photo credit: geishaboy500

The traditional newspaper business, as I’m sure you’re aware, has been in deep crisis well before today’s financial meltdown.

Being the luddite that I am, I still like to read a regular newspaper in the am every day. I also like getting the weekly community paper. But here are two genuine stories that reveal why, in my humble opinion, print-based newspapers will continue to fall and fail.

#1 - If you want me to pay for a subscription, YOU HAVE TO DELIVER THE ##$%$%^$%^$%@ THING.

As newspapers merge and fold (as opposed to fold and fluff), the circulation departments have to make do with a lot less resources and attention. My community newspaper’s circulation duties are now handled by some division of The Baltimore Sun. When we moved here, I actually hunted down the website to subscribe. I paid for a year, 52 issues to be dumped at my mailbox weekly.

After a time I stopped getting it. For some reason I thought the paper had gone free-subscription (some of the local papers have) so I didn’t think much about getting it delivered every once in a while.

That is until the renewal invoice arrived. I called the circulation office to let ‘em know what’s what. Turns out the paper wasn’t free, I just wasn’t getting mine. I was told to complain. I said that’s what I’m doing now. Okay, we’ll extend your subscription and make sure you get your paper.

Cool, I thought. Of course, I still only got 1 paper, maybe, every month. I called the circulation office again, again and then again. Results? About the same.

I have received another invoice. I think I’ll take a pass and read my local news online … for free.

#2 - I want the email offer, SO WHY ARE YOU MAKING ME CALL TO RESPOND?

This goes to the heart of marketing strategy. Smart or bone-headed, you make the call.

The Washington Post has a “get points/get rewards” program. I’m a member though I don’t pay much attention. Yesterday, I received an email letting me know that I could get an extra 5,000 points if I signed-up for automatic credit card payment.

It sounded good until I read the ad. Notice the highlighted area:

Washington Post Points Program

I can’t respond via a quick and easy CLICK HERE. I have to call. I HAVE TO CALL?!?

A basic tenant of good marketing is recognizing that the way the customer became a customer is the way they want to remain a customer — via their preferred buying channel.

I’m an email girl. I want to click. I didn’t respond to this offer because they made it too hard. I don’t want to call, be put on hold, etc. I want to click, robo-fill my info, and be done.

Come on, folks. This ain’t rocket science. Email me an offer and let me click through to accept it. Puh-leeeze.