6. Tagging Content and Targeted Feeds

(NOTE: This post is part of a series. Series index.)

These days, feeds are the key to any kind of distribution you’d want to do in your own venues and beyond. Your content management system (CMS) should allow you and your users to flexibly “tag” (categorize) any piece of content on your site (text, pictures, audio, video, interactive, comments).

If you can tag content and generate a feed from that tag (or any combination of tags), you can selectively remix and syndicate the content you need to serve specific communities…

Tag your content to help analyze your coverage and spot gaps:

• Geotag (zip code, neighborhood). This allows you to create a map mashup and geotagged feeds—or integrate more effectively with YourStreet.com
• Story type (crime, fire, health, environment, business, etc.) Tag by story, photo, etc., not just section or beat
• Check social media services to see how others are tagging your content.

If your CMS doesn’t yet accommodate tagging, first complain to your management about how they’re preventing you from helping the company make money.

Then hire a geek to set up a script on your server to mash up Del.icio.us with your posted content. That way, when you post content online you can also tag it, and generate feeds via Del.icio.us that you can use in various ways. Not a perfect solution, and ther emay be some IT staff resistance to overcome, and it requires an extra step for every story, but it’s better than nothing because it gives you lots of syndication flexibility.

7. Customized print...

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