If you've been keeping up with the Clinton Herald lately, you've noticed that we have been on a mission to expand our online offerings.
We don't want to simply present you with the news, we want to deliver it to you first, in the places you most often are. And because our print edition is subject to deadlines, and print and delivery times, it's not always the best outlet.
Recently we've been developing an attitude of "digital first." When news breaks, we turn to ClintonHerald.com, Facebook and our text alert system to deliver news to you as it happens. No more waiting for tomorrow's paper or relying on neighborhood hearsay. Now you can get reliable breaking news at your fingertips.
Along with "digital first," we've also been looking at ways to offer you new and varied content on our digital platforms. This has included the creation of our e-edition, publication of fresh online-only content, and expansion onto popular social sites.
Add to our growing list of fresh online-only content our newest feature: blogs.
Our blog feature is brand new (as in we just added it to the website today), and therefore not exactly brimming with content just yet. But we are excited about growing the content with help from staff bloggers, as well as contributing writers.
If you know anything about blogs, you know the term can loosely apply to just about any personal website out there. Here at the Herald, we like to get a little more specific. Our blogs will be personal perspectives on a wide range of topics. Written like columns, yet at times less formal, blogs are first-person narratives on anything from the latest issues facing the city of Clinton, to tips on topics like cooking, gardening and fitness.
We hope to offer you all this and more, which is where you come in. As with everything we publish, we welcome your feedback. Now more than ever, we look at our relationship with our readers as less of a supply and demand, and more of an opportunity to share. So let's think of this as an ongoing conversation, one that involves the sharing of thoughts and ideas through mediums like our discussion tool (located in the right column on every article and blog we post) and our Facebook page.
I have already enjoyed interacting with some of you via Facebook, and I look forward to continuing that here. This blog, The Social Herald, will be exploring social media and networking topics, while also keeping you up-to-date on changes to our digital content offerings (just like this post). I will do my best to answer all questions and explore the challenges and opportunities of social media with you.
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Elise Loyola is a digital content editor for the Clinton Herald, as well as its parent company, CNHI. She has been employed with the Herald since 2011. Contact her at eloyola@clintonherald.com and find her on Twitter @EliseLoyola.
