Here are some ideas to kick off this blog!

Here is the column NCPA President Rick Thames wrote for the December issue of The North Carolina Press newsletter, kicking off this blog:

Soon, it will be time to power off the computer for a few days and enjoy the peace of the holidays with people you love and cherish.

But as I write, I know that many of you are still hard at work on lists unrelated to the season. Everyone I talk to in newspapers is brainstorming ways to weather one of the most difficult business environments in our lifetimes.

Your NCPA has what we hope will be a gift for you. We asked six newspapers to share an idea or strategy that they are trying. We’ve used those ideas to help launch this "Best Ideas" blog for all members.

The blog is a place where you can both receive and give. Scan it regularly for tips that could help your newspaper. And seed it with ideas from your own list.

No idea is too small. It doesn’t matter if you took it from somewhere else. There is no shame in suggesting something that’s been tried before. The point is that your posting could help a newspaper colleague.

Here’s a starting point, provided by those six papers we contacted.

The Fayetteville Observer. The newspaper is printing 2,000 copies of a four-page broadsheet section that details its market dominance (75 percent of adults in its home county of Cumberland see the newspaper or its Web site each week). The copies will go to advertisers. "We’ve got a very powerful and compelling story to tell," says Publisher Charles Broadwell. "We need to tell that story better and more often."

The Franklin Press. Advertising sales representatives are being encouraged to sell campaigns, as opposed to individual ads. And they are going to prospective advertisers with prototypes. "Spec ads sell," says Publisher Rachel Hoskins. "Spend the time on the front end of the sale. Make it easy for the advertiser to say yes."

The News & Observer of Raleigh. The newspaper has launched an e-newsletter titled "Here’s the Deal." It targets women who are registered users of Newsobserver.com. The newsletter content is aggregated from existing News & Observer products.

The Charlotte Post. The newspaper is renegotiating contracts with a variety of vendors and business partners, from its health insurer to its printer. In some cases, it is striking a much better deal as suppliers scramble to keep clients and replace lost business. "We are getting calls from printers on a daily basis," says Publisher Gerald Johnson. "Everybody’s going to have to give a little to get a little. We’re all in this together."

The Courier-Times in Roxboro. This bi-weekly launched a separate classified section on Wednesdays. It’s grown those classified by 20 to 30 ads with a deal on vehicle sales. Advertise a car, truck, boat or any other vehicle for $15 and the paper will run it until it sells. The paper has sold car dealers into the section for a deep discount if they sign a 52- week contract. The paper also hired a sales consultant to help sell 52-week contracts to small advertisers. Ads are discounted about 50% from the open rate. Advertisers purchase a 10-inch ad each week for a year. Each month they get to super-size the ad to a quarter-page, and four times a year the paper adds spot color. "We sold about $150,000 worth of ads for the next year," says Publisher Brinn Clayton. "I estimate that 60% is new money." See the blog for a new approach Brinn is trying for subscription sales.

The Charlotte Observer. Inserts are now wrapped in heavier craft paper that provides highly visible ad positions. The Observer also has developed a one-page wrap for the entire paper (home-delivered copies only). The top of the wrap carries the masthead, the date and a friendly greeting, "Good Morning." The rest of the wrap goes to an advertiser, who pays a premium for the position. Readers accept the wrap as a cover that easily slips off their newspaper. Advertisers report excellent results with the position. Observer Vice President of Advertising Liz Erwin offers more ideas on the blog.

Here’s a bonus. Take advantage of the NCPA’s newly launched occasional series demonstrating for readers and advertisers that newspapers remain vital and effective in the marketplace. A column by Executive Director Beth Grace moved to members in late November. Beth is prepared to go anywhere, anytime, to speak to your local civic or governmental groups about newspapers and their role in a strong and open community.

Go to the Web site for more ideas. You will also find links to ideas surfacing in other states. The NCPA’s John Pea is checking sites nationally for best practices and will report what he finds.

All of this is possible because the NCPA’s members are as giving as they are creative. We wish all of you a joyous holiday season. And we look forward to working closely together for the good of all newspapers in the new year.

Reach Rick Thames at 704-358-5001 or rthames@charlotteobserver.com