JSB Talks Digital Transformation In The Media
JSB Talks Digital is a weekly digital marketing and social media podcast hosted by author, strategist, consultant, speaker and trainer Joanne Sweeney-Burke. Each Friday Joanne shares her digital marketing and social media insights from her work as CEO of Digital Training Institute. In this episode she brings you her podcasting tips.
Hello and welcome to JSB Talks Digital – the podcast for marketers, digital change agents and those of you bringing your skills into the Digital Age!
This special series of podcasts will take a forensic look at how different sectors are embracing digital transformation in their organisation.
Coming up in today’s show
In this, the first in a series of special shows on Digital Transformation, I look at the media industry.
- So coming up in today’s episode, I have a digital transformation conversation with Declan Varley, Group Editor of The Galway Advertiser, Athlone Advertiser and Mayo Advertiser. He talks to me about how he led the digital charge in digitising and monetising the online print newspaper business in the West of Ireland.
- Shoutouts to three digital features that the Advertiser Group have mastered.
- In JSB’s column – how digital storytelling in the digital age is not that different to my days as a broadcast journalist
- Find out what social media tool will help digital transformation.
Interview | Declan Varley
In this week’s show I’m delighted to be joined by Declan Varley, Group Editor of The Advertiser Group of Newspapers in the West of Ireland to talk about digital transformation in the media industry.
Declan heads up The Galway Advertiser, Mayo Advertiser and Athlone Advertiser. He is also the digital change agent that spear-headed their digital success. Declan is also a published author and has undertaken a study on “The Role of Truth in Digital Journalism.”
Follow The Galway Advertiser online
Listen to their podcast: https://soundcloud.com/advertiserpodcasts
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GalwayAdvertiser/ (over 100k)
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/galwayad (20,300 followers)
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/galwayadvertiser (4715 followers)
JSB’s Column | From Traditional To Digital Media
I began my career as a broadcast journalist. It was 2001 and the radio station had moved to digital editing from the old-fashioned reel-to-reel tape!
I was instead equipped with a digital recording device and external microphone.
As a roving reporter in the North West Ireland, I love being out and about and investigating news stories and getting exclusive interviews.
Some of those stories included the Government’s first Cabinet meeting outside of Dublin which took place in Glenveagh Castle; attending two months of the Morris Tribunal, a public inquiry into allegations of wrong-doing against certain members of the Gardai, our police force, in Co. Donegal; criminal trials at Letterkenny Circuit Court and reporting on more tragic events such as murders and missing persons inquiries.
I was also responsible for editing my own audio and packaging it for news bulletins. And of course I read the news – this was the very last piece of my job, but often people thought it was the only part of your job! I often wondered where they thought I got the news!
I also managed the news website and even 16 years ago we were uploading news on the website daily. Social media was not a part of my working life however.
Fast-forward to 2017 and I am still a professional storyteller. But now I do it exclusively online and help bring people, organisations and companies into the Digital Age.
I truly believe that at the heart of Digital Transformation in any organisation starts with the art of storytelling and building a library of authentic, meaningful and transformative stories that impact an audience in some way.
As I sit here back behind the mic and in a radio studio, I am smiling and celebrating that my storytelling days have just got better in the Digital Age.
The power to share stories to a mass audience is there for everyone to take advantage of, so what are you waiting for? Don’t let fear or a lack of knowledge paralyses progress in your organisation, embrace these remarkable times and leave the legacy of your message online.
You have a responsibility to be truth agents for the company you work for or the organisation that you lead. If you want to have a Digital Transformation conversation with me.
Simply drop me an email to [email protected]. Everything starts with a story or a conversation.
Shoutouts | Savvy Social Print Journalism
In this part of the show I give shout-outs to brands and individuals whose work online is worth talking about.
In this episode I’m giving shout-outs to The GalwayAdvertiser and three reasons why you should join their community online.
- If you are a media outlet struggling to capture the imagination of your newspaper readers or radio listeners, then take a close look at what the Galway Advertiser are doing on Facebook. Their page now boasts over 100,000 Likes with engagement reaching millions of people every day.
- The digital advertising packages they offer suit all business types and given their online audience, it proves a very attractive prospect when looking for return on your advertising investment.
- Lastly, they also have a podcast, with shows produced by their arts & entertainment and sports reporters.
https://soundcloud.com/advertiserpodcasts
Follow The GalwayAdvertiser online
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GalwayAdvertiser/ (over 100k)
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/galwayad (20,300 followers)
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/galwayadvertiser (4715 followers)
Social Media Tool of the Week: Press Release Wizard
For anyone new to the world of online PR, Press Release Wizard is a super helpful tool. I was sharing this tool with new members of my team this week.
On the Press Release Wizard website, you are guided through how to write each section of your press release in real-time.
It will guide you on how to write each section from the heading, to the intro, main body and conclusion.
And when you’re finished, it sends a finished copy to your inbox.
You can then copy and paste it from your email and send it out. After using it a couple of times, you’ll remember how to write a press release without it. So go check it out.
I love feedback
I’d love to know what you think about this episode. So please get in touch by commenting below or tweet me @tweetsbyJSB or send me a snap to jsbsnaps.
Listen: JSB Talks Digital | Episode #33
I would like to thank Eoghan Murphy aka The Galway Gamer for producing my podcast series and to Flirt FM on the campus of NUI, Galway where I am based for the use of their studio.
