & previewing

What’s included with the modular home page?

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Purpose: Curate andemphasize today’s topnews storiesLocation: Top of pageDetails: Automatically pulls in text and resizes image 1 primary and 2 secondary stories – or just 1 big storyBest practices: Reserve for big stories and take it down when not needed Change items daily

Lead stories

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Purpose: Create dynamic feeling & feature content (e.g., programs, people, events, announcements)Location: Top of pageDetails: Automatically pulls in text and resizes main image Must include 4 items that link to your site content Ability to previewBest practices: Change items daily or weekly

Rotating featured content

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Purpose: Feature program contentLocation: Left columnDetails: Automatically pulls in program

description text and image, but can be overridden

Pulls in latest stories associated with program (optional)Best practices: Use for local programs Customize the description text to talk about what’s on the

next show

Program promo

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Purpose: Communicate station announcement or eventLocation: Middle columnDetails: Can be created using any combination of

image, header, text, and any link – not all elements are required

Content is static and not associated with a postBest practices: Refresh/change weekly or remove it Don’t use tall vertical images

Announcement

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Purpose: Drive audience withlocal coverageLocation: Left columnDetails: Pulls latest 5 stories Images automatically resized Header can be customizedBest practices: Create original, local content

that’s timely and web-friendly

Latest local stories

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Purpose: Leverage national contentLocation: Left or middle columnDetails: Pulls latest 5 stories Images automatically resized Header can be customizedBest practices: In general, prioritize Latest

Local Stories over Latest NPRStories

Latest NPR storiesMiddle column

version:

Left column version:

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Purpose: Highlight special coverage that audience demands (e.g., Election)Location: Middle columnDetails: One category only per block Multiple blocks possible on home page Header can be customized Pulls latest 5 stories

Stories by category

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Purpose: Feature content that lives on another site (e.g., supporting local newspartnership)Location: Middle columnDetails: Header can be customized Pulls latest 5 headlinesBest practices: In general, prioritize local content over external content,

since RSS feeds won’t drive audience growth

RSS feed

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These existing blocks can be reordered as you can do currently Underwriting 300x250 unit

(best practice: top of right column) Now Playing (live streams) Connect with Us (Facebook/Twitter links) Podcasts & RSS Feeds Most Active Stories Additional 300x250 unit Contributors/People Email newsletter Car donation

Blocks in the right rail

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USAGE BY BUSINESS NEED

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Program promotion, events, station announcements, etc. Rotating featured content Announcement block 300x250 underwriting unit

Tip: You can use a normal post page for the promotion and link to it from the blocks listed above, then exclude the promo post from showing up in the news block

Using the Modular Home Page for marketing priorities

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300x250 underwriting unit (recommended) Rotating featured content Announcement block Skybox

Using the Modular Home Page for pledge priorities

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300x250 underwriting unit (recommended, 2 slots available)

Announcement block

Using the Modular Home Page for underwriting priorities

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Fully available Feb 16 Contact your Stations Relations representative Complete training

Limitations of initial launch: Blocks can’t go in every location Requires using visual treatment 2

Stations who use it will have the most influence on how it evolves!

Modular home page rollout