(May 16, 2006; Limor Peer)

One of the most powerful motivators for using online Web sites is the users’ experience that – through the site – they can connect with others.

We know from our research that users value what they learn from peers who contribute to the site and that they enjoy a two-way discourse more than a monologue. The Internet also plays an important role connecting people to one another when they make important decisions, according to a new study by PEW Internet & American Life Project on The Strength of Internet Ties.

A 2005 study by the Media Management Center and Online Publishers Association shows that the more users have this experience, the more they will use the site. But the study also shows that users currently do not have this experience with many news sites – suggesting a huge opportunity.

So, how can news sites enhance this experience in their users?

Blogging – More newspapers and other media are embracing this form of communication. In February 2006 Jay Rosen and his students launched the Blue Plate Special and the first “issue” is all about newspaper blogging. There is a report about the state-of-the-art of newspaper blogging as well as interviews, a list of editors with blogs, and much more. See also this Online Journalism Review piece for views on whether newspapers can “do blogs right.”

Social Networking – Set up an online space where people can connect with each other by posting their profiles, aggregate around common interests, using common tags. Allow users to generate their own content and make sure you utilize the latest technology. Rupert Murdoch was one of the first to realize the value of social networking when his company purchased MySpace. Other news organizations are also experimenting (e.g., Tribe.net, Metro UK). You can always develop networking sites around major news events – make the news a conversation!

Reviews and ratings – Consider enabling user-generated reviews and ratings. The success of Amazon and eBay is partly due to users’ input, which sums up to unique valuable content for other users. Newsvine.com is an interesting experiment with this concept.

By Limor Peer (l-peer@northwestern.edu)
Limor Peer is research director for the Media Management Center and Readership Institute.