I just found out that the Loudoun Easterner has ceased to exist. Ironically I found out while reading the Loudoun Independent. Started in 1968, it published its last paper on July 22.
The reason I started writing a blog was because of the deterioration in the effectiveness of print advertising. Local newspapers were a staple of any real estate advertising campaign and in Loudoun County the paper most people read for real estate ads was the Easterner. But that started to fall off in 2006. My old company, CC Sells, used to take out full page ads and sometimes 2 full pages when the market was hot.
But the writing was on the wall for print advertising and newspapers. The slowdown in real estate and the high cost forced us to look for more economical choices such as Google Adwords and other electronic advertising opportunities.
Subsequently I began writing this blog. Fortunately for me, blogs have become a great replacement for print advertising and I now have a separate website for my real estate company, CompleteHomeRE.com.
Oh well. Rest in Peace, Loudoun Easterner.
Nice.
You stopped supporting a local paper with your ad business because the web was cheaper - the paper dies - people lost their jobs - And your sympathetic comment is "Oh Well, Rest in peace."
Maybe when the big Internet real estate sites do the same to your business, someone will have more sympathy....
Posted by: Marge Geneverra | July 30, 2009 at 07:38 PM
Absolutely. I stopped overpaying for advertising from a medium that failed to return my investment. To continue to support them would have been stupid and I would have become the failure not them. But I was smart enough not to blindly continue throwing money away on an outdated resource.
They had a choice to change their format, cut costs, lower advertising costs(which we asked for but they refused) create an online following. I have no sympathy for them. In fact, most of the people could have moved over to the other local papers that are still in business. Imagine that.
While other local papers worked with the real estate professionals that were suffering when the market turned, the Easterner said tough luck. Good riddance.
Posted by: Tony Arko | July 30, 2009 at 07:51 PM
Plus they were one of the unwanted tabloids that were tossed in my driveway like they were trash. These usually ended up, unread, in the recycle bin. I say good riddance as well. You did the smart thing, Tony. If businesses can't adjust, they need to go away.
Posted by: Radar | July 31, 2009 at 10:12 AM