Many smart people have stated definitively that local newspaper advertising is dead. Craigslist.org, eBay.com, Realtor.com and niche sites are cited as competitive threats that cannot be overcome. Really?

As competition proliferated, there was a natural dilution of classified advertising in the marketplace. However, the growth rate for the major national classified competitors has slowed considerably. The newness has worn off. The cumbersome process of searching for uniquely local merchandise and jobs has turned off many visitors.

It cannot be said enough: delivering local content is a newspaper’s unique competitive advantage. The challenge is getting our sales managers and reps thoroughly engaged in the convergence sales process. There cannot be any more excuses – either they sell print/online bundles with conviction, or we need to find those who will.

Our sales managers must be the online/print bundle evangelists. I know empirically that a combination print and online ad receives better response than either a print-only or online-only ad.

Do tests with several of your good customers with whom you have really good relationships. Ask them to help you track responses from different ads. Have them run an online-only campaign one week and an online/print bundled ad the next week. More often than not, there will be a decisive, positive difference when the bundle is used.

Then, use this information to develop a strong sales message that your reps can deliver to your customers. Make believers out of both your staff and your customers.