Electric Fishwrap

If your news organization has not produced video much, or sold video ads, the Newspaper Association of America is here to help.

Check out the new online primer for video production. It’s got advice from B roll footage to equipment purchasing guides to how to promote your online video. There is even a guide on how to market video ads (because, face it, news is a business in most places in the country).

“Zooming In on Online Video: A Development & Growth Guide for Newspaper Web Sites” is intended to help newspapers of any size develop profitable video applications. As competition heats up for online video mindshare, newspapers have an excellent opportunity to leverage their skills and content and capture an even larger share of online advertising spending.

Also from the ad front, what makes an online video ad less annoying? Read what Mark Glaser wrote on MediaShift (hint: keep it short, silly).

There is so much information here that I’ll likely spend several hours surfing the links. I am glad to see a news tutorial that applies to the ad department.

Thanks to Beth Lawton on Wired Journalists for the heads up on the NAA video training site.

Yellow pages listings are down, so are newspaper revenues. Enter BizFinderNW.com, an online solution to the yellow pages, by the Spokesman Review.

The Spokane newspaper, which continues to win awards for the dead-tree and online divisions, added another trophy to the case with the first prize for innovation from the International Newspaper Marketing Association.

This couldn’t come at a better time (well, except a few years ago. That would’ve been a better time). Read Poynter’s writeup on the award and the S-R.com.

The twist at Spokane’s BizFinderNW.com, is to offer a listing with address, store hours, a map and a photo for free. Businesses can amplify on the listing or buy a display position if they wish. Like most local search ventures, there is room for user comments, though no news content per se.

This is a great way for newspapers to capitalize on community connections and remain afloat while offering advertising at competitive rates. I hope more news organizations take this approach.