What the Increase in Online News Readership Means to YOU

News has gone social!

Keeping informed is no longer a solitary experience, spent quietly in front of one’s TV or at the kitchen table with the newspaper.

Nope. According to a recent Pew Internet report, over 60% of Americans are getting a portion of their news online. And even those who reach for the TV remote or the newsstand …still check out other platforms like the Internet and news feeds to their cell phones.

What does this mean to you and your social media presence? It means that your blog could become not just an outlet for your brand – it can potentially become a news outlet! Think about it – your blog’s visitors may be ready for something more than light entertainment from you. They could be surfing for news, not noise – so blog about the headlines, not your haircut.

The news-buzz also helps you out in another way. The more folks get their news online, the more they want to talk about what they’re reading. And where do they go to talk about their online news? You guessed it. Facebook, Twitter, Blogs and more. It’s an instant conversation starter, talking about the news. Try tweeting about the day’s hottest news story and watch the conversation take off.

All this newsy banter comes with a risk, however. Discussion about news shouldn’t be confused with news itself. It goes without saying but I’m going to say it anyway. Never assume that ‘news’ you read on random blogs has been fact-checked and confirmed. You could end up looking very foolish (and losing readers!) if you “reprint” erroneous news.

So always do your research and crosscheck all your online news!