The Newspaper Association of America has singled out eight business practices that can bring you up to speed on the most important developments in the newspaper industry, trends they believe are worth keeping track of this year.

For example, “total audience” measurement, outsourcing and hyper-local coverage are all trends that won't be going away, and are shaping the future of the newspaper business.

The following is an abbreviated version of the NAA's list. For the full report, click here.

1. Measuring Total Audience
The trend toward more integrated measures is important because it helps to provide advertisers credible information before making media-buying decisions to reach their customers, John Kimball, NAA senior vice president and chief marketing officer, states in the report. Including online metrics reflects the very substantial reach newspapers have online, and adding online statistics to circulation information will help advertisers compare reach more effectively with other forms of media.

In short, “we're in the process of leveling the playing field,” said Frank Whittaker, vice president of operations for The McClatchy Co. and member of ABC's newspaper board of directors.

2. Outsourcing May Save Time, Money
To save money and streamline production, many newspapers have begun outsourcing parts of their operations, including pre-press, press and post-press. Currently, outsourcing “falls into two categories: services and capital avoidance,” said Tom Croteau, NAA's senior vice president of technology. “The industry will continue to look at clustering or outsourcing services.”

Todd Brownrout, chief marketing officer for 2AdPro, an outsourced advertising services provider, told the NAA that he expects business to grow in the United States because of cheaper costs and quick turnaround outsourcing can provide.

3. Advertising Innovation Through Collaboration
“As advertisers are challenged to break through the clutter of thousands of messages each day all targeting the same people, newspaper media have become more resourceful and creative in finding a platform agnostic marketing solutions to meet the need,” said Mort Goldstrom, NAA vice president of advertising.

Or as Ed Mahlman, chief marketing officer for Philadelphia Media Holdings puts it, “We're not selling ads ... we're selling solutions.”

For example, The New York Times developed an advertising programme especially to help NBC showcase its fall programming lineup, which included spadia advertisements, full-page ads, front-page strip and back-page ads.

4. Breaking Up Is Easy To Do
Several U.S. media companies are overhauling their ownership structure by separating newspapers from other media divisions, hoping the move will increase revenue and stock prices.

John Morton, president of Maryland-based Morton Research Inc. told the NAA that “the stock is being dragged down by the newspaper division's performance.” Separate divisions, he said, can be “valued on their own.”

New companies can focus on more strategic competition in their specific areas. Dallas-based Belo Corp. and the E.W. Scripps Co. in Cincinnati both announced they would be dividing up their companies last year, moves that will allow them to be “more nimble,” said Robert W. Dechard, chairman and CEO of Belo.

5. Multimedia Branding With Audience in Mind
Changes in the habits and demographics of consumers are forcing most industries to revisit their marketing schemes, but newspapers have an advantage in this area, as they have relevance among consumers for local news and information.

“Increasingly, we're seeing newspapers extend the long tail of their product portfolios, offering niche print and digital products to extend their footprint in their market,” said Diane Hockenberry, NAA director of audience development. “When you look at how each product in a company's portfolio adds to its overall penetration, it really tells a great story about the company's ability to aggregate audience, leverage resources and build its brand.”

6. Leaner Operations in the New Year
This year, newspapers are looking to save time and money, streamlining operations by consolidating editorial and production.

Two ways to be more efficient in difficult economic times using technology more and combining job functions, Steve Buttry, director of tailored programs at the American Press Institute in Reston, Va., told the NAA.

For some newspapers, this means having local copy editors review non-local stories. For others, this means consolidating production facilities.

7. Heatset, UV Technology Help Newspapers Attract Advertisers
Some newspapers in the United States are using technologies, such as heatset and UV equipment, that allow them to print more vibrant colors on glossy paper.

“The industry needs to really consider capability beyond traditional coldset to improve quality and increase revenue,” said Michael Brady, director of NAA production operations. “Advertisers in Europe are really taking advantage of those capabilities. I think it would be desirable to U.S. advertisers for more newspapers to come up with higher-quality offerings.”

8. Hyper-local Sections, Web Sites Prove Attractive to Readers
Large newspapers in metro areas, such as the Chicago Tribune or The Washington Post, are aiming to attract readers with micro-level coverage and citizen-contributed content.

Kyle Leonard, managing editor of the Chicago Tribune's Triblocal, told the NAA that the farther Chicago-area readers are from the city's centre, the less relevant the Tribune becomes. “A lot of news that they really care about is not something that an outfit like the Tribune can handle very well” because of its size, he said.

Usually, content on these hyper-local sites and sections are only of interest to the specific community, but the hyper-local sections feed into the flagship paper.

“It's so difficult for a large metro to stay connected to its communities,” Oscar Martinez, managing editor of neighborsgo, part of The Dallas Morning News. These new sections and sites are like small-town papers, and provide that link.

For a previous article on this topic, please visit our partner site, Editorsweblog.org.